diff --git a/pkg/storage/client_raft_test.go b/pkg/storage/client_raft_test.go
index a1125a67adc5..d30fea21fad1 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/client_raft_test.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/client_raft_test.go
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/storage/storagebase"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/testutils"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/hlc"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/humanizeutil"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/leaktest"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/log"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/protoutil"
@@ -1124,6 +1125,144 @@ func TestRefreshPendingCommands(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// Test that when a Raft group is not able to establish a quorum, its Raft log
+// does not grow without bound. It tests two different scenerios where this used
+// to be possible (see #27772):
+// 1. The leader proposes a command and cannot establish a quorum. The leader
+//    continually re-proposes the command.
+// 2. The follower proposes a command and forwards it to the leader, who cannot
+//    establish a quorum. The follower continually re-proposes and forwards the
+//    command to the leader.
+func TestLogGrowthWhenRefreshingPendingCommands(t *testing.T) {
+	defer leaktest.AfterTest(t)()
+
+	sc := storage.TestStoreConfig(nil)
+	// Drop the raft tick interval so the Raft group is ticked more.
+	sc.RaftTickInterval = 10 * time.Millisecond
+	// Don't timeout raft leader. We don't want leadership moving.
+	sc.RaftElectionTimeoutTicks = 1000000
+	// Disable leader transfers during leaseholder changes so that we
+	// can easily create leader-not-leaseholder scenarios.
+	sc.TestingKnobs.DisableLeaderFollowsLeaseholder = true
+	// Refresh pending commands on every Raft group tick instead of
+	// every RaftElectionTimeoutTicks.
+	sc.TestingKnobs.RefreshReasonTicksPeriod = 1
+	// Disable periodic gossip tasks which can move the range 1 lease
+	// unexpectedly.
+	sc.TestingKnobs.DisablePeriodicGossips = true
+	mtc := &multiTestContext{storeConfig: &sc}
+	defer mtc.Stop()
+	mtc.Start(t, 5)
+
+	const rangeID = roachpb.RangeID(1)
+	mtc.replicateRange(rangeID, 1, 2, 3, 4)
+
+	// Raft leadership is kept on node 0.
+	leaderRepl, err := mtc.Store(0).GetReplica(rangeID)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// Put some data in the range so we'll have something to test for.
+	incArgs := incrementArgs([]byte("a"), 5)
+	if _, err := client.SendWrapped(context.Background(), mtc.stores[0].TestSender(), incArgs); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// Wait for all nodes to catch up.
+	mtc.waitForValues(roachpb.Key("a"), []int64{5, 5, 5, 5, 5})
+
+	// Test proposing on leader and proposing on follower. Neither should result
+	// in unbounded raft log growth.
+	testutils.RunTrueAndFalse(t, "proposeOnFollower", func(t *testing.T, proposeOnFollower bool) {
+		// Restart any nodes that are down.
+		for _, s := range []int{2, 3, 4} {
+			if mtc.Store(s) == nil {
+				mtc.restartStore(s)
+			}
+		}
+
+		// Determine which node to propose on. Transfer lease to that node.
+		var propIdx, otherIdx int
+		if !proposeOnFollower {
+			propIdx, otherIdx = 0, 1
+		} else {
+			propIdx, otherIdx = 1, 0
+		}
+		propNode := mtc.stores[propIdx].TestSender()
+		mtc.transferLease(context.TODO(), rangeID, otherIdx, propIdx)
+		testutils.SucceedsSoon(t, func() error {
+			// Lease transfers may not be immediately observed by the new
+			// leaseholder. Wait until the new leaseholder is aware.
+			repl, err := mtc.Store(propIdx).GetReplica(rangeID)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			repDesc, err := repl.GetReplicaDescriptor()
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			if lease, _ := repl.GetLease(); lease.Replica != repDesc {
+				return errors.Errorf("lease not transferred yet; found %v", lease)
+			}
+			return nil
+		})
+
+		// Stop enough nodes to prevent a quorum.
+		for _, s := range []int{2, 3, 4} {
+			mtc.stopStore(s)
+		}
+
+		// Determine the current raft log size.
+		initLogSize := leaderRepl.GetRaftLogSize()
+
+		// While a majority nodes are down, write some data.
+		putRes := make(chan *roachpb.Error)
+		go func() {
+			putArgs := putArgs([]byte("b"), make([]byte, 8<<10 /* 8 KB */))
+			_, err := client.SendWrapped(context.Background(), propNode, putArgs)
+			putRes <- err
+		}()
+
+		// Wait for a bit and watch for Raft log growth.
+		wait := time.After(500 * time.Millisecond)
+		ticker := time.Tick(50 * time.Millisecond)
+	Loop:
+		for {
+			select {
+			case <-wait:
+				break Loop
+			case <-ticker:
+				// Verify that the leader is node 0.
+				status := leaderRepl.RaftStatus()
+				if status == nil || status.RaftState != raft.StateLeader {
+					t.Fatalf("raft leader should be node 0, but got status %+v", status)
+				}
+
+				// Check raft log size.
+				const logSizeLimit = 64 << 10 // 64 KB
+				curlogSize := leaderRepl.GetRaftLogSize()
+				logSize := curlogSize - initLogSize
+				logSizeStr := humanizeutil.IBytes(logSize)
+				if logSize > logSizeLimit {
+					t.Fatalf("raft log size grew to %s", logSizeStr)
+				}
+				t.Logf("raft log size grew to %s", logSizeStr)
+			case err := <-putRes:
+				t.Fatalf("write finished with quorum unavailable; err=%v", err)
+			}
+		}
+
+		// Start enough nodes to establish a quorum.
+		mtc.restartStore(2)
+
+		// The write should now succeed.
+		if err := <-putRes; err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	})
+}
+
 // TestStoreRangeUpReplicate verifies that the replication queue will notice
 // under-replicated ranges and replicate them. Also tests that preemptive
 // snapshots which contain sideloaded proposals don't panic the receiving end.
diff --git a/pkg/storage/replica.go b/pkg/storage/replica.go
index ba63fc7ba7c3..3ecc5cc19e55 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/replica.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/replica.go
@@ -392,7 +392,12 @@ type Replica struct {
 		// map must only be referenced while Replica.mu is held, except if the
 		// element is removed from the map first. The notable exception is the
 		// contained RaftCommand, which we treat as immutable.
-		proposals         map[storagebase.CmdIDKey]*ProposalData
+		proposals map[storagebase.CmdIDKey]*ProposalData
+		// remoteProposals is maintained by Raft leaders and stores in-flight
+		// commands that were forwarded to the leader during its current term.
+		// The set allows leaders to detect duplicate forwarded commands and
+		// avoid re-proposing the same forwarded command multiple times.
+		remoteProposals   map[storagebase.CmdIDKey]struct{}
 		internalRaftGroup *raft.RawNode
 		// The ID of the replica within the Raft group. May be 0 if the replica has
 		// been created from a preemptive snapshot (i.e. before being added to the
@@ -852,6 +857,7 @@ func (r *Replica) cancelPendingCommandsLocked() {
 		p.finishRaftApplication(resp)
 	}
 	r.mu.proposals = map[storagebase.CmdIDKey]*ProposalData{}
+	r.mu.remoteProposals = nil
 }
 
