diff --git a/patroni/ha.py b/patroni/ha.py
index 95ca6e05..2445aa02 100644
--- a/patroni/ha.py
+++ b/patroni/ha.py
@@ -996,9 +996,22 @@ class Ha(object):
                 return ret
 
         if self.state_handler.is_leader():
-            # in pause leader is the healthiest only when no initialize or sysid matches with initialize!
-            return not self.is_paused() or not self.cluster.initialize\
-                or self.state_handler.sysid == self.cluster.initialize
+            if self.is_paused():
+                # in pause leader is the healthiest only when no initialize or sysid matches with initialize!
+                return not self.cluster.initialize or self.state_handler.sysid == self.cluster.initialize
+
+            # We want to protect from the following scenario:
+            # 1. node1 is stressed so much that heart-beat isn't running regularly and the leader lock expires.
+            # 2. node2 promotes, gets heavy load and the situation described in 1 repeats.
+            # 3. Patroni on node1 comes back, notices that Postgres is running as primary but there is
+            #    no leader key and "happily" acquires the leader lock.
+            # That is, node1 discarded promotion of node2. To avoid it we want to detect timeline change.
+            my_timeline = self.state_handler.get_primary_timeline()
+            if my_timeline < self.cluster.timeline:
+                logger.warning('My timeline %s is behind last known cluster timeline %s',
+                               my_timeline, self.cluster.timeline)
+                return False
+            return True
 
         if self.is_paused():
             return False
diff --git a/tests/test_ha.py b/tests/test_ha.py
index 1f5f903d..ae6be3e2 100644
--- a/tests/test_ha.py
+++ b/tests/test_ha.py
@@ -375,6 +375,12 @@ class TestHa(PostgresInit):
     def test_acquire_lock_as_primary(self):
         self.assertEqual(self.ha.run_cycle(), 'acquired session lock as a leader')
 
+    def test_leader_race_stale_primary(self):
+        with patch.object(Postgresql, 'get_primary_timeline', Mock(return_value=1)), \
+                patch('patroni.ha.logger.warning') as mock_logger:
+            self.assertEqual(self.ha.run_cycle(), 'demoting self because i am not the healthiest node')
+            self.assertEqual(mock_logger.call_args[0][0], 'My timeline %s is behind last known cluster timeline %s')
+
     def test_promoted_by_acquiring_lock(self):
         self.ha.is_healthiest_node = true
         self.p.is_leader = false