diff --git a/main.cc b/main.cc
index 61b6d5d0fd38..03bc606cdc49 100644
--- a/main.cc
+++ b/main.cc
@@ -1206,7 +1206,7 @@ To start the scylla server proper, simply invoke as: scylla server (or just scyl
                 fd.stop().get();
             });
 
-            raft_gr.start(cfg->consistent_cluster_management(),
+            raft_gr.start(cfg->consistent_cluster_management(), raft::server_id{cfg->host_id.id},
                 std::ref(raft_address_map), std::ref(messaging), std::ref(gossiper), std::ref(fd)).get();
 
             // group0 client exists only on shard 0.
@@ -1317,10 +1317,9 @@ To start the scylla server proper, simply invoke as: scylla server (or just scyl
                     startlog.error("Bad configuration: consistent_cluster_management requires schema commit log to be enabled");
                     throw bad_configuration_error();
                 }
-                auto my_raft_id = raft::server_id{cfg->host_id.uuid()};
                 supervisor::notify("starting Raft Group Registry service");
-                raft_gr.invoke_on_all([my_raft_id] (service::raft_group_registry& raft_gr) {
-                    return raft_gr.start(my_raft_id);
+                raft_gr.invoke_on_all([] (service::raft_group_registry& raft_gr) {
+                    return raft_gr.start();
                 }).get();
             } else {
                 if (cfg->check_experimental(db::experimental_features_t::feature::BROADCAST_TABLES)) {
diff --git a/service/raft/raft_group0.cc b/service/raft/raft_group0.cc
index 9fb4f73c6355..b413fde24b96 100644
--- a/service/raft/raft_group0.cc
+++ b/service/raft/raft_group0.cc
@@ -112,7 +112,10 @@ class group0_rpc: public service::raft_rpc {
             _address_map.set_nonexpiring(addr.id);
             // Notify the direct failure detector that it should track
             // (or liveness of a specific raft server id.
-            _direct_fd.add_endpoint(addr.id.id);
+            if (addr != _my_id) {
+                // No need to ping self to know it's alive
+                _direct_fd.add_endpoint(addr.id.id);
+            }
         }
         for (const auto& addr: del) {
             // RPC 'send' may yield before resolving IP address,
diff --git a/service/raft/raft_group_registry.cc b/service/raft/raft_group_registry.cc
index a9d7f8f34f9f..574082ac2e95 100644
--- a/service/raft/raft_group_registry.cc
+++ b/service/raft/raft_group_registry.cc
@@ -27,8 +27,14 @@ logging::logger rslog("raft_group_registry");
 
 class direct_fd_proxy : public raft::failure_detector, public direct_failure_detector::listener {
     std::unordered_set<raft::server_id> _alive_set;
+    raft::server_id _my_id;
 
 public:
+    direct_fd_proxy(raft::server_id my_id)
+            : _my_id(my_id)
+    {
+    }
+
     future<> mark_alive(direct_failure_detector::pinger::endpoint_id id) override {
         static const auto msg = "marking Raft server {} as alive for raft groups";
 
@@ -63,7 +69,7 @@ class direct_fd_proxy : public raft::failure_detector, public direct_failure_det
     }
 
     bool is_alive(raft::server_id srv) override {
-        return _alive_set.contains(srv);
+        return srv == _my_id || _alive_set.contains(srv);
     }
 };
 // }}} direct_fd_proxy
@@ -135,7 +141,9 @@ class gossiper_state_change_subscriber_proxy: public gms::i_endpoint_state_chang
 
 // }}} gossiper_state_change_subscriber_proxy
 
-raft_group_registry::raft_group_registry(bool is_enabled, raft_address_map& address_map,
+raft_group_registry::raft_group_registry(bool is_enabled,
+        raft::server_id my_id,
+        raft_address_map& address_map,
         netw::messaging_service& ms, gms::gossiper& gossiper, direct_failure_detector::failure_detector& fd)
     : _is_enabled(is_enabled)
     , _ms(ms)
@@ -143,7 +151,8 @@ raft_group_registry::raft_group_registry(bool is_enabled, raft_address_map& addr
     , _gossiper_proxy(make_shared<gossiper_state_change_subscriber_proxy>(address_map))
     , _address_map{address_map}
     , _direct_fd(fd)
-    , _direct_fd_proxy(make_shared<direct_fd_proxy>())
+    , _direct_fd_proxy(make_shared<direct_fd_proxy>(my_id))
+    , _my_id(my_id)
 {
 }
 
