diff --git a/service/migration_manager.cc b/service/migration_manager.cc
index 46df7295ac..f7355b3246 100644
--- a/service/migration_manager.cc
+++ b/service/migration_manager.cc
@@ -132,10 +132,15 @@ future<> migration_manager::schedule_schema_pull(const gms::inet_address& endpoi
     return make_ready_future<>();
 }
 
-bool migration_manager::is_ready_for_bootstrap() {
+bool migration_manager::have_schema_agreement() {
+    const auto known_endpoints = gms::get_local_gossiper().endpoint_state_map;
+    if (known_endpoints.size() == 1) {
+        // Us.
+        return true;
+    }
     auto our_version = get_local_storage_proxy().get_db().local().get_version();
     bool match = false;
-    for (auto& x : gms::get_local_gossiper().endpoint_state_map) {
+    for (auto& x : known_endpoints) {
         auto& endpoint = x.first;
         auto& eps = x.second;
         if (endpoint == utils::fb_utilities::get_broadcast_address() || !eps.is_alive()) {
diff --git a/service/migration_manager.hh b/service/migration_manager.hh
index 5af2ee8cfb..52ed2abf05 100644
--- a/service/migration_manager.hh
+++ b/service/migration_manager.hh
@@ -144,7 +144,10 @@ public:
 
     future<> stop();
 
-    bool is_ready_for_bootstrap();
+    /**
+     * Known peers in the cluster have the same schema version as us.
+     */
+    bool have_schema_agreement();
 
     void init_messaging_service();
 private:
diff --git a/service/storage_service.cc b/service/storage_service.cc
index 316e4c4761..f8cc9ac9fa 100644
--- a/service/storage_service.cc
+++ b/service/storage_service.cc
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ void storage_service::join_token_ring(int delay) {
         }
         // if our schema hasn't matched yet, keep sleeping until it does
         // (post CASSANDRA-1391 we don't expect this to be necessary very often, but it doesn't hurt to be careful)
-        while (!get_local_migration_manager().is_ready_for_bootstrap()) {
+        while (!get_local_migration_manager().have_schema_agreement()) {
             set_mode(mode::JOINING, "waiting for schema information to complete", true);
             sleep(std::chrono::seconds(1)).get();
         }
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ void storage_service::join_token_ring(int delay) {
             }
 
             // Check the schema and pending range again
-            while (!get_local_migration_manager().is_ready_for_bootstrap()) {
+            while (!get_local_migration_manager().have_schema_agreement()) {
                 set_mode(mode::JOINING, "waiting for schema information to complete", true);
                 sleep(std::chrono::seconds(1)).get();
             }