diff --git a/raft/fsm.hh b/raft/fsm.hh
index 964e1a6765..24e52589c7 100644
--- a/raft/fsm.hh
+++ b/raft/fsm.hh
@@ -46,14 +46,6 @@ struct fsm_output {
     bool state_changed = false;
     // Set to true if a leadership transfer was aborted since the last output
     bool abort_leadership_transfer;
-
-    // True if there is no new output
-    bool empty() const {
-        return !term_and_vote &&
-            log_entries.size() == 0 && messages.size() == 0 &&
-            committed.size() == 0 && !snp && snps_to_drop.empty() &&
-            !configuration && !max_read_id_with_quorum;
-    }
 };
 
 struct fsm_config {
diff --git a/test/raft/helpers.cc b/test/raft/helpers.cc
index 551879b198..06a68ee6db 100644
--- a/test/raft/helpers.cc
+++ b/test/raft/helpers.cc
@@ -94,7 +94,8 @@ communicate_impl(std::function<bool()> stop_pred, raft_routing_map& map) {
         has_traffic = false;
         for (auto e : map) {
             raft::fsm& from = *e.second;
-            for (auto output = from.get_output(); !output.empty(); output = from.get_output()) {
+            for (bool has_output = from.has_output(); has_output; has_output = from.has_output()) {
+                auto output = from.get_output();
                 if (stop_pred()) {
                     return;
                 }