@@ -152,13 +161,12 @@ void raft_group_registry::init_rpc_verbs() {
             const rpc::client_info& cinfo,
             const raft::group_id& gid, raft::server_id from, raft::server_id dst, auto handler) {
         constexpr bool is_one_way = std::is_void_v<std::invoke_result_t<decltype(handler), raft_rpc&>>;
-        const auto& my_id = get_my_raft_id();
-        if (my_id != dst) {
+        if (_my_id != dst) {
             if constexpr (is_one_way) {
-                rslog.debug("Got message for server {}, but my id is {}", dst, my_id);
+                rslog.debug("Got message for server {}, but my id is {}", dst, _my_id);
                 return make_ready_future<rpc::no_wait_type>(netw::messaging_service::no_wait());
             } else {
-                throw raft_destination_id_not_correct{*_my_id, dst};
+                throw raft_destination_id_not_correct{_my_id, dst};
             }
         }
 
@@ -270,11 +278,10 @@ void raft_group_registry::init_rpc_verbs() {
             [this] (const rpc::client_info&, raft::server_id dst) -> future<direct_fd_ping_reply> {
         // XXX: update address map here as well?
 
-        const raft::server_id& my_id = get_my_raft_id();
-        if (my_id != dst) {
+        if (_my_id != dst) {
             co_return direct_fd_ping_reply {
                 .result = wrong_destination {
-                    .reached_id = my_id,
+                    .reached_id = _my_id,
                 },
             };
         }
@@ -321,11 +328,8 @@ future<> raft_group_registry::stop_servers() noexcept {
     co_await g.close();
 }
 
-seastar::future<> raft_group_registry::start(raft::server_id my_id) {
+seastar::future<> raft_group_registry::start() {
     assert(_is_enabled);
-    assert(!_my_id);
-
-    _my_id = my_id;
 
     _gossiper.register_(_gossiper_proxy);
 
@@ -339,10 +343,7 @@ seastar::future<> raft_group_registry::start(raft::server_id my_id) {
 }
 
 const raft::server_id& raft_group_registry::get_my_raft_id() {
-    if (!_my_id) {
-        on_internal_error(rslog, "get_my_raft_id(): Raft ID not initialized");
-    }
-    return *_my_id;
+    return _my_id;
 }
 
 seastar::future<> raft_group_registry::stop() {
diff --git a/service/raft/raft_group_registry.hh b/service/raft/raft_group_registry.hh
index b00a81459b6f..973e73096619 100644
--- a/service/raft/raft_group_registry.hh
+++ b/service/raft/raft_group_registry.hh
@@ -97,23 +97,17 @@ private:
     std::optional<raft::group_id> _group0_id;
 
     // My Raft ID. Shared between different Raft groups.
-    // Once set, must not be changed.
-    //
-    // FIXME: ideally we'd like this to be passed to the constructor.
-    // However storage_proxy/query_processor/system_keyspace are unavailable
-    // when we start raft_group_registry so we have to set it later,
-    // after system_keyspace is initialized.
-    std::optional<raft::server_id> _my_id;
+    raft::server_id _my_id;
 
 public:
     // `is_enabled` must be `true` iff the local RAFT feature is enabled.
-    raft_group_registry(bool is_enabled, raft_address_map&,
+    raft_group_registry(bool is_enabled, raft::server_id my_id, raft_address_map&,
             netw::messaging_service& ms, gms::gossiper& gs, direct_failure_detector::failure_detector& fd);
     ~raft_group_registry();
 
     // If is_enabled(),
-    // Called manually at start on every shard, after system_keyspace is initialized.
-    seastar::future<> start(raft::server_id my_id);
+    // Called manually at start on every shard.
+    seastar::future<> start();
     // Called by sharded<>::stop()
     seastar::future<> stop();
 
diff --git a/service/raft/raft_rpc.cc b/service/raft/raft_rpc.cc
index 2dc9dfbd1497..52af090694b1 100644
--- a/service/raft/raft_rpc.cc
+++ b/service/raft/raft_rpc.cc
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ raft_ticker_type::time_point timeout() {
 }
 
 raft_rpc::raft_rpc(raft_state_machine& sm, netw::messaging_service& ms,
-        raft_address_map& address_map, raft::group_id gid, raft::server_id srv_id)
-    : _sm(sm), _group_id(std::move(gid)), _server_id(srv_id), _messaging(ms)
+        raft_address_map& address_map, raft::group_id gid, raft::server_id my_id)
+    : _sm(sm), _group_id(std::move(gid)), _my_id(my_id), _messaging(ms)
     , _address_map(address_map)
 {}
 
