diff --git a/command/server.go b/command/server.go
index 8760e55ddd..5927b1b6db 100644
--- a/command/server.go
+++ b/command/server.go
@@ -114,47 +114,9 @@ func (c *ServerCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		return 1
 	}
 
-	var advertiseAddr string = config.Backend.AdvertiseAddr
-
-	// Note that "habackend" is a backend that *may* support HA;
-	// it defaults to the same backend as normal operations
-	var habackend physical.Backend = backend
-
-	// Initialize the separate HA physical backend, if it exists
-	if config.HABackend != nil {
-		habackend, err = physical.NewBackend(
-			config.HABackend.Type, config.HABackend.Config)
-		if err != nil {
-			c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf(
-				"Error initializing backend of type %s: %s",
-				config.HABackend.Type, err))
-			return 1
-		}
-		if _, ok := habackend.(physical.HABackend); !ok {
-			c.Ui.Error("Specified HA backend does not support HA")
-			return 1
-		}
-
-		advertiseAddr = config.HABackend.AdvertiseAddr
-	}
-
-	// Attempt to detect the advertise address possible
-	if detect, ok := habackend.(physical.AdvertiseDetect); ok && advertiseAddr == "" {
-		advertise, err := c.detectAdvertise(detect, config)
-		if err != nil {
-			c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error detecting advertise address: %s", err))
-		} else if advertise == "" {
-			c.Ui.Error("Failed to detect advertise address.")
-		} else {
-			advertiseAddr = advertise
-		}
-	}
-
-	// Initialize the core
-	core, err := vault.NewCore(&vault.CoreConfig{
-		AdvertiseAddr:      advertiseAddr,
+	coreConfig := &vault.CoreConfig{
 		Physical:           backend,
-		HAPhysical:         habackend,
+		HAPhysical:         nil,
 		AuditBackends:      c.AuditBackends,
 		CredentialBackends: c.CredentialBackends,
 		LogicalBackends:    c.LogicalBackends,
@@ -163,7 +125,41 @@ func (c *ServerCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		DisableMlock:       config.DisableMlock,
 		MaxLeaseTTL:        config.MaxLeaseTTL,
 		DefaultLeaseTTL:    config.DefaultLeaseTTL,
-	})
+	}
+
+	// Initialize the separate HA physical backend, if it exists
+	if config.HABackend != nil {
+		habackend, err := physical.NewBackend(
+			config.HABackend.Type, config.HABackend.Config)
+		if err != nil {
+			c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf(
+				"Error initializing backend of type %s: %s",
+				config.HABackend.Type, err))
+			return 1
+		}
+
+		var ok bool
+		if coreConfig.HAPhysical, ok = habackend.(physical.HABackend); !ok {
+			c.Ui.Error("Specified HA backend does not support HA")
+			return 1
+		}
+		coreConfig.AdvertiseAddr = config.HABackend.AdvertiseAddr
+	}
+
+	// Attempt to detect the advertise address possible
+	if detect, ok := coreConfig.HAPhysical.(physical.AdvertiseDetect); ok && coreConfig.AdvertiseAddr == "" {
+		advertise, err := c.detectAdvertise(detect, config)
+		if err != nil {
+			c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error detecting advertise address: %s", err))
+		} else if advertise == "" {
+			c.Ui.Error("Failed to detect advertise address.")
+		} else {
+			coreConfig.AdvertiseAddr = advertise
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Initialize the core
+	core, err := vault.NewCore(coreConfig)
 	if err != nil {
 		c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error initializing core: %s", err))
 		return 1
@@ -214,13 +210,13 @@ func (c *ServerCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 
 	if config.HABackend != nil {
 		info["HA backend"] = config.HABackend.Type
-		info["advertise address"] = advertiseAddr
+		info["advertise address"] = coreConfig.AdvertiseAddr
 		infoKeys = append(infoKeys, "HA backend", "advertise address")
 	} else {
 		// If the backend supports HA, then note it
-		if _, ok := habackend.(physical.HABackend); ok {
+		if coreConfig.HAPhysical != nil {
 			info["backend"] += " (HA available)"
-			info["advertise address"] = advertiseAddr
+			info["advertise address"] = coreConfig.AdvertiseAddr
 			infoKeys = append(infoKeys, "advertise address")
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/http/logical_test.go b/http/logical_test.go
index 369a768747..8ae7f2a65c 100644
--- a/http/logical_test.go
+++ b/http/logical_test.go
@@ -70,10 +70,8 @@ func TestLogical_StandbyRedirect(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Create an HA Vault
 	inm := physical.NewInmem()
-	inmha := physical.NewInmemHA()
 	conf := &vault.CoreConfig{
 		Physical:      inm,
-		HAPhysical:    inmha,
 		AdvertiseAddr: addr1,
 		DisableMlock:  true,
 	}
@@ -89,7 +87,6 @@ func TestLogical_StandbyRedirect(t *testing.T) {
 	// Create a second HA Vault
 	conf2 := &vault.CoreConfig{
 		Physical:      inm,
-		HAPhysical:    inmha,
 		AdvertiseAddr: addr2,
 		DisableMlock:  true,
 	}
diff --git a/vault/core.go b/vault/core.go
index f87fcd9cf3..b536bec0e6 100644
--- a/vault/core.go
+++ b/vault/core.go
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ type CoreConfig struct {
 	// Defaults to the same backend as Physical. This is not a backend that
 	// necessarily supports HA; it is merely the one that will be attempted
 	// for HA operations
-	HAPhysical physical.Backend
+	HAPhysical physical.HABackend
 