 // setTombstoneKey writes a tombstone to disk to ensure that replica IDs never
@@ -3333,6 +3339,39 @@ func (r *Replica) stepRaftGroup(req *RaftMessageRequest) error {
 		// other replica is not quiesced, so we don't need to wake the leader.
 		r.unquiesceLocked()
 		r.refreshLastUpdateTimeForReplicaLocked(req.FromReplica.ReplicaID)
+		if req.Message.Type == raftpb.MsgProp {
+			// A proposal was forwarded to this replica.
+			if r.mu.replicaID == r.mu.leaderID {
+				// This replica is the leader. Record that the proposal
+				// was seen and drop the proposal if it was already seen.
+				// This prevents duplicate forwarded proposals from each
+				// being appended to a leader's raft log.
+				allSeen := true
+				for _, e := range req.Message.Entries {
+					switch e.Type {
+					case raftpb.EntryNormal:
+						cmdID, _ := DecodeRaftCommand(e.Data)
+						if r.mu.remoteProposals == nil {
+							r.mu.remoteProposals = map[storagebase.CmdIDKey]struct{}{}
+						}
+						if _, ok := r.mu.remoteProposals[cmdID]; !ok {
+							r.mu.remoteProposals[cmdID] = struct{}{}
+							allSeen = false
+						}
+					case raftpb.EntryConfChange:
+						// We could peek into the EntryConfChange to find the
+						// command ID, but we don't expect follower-initiated
+						// conf changes.
+						allSeen = false
+					default:
+						log.Fatalf(context.TODO(), "unexpected Raft entry: %v", e)
+					}
+				}
+				if allSeen {
+					return false /* unquiesceAndWakeLeader */, nil
+				}
+			}
+		}
 		err := raftGroup.Step(req.Message)
 		if err == raft.ErrProposalDropped {
 			// A proposal was forwarded to this replica but we couldn't propose it.
@@ -3441,6 +3480,9 @@ func (r *Replica) handleRaftReadyRaftMuLocked(
 		if !r.store.TestingKnobs().DisableRefreshReasonNewLeader {
 			refreshReason = reasonNewLeader
 		}
+		// Clear the remote proposal set. Would have been nil already if not
+		// previously the leader.
+		r.mu.remoteProposals = nil
 		leaderID = roachpb.ReplicaID(rd.SoftState.Lead)
 	}
 