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ raft_rpc::one_way_rpc(sloc loc, raft::server_id id,
                 loc.file_name(), loc.line(), loc.function_name(), id);
             return make_ready_future<>();
         }
-        return verb(&_messaging, netw::msg_addr(*ip_addr), timeout(), _group_id, _server_id, id, std::forward<Msg>(msg))
+        return verb(&_messaging, netw::msg_addr(*ip_addr), timeout(), _group_id, _my_id, id, std::forward<Msg>(msg))
             .handle_exception([loc = std::move(loc), id] (std::exception_ptr ex) {
                 try {
                     std::rethrow_exception(ex);
@@ -61,13 +61,13 @@ auto
 raft_rpc::two_way_rpc(sloc loc, raft::server_id id,
         Verb&& verb, Args&&... args) {
     auto ip_addr = _address_map.find(id);
-    using Fut = decltype(verb(&_messaging, netw::msg_addr(*ip_addr), db::no_timeout, _group_id, _server_id, id, std::forward<Args>(args)...));
+    using Fut = decltype(verb(&_messaging, netw::msg_addr(*ip_addr), db::no_timeout, _group_id, _my_id, id, std::forward<Args>(args)...));
     using Ret = typename Fut::value_type;
     if (!ip_addr) {
         const auto msg = format("Failed to send {} {}: ip address not found", loc.function_name(), id);
         return make_exception_future<Ret>(raft::transport_error(msg));
     }
-    return verb(&_messaging, netw::msg_addr(*ip_addr), db::no_timeout, _group_id, _server_id, id, std::forward<Args>(args)...)
+    return verb(&_messaging, netw::msg_addr(*ip_addr), db::no_timeout, _group_id, _my_id, id, std::forward<Args>(args)...)
         .handle_exception_type([loc= std::move(loc), id] (const seastar::rpc::closed_error& e) {;
             const auto msg = format("Failed to execute {} on leader {}: {}", loc.function_name(), id, e);
             rlogger.trace(std::string_view(msg));
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ future<> raft_rpc::send_append_entries(raft::server_id id, const raft::append_re
         co_await coroutine::return_exception_ptr(std::make_exception_ptr(raft::transport_error(msg)));
     }
     co_return co_await ser::raft_rpc_verbs::send_raft_append_entries(&_messaging, netw::msg_addr(*ip_addr),
-            db::no_timeout, _group_id, _server_id, id, append_request);
+            db::no_timeout, _group_id, _my_id, id, append_request);
 }
 
 void raft_rpc::send_append_entries_reply(raft::server_id id, const raft::append_reply& reply) {
diff --git a/service/raft/raft_rpc.hh b/service/raft/raft_rpc.hh
index 9b8e8913bb2b..f84d50393e6d 100644
--- a/service/raft/raft_rpc.hh
+++ b/service/raft/raft_rpc.hh
@@ -25,13 +25,13 @@ class raft_rpc : public raft::rpc {
 protected:
     raft_state_machine& _sm;
     raft::group_id _group_id;
-    raft::server_id _server_id;
+    raft::server_id _my_id;                     // Raft server id of this node.
     netw::messaging_service& _messaging;
     raft_address_map& _address_map;
     seastar::gate _shutdown_gate;
 
     explicit raft_rpc(raft_state_machine& sm, netw::messaging_service& ms,
-            raft_address_map& address_map, raft::group_id gid, raft::server_id srv_id);
+            raft_address_map& address_map, raft::group_id gid, raft::server_id my_id);
 
 private:
     template <typename Verb, typename Msg> void
diff --git a/test/lib/cql_test_env.cc b/test/lib/cql_test_env.cc
index 325a47beee6e..d982945070ff 100644
--- a/test/lib/cql_test_env.cc
+++ b/test/lib/cql_test_env.cc
@@ -792,7 +792,9 @@ class single_node_cql_env : public cql_test_env {
             });
 
             raft_gr.start(cfg->consistent_cluster_management(),
-                std::ref(raft_address_map), std::ref(ms), std::ref(gossiper), std::ref(fd)).get();
+                raft::server_id{cfg->host_id.id},
+                std::ref(raft_address_map),
+                std::ref(ms), std::ref(gossiper), std::ref(fd)).get();
             auto stop_raft_gr = deferred_stop(raft_gr);
 
             stream_manager.start(std::ref(*cfg), std::ref(db), std::ref(sys_dist_ks), std::ref(view_update_generator), std::ref(ms), std::ref(mm), std::ref(gossiper), scheduling_groups.streaming_scheduling_group).get();
@@ -865,9 +867,8 @@ class single_node_cql_env : public cql_test_env {
             }).get();
 
             if (raft_gr.local().is_enabled()) {
-                auto my_raft_id = raft::server_id{cfg->host_id.uuid()};
-                raft_gr.invoke_on_all([my_raft_id] (service::raft_group_registry& raft_gr) {
-                    return raft_gr.start(my_raft_id);
+                raft_gr.invoke_on_all([] (service::raft_group_registry& raft_gr) {
+                    return raft_gr.start();
                 }).get();
             }