diff --git a/consul/server.go b/consul/server.go
index 865069f79..b022c26aa 100644
--- a/consul/server.go
+++ b/consul/server.go
@@ -350,7 +350,6 @@ func (s *Server) setupRaft() error {
 	var log raft.LogStore
 	var stable raft.StableStore
 	var snap raft.SnapshotStore
-	var peers raft.PeerStore
 
 	if s.config.DevMode {
 		store := raft.NewInmemStore()
@@ -358,8 +357,7 @@ func (s *Server) setupRaft() error {
 		stable = store
 		log = store
 		snap = raft.NewDiscardSnapshotStore()
-		peers = &raft.StaticPeers{}
-		s.raftPeers = peers
+		s.raftPeers = &raft.StaticPeers{}
 	} else {
 		// Create the base raft path
 		path := filepath.Join(s.config.DataDir, raftState)
@@ -393,20 +391,19 @@ func (s *Server) setupRaft() error {
 
 		// Setup the peer store
 		s.raftPeers = raft.NewJSONPeers(path, trans)
-		peers = s.raftPeers
 	}
 
 	// Ensure local host is always included if we are in bootstrap mode
 	if s.config.Bootstrap {
-		peers, err := s.raftPeers.Peers()
+		peerAddrs, err := s.raftPeers.Peers()
 		if err != nil {
 			if s.raftStore != nil {
 				s.raftStore.Close()
 			}
 			return err
 		}
-		if !raft.PeerContained(peers, trans.LocalAddr()) {
-			s.raftPeers.SetPeers(raft.AddUniquePeer(peers, trans.LocalAddr()))
+		if !raft.PeerContained(peerAddrs, trans.LocalAddr()) {
+			s.raftPeers.SetPeers(raft.AddUniquePeer(peerAddrs, trans.LocalAddr()))
 		}
 	}