diff --git a/conanfile.py b/conanfile.py
index 2a30e53e6..d6a50ad01 100644
--- a/conanfile.py
+++ b/conanfile.py
@@ -5,8 +5,7 @@
 
 class HomestoreConan(ConanFile):
     name = "homestore"
-    version = "5.0.8"
-
+    version = "5.0.9"
     homepage = "https://github.com/eBay/Homestore"
     description = "HomeStore Storage Engine"
     topics = ("ebay", "nublox")
diff --git a/src/include/homestore/replication/repl_dev.h b/src/include/homestore/replication/repl_dev.h
index 28b494f0f..a1eee044f 100644
--- a/src/include/homestore/replication/repl_dev.h
+++ b/src/include/homestore/replication/repl_dev.h
@@ -102,8 +102,8 @@ class ReplDevListener {
 public:
     virtual ~ReplDevListener() = default;
 
-    void set_repl_dev(ReplDev* rdev) { m_repl_dev = rdev; }
-    virtual ReplDev* repl_dev() { return m_repl_dev; }
+    void set_repl_dev(shared< ReplDev > rdev) { m_repl_dev = rdev; }
+    shared< ReplDev > repl_dev() { return m_repl_dev.lock(); }
 
     /// @brief Called when the log entry has been committed in the replica set.
     ///
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ class ReplDevListener {
     virtual void on_replica_stop() = 0;
 
 private:
-    ReplDev* m_repl_dev;
+    std::weak_ptr< ReplDev > m_repl_dev;
 };
 
 class ReplDev {
diff --git a/src/lib/homestore.cpp b/src/lib/homestore.cpp
index b05387ee5..427fd6ddb 100644
--- a/src/lib/homestore.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/homestore.cpp
@@ -125,7 +125,6 @@ bool HomeStore::start(const hs_input_params& input, hs_before_services_starting_
     if (has_meta_service()) { m_meta_service = std::make_unique< MetaBlkService >(); }
     if (has_index_service()) { m_index_service = std::make_unique< IndexService >(std::move(s_index_cbs)); }
     if (has_repl_data_service()) {
-        m_repl_service = GenericReplService::create(std::move(s_repl_app));
         m_log_service = std::make_unique< LogStoreService >();
         m_data_service = std::make_unique< BlkDataService >(std::move(s_custom_chunk_selector));
     } else {
@@ -195,6 +194,11 @@ void HomeStore::format_and_start(std::map< uint32_t, hs_format_params >&& format
 }
 
 void HomeStore::do_start() {
+    // when coming here:
+    // 1 if this is the first_time_boot, , the repl app already gets its uuid from upper layer
+    // 2 if this is not the first_time_boot, the repl app already gets its uuid from the metaservice
+    // now , we can safely initialize GenericReplService , which will get a correct uuid through get_my_repl_uuid()
+    if (has_repl_data_service()) m_repl_service = GenericReplService::create(std::move(s_repl_app));
     const auto& inp_params = HomeStoreStaticConfig::instance().input;
 
     uint64_t cache_size = resource_mgr().get_cache_size();
diff --git a/src/lib/replication/service/generic_repl_svc.cpp b/src/lib/replication/service/generic_repl_svc.cpp
index 451c355dc..240c82623 100644
--- a/src/lib/replication/service/generic_repl_svc.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/replication/service/generic_repl_svc.cpp
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ AsyncReplResult< shared< ReplDev > > SoloReplService::create_repl_dev(group_id_t
     auto rdev = std::make_shared< SoloReplDev >(std::move(rd_sb), false /* load_existing */);
 
     auto listener = m_repl_app->create_repl_dev_listener(group_id);
-    listener->set_repl_dev(rdev.get());
+    listener->set_repl_dev(rdev);
     rdev->attach_listener(std::move(listener));
 
     {
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ void SoloReplService::load_repl_dev(sisl::byte_view const& buf, void* meta_cooki
     auto rdev = std::make_shared< SoloReplDev >(std::move(rd_sb), true /* load_existing */);
 
     auto listener = m_repl_app->create_repl_dev_listener(group_id);
-    listener->set_repl_dev(rdev.get());
+    listener->set_repl_dev(rdev);
     rdev->attach_listener(std::move(listener));
 
     {
diff --git a/src/lib/replication/service/raft_repl_service.cpp b/src/lib/replication/service/raft_repl_service.cpp
index b0cfbca75..3a8e06e67 100644
--- a/src/lib/replication/service/raft_repl_service.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/replication/service/raft_repl_service.cpp
@@ -81,8 +81,8 @@ void RaftReplService::start() {
         .token_client_ = std::dynamic_pointer_cast< sisl::GrpcTokenClient >(ioenvironment.get_token_client())};
     m_msg_mgr = nuraft_mesg::init_messaging(params, weak_from_this(), true /* with_data_channel */);
 
-    LOGINFOMOD(replication, "Starting RaftReplService with server_uuid={} port={}",
-               boost::uuids::to_string(params.server_uuid_), params.mesg_port_);
+    LOGINFO("Starting RaftReplService with server_uuid={} port={}", boost::uuids::to_string(params.server_uuid_),
+            params.mesg_port_);
 
     // Step 2: Register all RAFT parameters. At the end of this step, raft is ready to be created/join group
     auto r_params = nuraft::raft_params()
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ void RaftReplService::raft_group_config_found(sisl::byte_view const& buf, void*
 
     auto rdev = std::dynamic_pointer_cast< RaftReplDev >(*v);
     auto listener = m_repl_app->create_repl_dev_listener(group_id);
-    listener->set_repl_dev(rdev.get());
+    listener->set_repl_dev(rdev);
     rdev->attach_listener(std::move(listener));
     rdev->use_config(std::move(group_config));
 }
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ shared< nuraft_mesg::mesg_state_mgr > RaftReplService::create_state_mgr(int32_t
 
     // Attach the listener to the raft
     auto listener = m_repl_app->create_repl_dev_listener(group_id);
-    listener->set_repl_dev(rdev.get());
+    listener->set_repl_dev(rdev);
     rdev->attach_listener(std::move(listener));
 
     // Add the repl dev to the map