diff --git a/cmd/swarmd/main.go b/cmd/swarmd/main.go
index dc0fb4a262..2228677da5 100644
--- a/cmd/swarmd/main.go
+++ b/cmd/swarmd/main.go
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ func init() {
 	mainCmd.Flags().String("join-addr", "", "Join cluster with a node at this address")
 	mainCmd.Flags().Bool("force-new-cluster", false, "Force the creation of a new cluster from data directory")
 	mainCmd.Flags().Uint32("heartbeat-tick", 1, "Defines the heartbeat interval (in seconds) for raft member health-check")
-	mainCmd.Flags().Uint32("election-tick", 3, "Defines the amount of ticks (in seconds) needed without a Leader to trigger a new election")
+	mainCmd.Flags().Uint32("election-tick", 10, "Defines the amount of ticks (in seconds) needed without a Leader to trigger a new election")
 	mainCmd.Flags().Var(&externalCAOpt, "external-ca", "Specifications of one or more certificate signing endpoints")
 	mainCmd.Flags().Bool("autolock", false, "Require an unlock key in order to start a manager once it's been stopped")
 	mainCmd.Flags().String("unlock-key", "", "Unlock this manager using this key")
diff --git a/manager/state/raft/raft.go b/manager/state/raft/raft.go
index 0004f63094..eedc72ab2e 100644
--- a/manager/state/raft/raft.go
+++ b/manager/state/raft/raft.go
@@ -463,8 +463,11 @@ func (n *Node) JoinAndStart(ctx context.Context) (err error) {
 // raft node that can be modified and customized
 func DefaultNodeConfig() *raft.Config {
 	return &raft.Config{
-		HeartbeatTick:   1,
-		ElectionTick:    3,
+		HeartbeatTick: 1,
+		// Recommended value in etcd/raft is 10 x (HeartbeatTick).
+		// Lower values were seen to have caused instability because of
+		// frequent leader elections when running on flakey networks.
+		ElectionTick:    10,
 		MaxSizePerMsg:   math.MaxUint16,
 		MaxInflightMsgs: 256,
 		Logger:          log.L,
@@ -478,8 +481,11 @@ func DefaultRaftConfig() api.RaftConfig {
 		KeepOldSnapshots:           0,
 		SnapshotInterval:           10000,
 		LogEntriesForSlowFollowers: 500,
-		ElectionTick:               3,
-		HeartbeatTick:              1,
+		// Recommended value in etcd/raft is 10 x (HeartbeatTick).
+		// Lower values were seen to have caused instability because of
+		// frequent leader elections when running on flakey networks.
+		HeartbeatTick: 1,
+		ElectionTick:  10,
 	}
 }