diff --git a/src/box/applier.cc b/src/box/applier.cc
index 6239fcfd3..51c0a3c07 100644
--- a/src/box/applier.cc
+++ b/src/box/applier.cc
@@ -635,13 +635,19 @@ applier_txn_commit_cb(struct trigger *trigger, void *event)
 /**
  * Apply all rows in the rows queue as a single transaction.
  *
- * Return 0 for success or -1 in case of an error.
+ * Return 0 when a transaction was applied and sent to wal
+ *        1 when a transaction was skipped
+ *        -1 in case of an error.
  */
 static int
 applier_apply_tx(struct stailq *rows)
 {
 	struct xrow_header *first_row = &stailq_first_entry(rows,
 					struct applier_tx_row, next)->row;
+	/* Check if transaction is a heartbeat message. */
+	if (first_row->lsn == 0)
+		return 1;
+
 	struct replica *replica = replica_by_id(first_row->replica_id);
 	/*
 	 * In a full mesh topology, the same set of changes
@@ -655,7 +661,7 @@ applier_apply_tx(struct stailq *rows)
 	if (vclock_get(&replicaset.applier.vclock,
 		       first_row->replica_id) >= first_row->lsn) {
 		latch_unlock(latch);
-		return 0;
+		return 1;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -902,15 +908,16 @@ applier_subscribe(struct applier *applier)
 		applier_read_tx(applier, &rows);
 
 		applier->last_row_time = ev_monotonic_now(loop());
+		int apply_res = applier_apply_tx(&rows);
+
+		if (apply_res < 0)
+			diag_raise();
 		/*
-		 * In case of an heartbeat message wake a writer up
-		 * and check applier state.
+		 * In case of an heartbeat message or already applied
+		 * transaction  wake a writer up and check applier state.
 		 */
-		if (stailq_first_entry(&rows, struct applier_tx_row,
-				       next)->row.lsn == 0)
+		if (apply_res == 1)
 			fiber_cond_signal(&applier->writer_cond);
-		else if (applier_apply_tx(&rows) != 0)
-			diag_raise();
 
 		if (ibuf_used(ibuf) == 0)
 			ibuf_reset(ibuf);