diff --git a/api/storage_service.cc b/api/storage_service.cc
index 62c9381273..6c96bfba00 100644
--- a/api/storage_service.cc
+++ b/api/storage_service.cc
@@ -850,7 +850,9 @@ void set_storage_service(http_context& ctx, routes& r, sharded<service::storage_
     });
 
     ss::is_joined.set(r, [&ss] (std::unique_ptr<request> req) {
-        return make_ready_future<json::json_return_type>(ss.local().is_joined());
+        return ss.local().get_operation_mode().then([] (auto mode) {
+            return make_ready_future<json::json_return_type>(mode >= service::storage_service::mode::JOINING);
+        });
     });
 
     ss::set_stream_throughput_mb_per_sec.set(r, [](std::unique_ptr<request> req) {
diff --git a/service/storage_service.cc b/service/storage_service.cc
index ea30f768fa..897b9cd99d 100644
--- a/service/storage_service.cc
+++ b/service/storage_service.cc
@@ -413,11 +413,7 @@ future<> storage_service::wait_for_ring_to_settle(std::chrono::milliseconds dela
 
 // Runs inside seastar::async context
 void storage_service::join_token_ring(std::chrono::milliseconds delay) {
-    // This function only gets called on shard 0, but we want to set _joined
-    // on all shards, so this variable can be later read locally.
-    container().invoke_on_all([] (auto&& ss) {
-        ss._joined = true;
-    }).get();
+    set_mode(mode::JOINING, "joining the ring", true);
 
     _group0->join_group0().get();
 
@@ -437,7 +433,7 @@ void storage_service::join_token_ring(std::chrono::milliseconds delay) {
         } else {
             db::system_keyspace::set_bootstrap_state(db::system_keyspace::bootstrap_state::IN_PROGRESS).get();
         }
-        set_mode(mode::JOINING, "waiting for ring information", true);
+        slogger.info("waiting for ring information");
 
         // 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)
diff --git a/service/storage_service.hh b/service/storage_service.hh
index bba86cbe78..28925fb839 100644
--- a/service/storage_service.hh
+++ b/service/storage_service.hh
@@ -279,10 +279,8 @@ private:
 
     bool _initialized = false;
 
-    bool _joined = false;
-
 public:
-    enum class mode { STARTING, NORMAL, JOINING, LEAVING, DECOMMISSIONED, MOVING, DRAINING, DRAINED };
+    enum class mode { STARTING, JOINING, NORMAL, LEAVING, DECOMMISSIONED, MOVING, DRAINING, DRAINED };
 private:
     mode _operation_mode = mode::STARTING;
     friend std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const mode& mode);
@@ -398,11 +396,6 @@ private:
     void join_token_ring(std::chrono::milliseconds);
     void maybe_start_sys_dist_ks();
 public:
-    inline bool is_joined() const {
-        // Every time we set _joined, we do it on all shards, so we can read its
-        // value locally.
-        return _joined;
-    }
 
     future<> rebuild(sstring source_dc);