diff --git a/src/controller/ha.c b/src/controller/ha.c
index 9230b406..bff52132 100644
--- a/src/controller/ha.c
+++ b/src/controller/ha.c
@@ -179,12 +179,20 @@ static int raft_cb_send_vote_request(void *ctx, int peer_idx, uint64_t term)
     vctx->my_lsn   = (ectx->n_peers > 0) ? ectx->votes[0].my_lsn : 0;
     /* ha-term-safety task 1.2: advertise our Raft (lastLogTerm, lastLogIndex).
      * lastLogIndex == our WAL log length (the library's log_len == WAL tip LSN);
-     * lastLogTerm == the recovered/live WAL term that stamps that last entry.
-     * NOTE: sourced directly from persist (c->persist.term / raft.log_len), NOT
-     * via on_get_entry_term — that callback seam is task 2.x and is unwired here
-     * (see CONCERNS). The formal persist_entry_term accessor is task 1.3. */
+     * lastLogTerm == the term STAMPED ON THAT LAST ENTRY.
+     *
+     * bug-851 / task 5.5: lastLogTerm MUST be the term of the entry at log_len —
+     * sourced via persist_entry_term, the SAME accessor voters use to compute
+     * their own last-log term (on_get_entry_term → persist_entry_term, ha.c:1556).
+     * The old stopgap advertised c->persist.term (the persist layer's RUNNING
+     * term), which is stale/0 after a restart and does NOT equal the last entry's
+     * stored term.  That made a freshly-restarted but freshest survivor advertise
+     * a too-low lastLogTerm, so every voter's logOk rejected it (asymmetric with
+     * how the voter computes its own term) and the election stalled. */
     vctx->my_last_log_index = ha->raft.log_len;
-    vctx->my_last_log_term  = c ? c->persist.term : 0;
+    vctx->my_last_log_term  = (c && ha->raft.log_len > 0)
+                              ? persist_entry_term(&c->persist, ha->raft.log_len)
+                              : 0;
     vctx->my_name  = c->myconf ? c->myconf->name : "";
 
     /* Get a fresh endpoint */
@@ -294,10 +302,14 @@ static int raft_cb_send_pre_vote_request(void *ctx, int peer_idx,
     vctx->my_term  = prospective_term;
     vctx->my_tag   = (ectx->n_peers > 0) ? ectx->votes[0].my_tag : 0;
     vctx->my_lsn   = (ectx->n_peers > 0) ? ectx->votes[0].my_lsn : 0;
-    /* ha-term-safety task 1.2: advertise our Raft (lastLogTerm, lastLogIndex)
-     * — identical sourcing to the real-vote send path above. */
+    /* ha-term-safety task 1.2 + bug-851/task 5.5: advertise lastLogTerm as the
+     * term of the entry at log_len (persist_entry_term — the same source voters
+     * use), NOT the stale c->persist.term. Identical sourcing to the real-vote
+     * send path above; see the full rationale there. */
     vctx->my_last_log_index = ha->raft.log_len;
-    vctx->my_last_log_term  = c ? c->persist.term : 0;
+    vctx->my_last_log_term  = (c && ha->raft.log_len > 0)
+                              ? persist_entry_term(&c->persist, ha->raft.log_len)
+                              : 0;
     vctx->my_name  = c->myconf ? c->myconf->name : "";
 
     endpoint_t *ep = endpoint_get();