diff --git a/raft.go b/raft.go
index ee7859456..1bb83183c 100644
--- a/raft.go
+++ b/raft.go
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ func newRaft(c *Config) *raft {
 
 func (r *raft) hasLeader() bool { return r.lead != None }
 
-func (r *raft) softState() *SoftState { return &SoftState{Lead: r.lead, RaftState: r.state} }
+func (r *raft) softState() SoftState { return SoftState{Lead: r.lead, RaftState: r.state} }
 
 func (r *raft) hardState() pb.HardState {
 	return pb.HardState{
diff --git a/rawnode.go b/rawnode.go
index b46182868..0f3807c66 100644
--- a/rawnode.go
+++ b/rawnode.go
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ func NewRawNode(config *Config) (*RawNode, error) {
 		raft: r,
 	}
 	rn.asyncStorageWrites = config.AsyncStorageWrites
-	rn.prevSoftSt = r.softState()
+	ss := r.softState()
+	rn.prevSoftSt = &ss
 	rn.prevHardSt = r.hardState()
 	return rn, nil
 }
@@ -144,7 +145,9 @@ func (rn *RawNode) readyWithoutAccept() Ready {
 		Messages:         r.msgs,
 	}
 	if softSt := r.softState(); !softSt.equal(rn.prevSoftSt) {
-		rd.SoftState = softSt
+		// Allocate only when SoftState changes.
+		escapingSoftSt := softSt
+		rd.SoftState = &escapingSoftSt
 	}
 	if hardSt := r.hardState(); !isHardStateEqual(hardSt, rn.prevHardSt) {
 		rd.HardState = hardSt
@@ -445,7 +448,7 @@ func (rn *RawNode) applyUnstableEntries() bool {
 func (rn *RawNode) HasReady() bool {
 	// TODO(nvanbenschoten): order these cases in terms of cost and frequency.
 	r := rn.raft
-	if !r.softState().equal(rn.prevSoftSt) {
+	if softSt := r.softState(); !softSt.equal(rn.prevSoftSt) {
 		return true
 	}
 	if hardSt := r.hardState(); !IsEmptyHardState(hardSt) && !isHardStateEqual(hardSt, rn.prevHardSt) {
diff --git a/rawnode_test.go b/rawnode_test.go
index 3e146f8b4..553d74fd6 100644
--- a/rawnode_test.go
+++ b/rawnode_test.go
@@ -1239,6 +1239,7 @@ func benchmarkRawNodeImpl(b *testing.B, peers ...uint64) {
 	if applied < uint64(b.N) {
 		b.Fatalf("did not apply everything: %d < %d", applied, b.N)
 	}
+	b.ReportAllocs()
 	b.ReportMetric(float64(s.callStats.firstIndex)/float64(b.N), "firstIndex/op")
 	b.ReportMetric(float64(s.callStats.lastIndex)/float64(b.N), "lastIndex/op")
 	b.ReportMetric(float64(s.callStats.term)/float64(b.N), "term/op")
diff --git a/status.go b/status.go
index 4164b29ae..b1ffd90f1 100644
--- a/status.go
+++ b/status.go
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func getBasicStatus(r *raft) BasicStatus {
 		LeadTransferee: r.leadTransferee,
 	}
 	s.HardState = r.hardState()
-	s.SoftState = *r.softState()
+	s.SoftState = r.softState()
 	s.Applied = r.raftLog.applied
 	return s
 }