 	Logger          *log.Logger
 	DisableCache    bool   // Disables the LRU cache on the physical backend
@@ -290,12 +290,7 @@ type CoreConfig struct {
 
 // NewCore is used to construct a new core
 func NewCore(conf *CoreConfig) (*Core, error) {
-	// Check if this backend supports an HA configuraiton
-	var haBackend physical.HABackend
-	if ha, ok := conf.HAPhysical.(physical.HABackend); ok {
-		haBackend = ha
-	}
-	if haBackend != nil && conf.AdvertiseAddr == "" {
+	if conf.HAPhysical != nil && conf.AdvertiseAddr == "" {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("missing advertisement address")
 	}
 
@@ -305,7 +300,6 @@ func NewCore(conf *CoreConfig) (*Core, error) {
 	if conf.MaxLeaseTTL == 0 {
 		conf.MaxLeaseTTL = maxLeaseTTL
 	}
-
 	if conf.DefaultLeaseTTL > conf.MaxLeaseTTL {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot have DefaultLeaseTTL larger than MaxLeaseTTL")
 	}
@@ -361,7 +355,7 @@ func NewCore(conf *CoreConfig) (*Core, error) {
 
 	// Setup the core
 	c := &Core{
-		ha:              haBackend,
+		ha:              conf.HAPhysical,
 		advertiseAddr:   conf.AdvertiseAddr,
 		physical:        conf.Physical,
 		barrier:         barrier,
diff --git a/vault/core_test.go b/vault/core_test.go
index 6155986439..6a99b5d56c 100644
--- a/vault/core_test.go
+++ b/vault/core_test.go
@@ -1258,9 +1258,16 @@ func TestCore_CleanLeaderPrefix(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestCore_Standby(t *testing.T) {
-	// Create the first core and initialize it
-	inm := physical.NewInmem()
 	inmha := physical.NewInmemHA()
+	testCore_Standby_Common(t, inmha, inmha)
+}
+
+func TestCore_Standby_SeparateHA(t *testing.T) {
+	testCore_Standby_Common(t, physical.NewInmemHA(), physical.NewInmemHA())
+}
+
+func testCore_Standby_Common(t *testing.T, inm physical.Backend, inmha physical.HABackend) {
+	// Create the first core and initialize it
 	advertiseOriginal := "http://127.0.0.1:8200"
 	core, err := NewCore(&CoreConfig{
 		Physical:      inm,