diff --git a/raft/server.cc b/raft/server.cc
index 55dd60f883..6447e0cb89 100644
--- a/raft/server.cc
+++ b/raft/server.cc
@@ -225,12 +225,6 @@ private:
     // to be applied.
     void signal_applied();
 
-    // Wait until there is, and return `fsm` output that needs to be handled.
-    // This includes a list of the entries that need to be logged.
-    // The logged entries are eventually discarded from the state machine
-    // after applying a snapshot.
-    future<fsm_output> poll_fsm_output();
-
     // This fiber processes FSM output by doing the following steps in order:
     //  - persist the current term and vote
     //  - persist unstable log entries on disk.
@@ -996,16 +990,6 @@ static rpc_config_diff diff_address_sets(const server_address_set& prev, const c
     return result;
 }
 
-future<fsm_output> server_impl::poll_fsm_output() {
-    co_await _sm_events.when(std::bind_front(&fsm::has_output, _fsm.get()));
-
-    while (utils::get_local_injector().enter("poll_fsm_output/pause")) {
-        co_await seastar::sleep(std::chrono::milliseconds(100));
-    }
-
-    co_return _fsm->get_output();
-}
-
 future<> server_impl::process_fsm_output(index_t& last_stable, fsm_output&& batch) {
     if (batch.term_and_vote) {
         // Current term and vote are always persisted
@@ -1145,7 +1129,13 @@ future<> server_impl::io_fiber(index_t last_stable) {
     logger.trace("[{}] io_fiber start", _id);
     try {
         while (true) {
-            auto batch = co_await poll_fsm_output();
+            co_await _sm_events.when(std::bind_front(&fsm::has_output, _fsm.get()));
+
+            while (utils::get_local_injector().enter("poll_fsm_output/pause")) {
+                co_await seastar::sleep(std::chrono::milliseconds(100));
+            }
+
+            auto batch = _fsm->get_output();
             _stats.polls++;
 
             co_await process_fsm_output(last_stable, std::move(batch));