@@ -3831,17 +3873,28 @@ func (r *Replica) tick() (bool, error) {
 
 	r.mu.ticks++
 	r.mu.internalRaftGroup.Tick()
+
+	refreshAtDelta := r.store.cfg.RaftElectionTimeoutTicks
+	if knob := r.store.TestingKnobs().RefreshReasonTicksPeriod; knob > 0 {
+		refreshAtDelta = knob
+	}
 	if !r.store.TestingKnobs().DisableRefreshReasonTicks &&
-		r.mu.ticks%r.store.cfg.RaftElectionTimeoutTicks == 0 {
+		r.mu.replicaID != r.mu.leaderID &&
+		r.mu.ticks%refreshAtDelta == 0 {
 		// RaftElectionTimeoutTicks is a reasonable approximation of how long we
 		// should wait before deciding that our previous proposal didn't go
 		// through. Note that the combination of the above condition and passing
 		// RaftElectionTimeoutTicks to refreshProposalsLocked means that commands
 		// will be refreshed when they have been pending for 1 to 2 election
 		// cycles.
-		r.refreshProposalsLocked(
-			r.store.cfg.RaftElectionTimeoutTicks, reasonTicks,
-		)
+		//
+		// However, we don't refresh proposals if we are the leader because
+		// doing so would be useless. The commands tracked by a leader replica
+		// were either all proposed when the replica was a leader or were
+		// re-proposed when the replica became a leader. Either way, they are
+		// guaranteed to be in the leader's Raft log so re-proposing won't do
+		// anything.
+		r.refreshProposalsLocked(refreshAtDelta, reasonTicks)
 	}
 	return true, nil
 }
@@ -3948,6 +4001,9 @@ func (r *Replica) maybeTransferRaftLeader(
 	if !r.isLeaseValidRLocked(l, now) {
 		return
 	}
+	if r.store.TestingKnobs().DisableLeaderFollowsLeaseholder {
+		return
+	}
 	if pr, ok := status.Progress[uint64(l.Replica.ReplicaID)]; ok && pr.Match >= status.Commit {
 		log.VEventf(ctx, 1, "transferring raft leadership to replica ID %v", l.Replica.ReplicaID)
 		r.store.metrics.RangeRaftLeaderTransfers.Inc(1)
@@ -4609,6 +4665,9 @@ func (r *Replica) processRaftCommand(
 		delete(r.mu.proposals, idKey)
 	}
 
+	// Delete the entry for a forwarded proposal set.
+	delete(r.mu.remoteProposals, idKey)
+
 	leaseIndex, proposalRetry, forcedErr := r.checkForcedErrLocked(ctx, idKey, raftCmd, proposal, proposedLocally)
 
 	r.mu.Unlock()
diff --git a/pkg/storage/replica_proposal.go b/pkg/storage/replica_proposal.go
index 0ccea15d9321..7fd39f8d44bd 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/replica_proposal.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/replica_proposal.go
@@ -274,7 +274,8 @@ func (r *Replica) leasePostApply(ctx context.Context, newLease roachpb.Lease) {
 		r.txnWaitQueue.Clear(true /* disable */)
 	}
 
-	if !iAmTheLeaseHolder && r.IsLeaseValid(newLease, r.store.Clock().Now()) {
+	if !iAmTheLeaseHolder && r.IsLeaseValid(newLease, r.store.Clock().Now()) &&
+		!r.store.TestingKnobs().DisableLeaderFollowsLeaseholder {
 		// If this replica is the raft leader but it is not the new lease holder,
 		// then try to transfer the raft leadership to match the lease. We like it
 		// when leases and raft leadership are collocated because that facilitates
diff --git a/pkg/storage/replica_test.go b/pkg/storage/replica_test.go
index 785ca9ebe420..0f9a7fca444c 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/replica_test.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/replica_test.go
@@ -7835,8 +7835,14 @@ func TestReplicaRefreshPendingCommandsTicks(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	electionTicks := tc.store.cfg.RaftElectionTimeoutTicks
+	// Only followers refresh pending commands during tick events. Change the
+	// replica that the range thinks is the leader so that the replica thinks
+	// it's a follower.
+	r.mu.Lock()
+	r.mu.leaderID = 2
+	r.mu.Unlock()
 
+	electionTicks := tc.store.cfg.RaftElectionTimeoutTicks
 	{
 		// The verifications of the reproposal counts below rely on r.mu.ticks
 		// starting with a value of 0 (modulo electionTicks). Move the replica into
diff --git a/pkg/storage/store.go b/pkg/storage/store.go
index 6f0d90ffeed2..35c30ebbdfab 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/store.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/store.go
@@ -733,6 +733,9 @@ type StoreTestingKnobs struct {
 	DisableScanner bool
 	// DisablePeriodicGossips disables periodic gossiping.
 	DisablePeriodicGossips bool
+	// DisableLeaderFollowsLeaseholder disables attempts to transfer raft
+	// leadership when it diverges from the range's leaseholder.
+	DisableLeaderFollowsLeaseholder bool
 	// DisableRefreshReasonTicks disables refreshing pending commands when a new
 	// leader is discovered.
 	DisableRefreshReasonNewLeader bool
@@ -742,6 +745,10 @@ type StoreTestingKnobs struct {
 	// DisableRefreshReasonTicks disables refreshing pending commands
 	// periodically.
 	DisableRefreshReasonTicks bool
+	// RefreshReasonTicksPeriod overrides the default period over which
+	// pending commands are refreshed. The period is specified as a multiple
+	// of Raft group ticks.
+	RefreshReasonTicksPeriod int
 	// DisableProcessRaft disables the process raft loop.
 	DisableProcessRaft bool
 	// DisableLastProcessedCheck disables checking on replica queue last processed times.