diff --git a/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md b/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md
index 1b3cbc067..d75e29ce7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md
@@ -22,3 +22,5 @@ program](https://hackerone.com/tendermint).
 - [rpc] \#2010 Add NewHTTPWithClient and NewJSONRPCClientWithHTTPClient (note these and NewHTTP, NewJSONRPCClient functions panic if remote is invalid) (@gracenoah)
 
 ### BUG FIXES:
+
+- [consensus] \#3908 Wait `timeout_commit` to pass even if `create_empty_blocks` is `false`
diff --git a/consensus/state.go b/consensus/state.go
index c2ad00c95..50b5981e6 100644
--- a/consensus/state.go
+++ b/consensus/state.go
@@ -537,7 +537,7 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) updateToState(state sm.State) {
 		// We add timeoutCommit to allow transactions
 		// to be gathered for the first block.
 		// And alternative solution that relies on clocks:
-		//  cs.StartTime = state.LastBlockTime.Add(timeoutCommit)
+		// cs.StartTime = state.LastBlockTime.Add(timeoutCommit)
 		cs.StartTime = cs.config.Commit(tmtime.Now())
 	} else {
 		cs.StartTime = cs.config.Commit(cs.CommitTime)
@@ -756,9 +756,25 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) handleTimeout(ti timeoutInfo, rs cstypes.RoundState) {
 func (cs *ConsensusState) handleTxsAvailable() {
 	cs.mtx.Lock()
 	defer cs.mtx.Unlock()
-	// we only need to do this for round 0
-	cs.enterNewRound(cs.Height, 0)
-	cs.enterPropose(cs.Height, 0)
+
+	// We only need to do this for round 0.
+	if cs.Round != 0 {
+		return
+	}
+
+	switch cs.Step {
+	case cstypes.RoundStepNewHeight: // timeoutCommit phase
+		if cs.needProofBlock(cs.Height) {
+			// enterPropose will be called by enterNewRound
+			return
+		}
+
+		// +1ms to ensure RoundStepNewRound timeout always happens after RoundStepNewHeight
+		timeoutCommit := cs.StartTime.Sub(tmtime.Now()) + 1*time.Millisecond
+		cs.scheduleTimeout(timeoutCommit, cs.Height, 0, cstypes.RoundStepNewRound)
+	case cstypes.RoundStepNewRound: // after timeoutCommit
+		cs.enterPropose(cs.Height, 0)
+	}
 }
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -766,7 +782,7 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) handleTxsAvailable() {
 // Used internally by handleTimeout and handleMsg to make state transitions
 
 // Enter: `timeoutNewHeight` by startTime (commitTime+timeoutCommit),
-// 	or, if SkipTimeout==true, after receiving all precommits from (height,round-1)
+// 	or, if SkipTimeoutCommit==true, after receiving all precommits from (height,round-1)
 // Enter: `timeoutPrecommits` after any +2/3 precommits from (height,round-1)
 // Enter: +2/3 precommits for nil at (height,round-1)
 // Enter: +2/3 prevotes any or +2/3 precommits for block or any from (height, round)