diff --git a/src/box/applier.cc b/src/box/applier.cc
index a9b6cacbc5076227ff6e118e39c4a2ec7f4abc8d..2a6fe8b245e0a456fc33ec28ab5f1c3548f49ea5 100644
--- a/src/box/applier.cc
+++ b/src/box/applier.cc
@@ -447,12 +447,26 @@ applier_wait_snapshot(struct applier *applier)
 		xrow_decode_vclock_xc(&row, &replicaset.vclock);
 	}
 
+	coio_read_xrow(coio, ibuf, &row);
+	if (row.type == IPROTO_JOIN_META) {
+		/* Read additional metadata. Empty at the moment. */
+		do {
+			coio_read_xrow(coio, ibuf, &row);
+			if (iproto_type_is_error(row.type)) {
+				xrow_decode_error_xc(&row);
+			} else if (row.type != IPROTO_JOIN_SNAPSHOT) {
+				tnt_raise(ClientError, ER_UNKNOWN_REQUEST_TYPE,
+					  (uint32_t)row.type);
+			}
+		} while (row.type != IPROTO_JOIN_SNAPSHOT);
+		coio_read_xrow(coio, ibuf, &row);
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * Receive initial data.
 	 */
 	uint64_t row_count = 0;
 	while (true) {
-		coio_read_xrow(coio, ibuf, &row);
 		applier->last_row_time = ev_monotonic_now(loop());
 		if (iproto_type_is_dml(row.type)) {
 			if (apply_snapshot_row(&row) != 0)
@@ -477,6 +491,7 @@ applier_wait_snapshot(struct applier *applier)
 			tnt_raise(ClientError, ER_UNKNOWN_REQUEST_TYPE,
 				  (uint32_t) row.type);
 		}
+		coio_read_xrow(coio, ibuf, &row);
 	}
 
 	return row_count;
diff --git a/src/box/box.cc b/src/box/box.cc
index 692c5274ace1c94a968312ff4f566cffb8d780b7..9dbeee5db44383310c86dd338e4db4c2a93716df 100644
--- a/src/box/box.cc
+++ b/src/box/box.cc
@@ -2458,7 +2458,7 @@ box_process_fetch_snapshot(struct ev_io *io, struct xrow_header *header)
 
 	/* Send the snapshot data to the instance. */
 	struct vclock start_vclock;
-	relay_initial_join(io->fd, header->sync, &start_vclock);
+	relay_initial_join(io->fd, header->sync, &start_vclock, 0);
 	say_info("read-view sent.");
 
 	/* Remember master's vclock after the last request */
@@ -2606,7 +2606,7 @@ box_process_join(struct ev_io *io, struct xrow_header *header)
 
 	/* Decode JOIN request */
 	struct tt_uuid instance_uuid = uuid_nil;
-	uint32_t replica_version_id;
+	uint32_t replica_version_id = 0;
 	xrow_decode_join_xc(header, &instance_uuid, &replica_version_id);
 
 	/* Check that bootstrap has been finished */
@@ -2656,7 +2656,8 @@ box_process_join(struct ev_io *io, struct xrow_header *header)
 	 * Initial stream: feed replica with dirty data from engines.
 	 */
 	struct vclock start_vclock;
-	relay_initial_join(io->fd, header->sync, &start_vclock);
+	relay_initial_join(io->fd, header->sync, &start_vclock,
+			   replica_version_id);
 	say_info("initial data sent.");
 
 	/**
diff --git a/src/box/iproto_constants.h b/src/box/iproto_constants.h
index ea7290da6d57bea344ffc597895b66f329b9ebff..758cd002c9f82241abcab027d28d4d19f1bce55b 100644
--- a/src/box/iproto_constants.h
+++ b/src/box/iproto_constants.h
@@ -262,6 +262,8 @@ enum iproto_type {
 	IPROTO_FETCH_SNAPSHOT = 69,
 	/** REGISTER request to leave anonymous replication. */
 	IPROTO_REGISTER = 70,
+	IPROTO_JOIN_META = 71,
+	IPROTO_JOIN_SNAPSHOT = 72,
 
 	/** Vinyl run info stored in .index file */
 	VY_INDEX_RUN_INFO = 100,
diff --git a/src/box/relay.cc b/src/box/relay.cc
index 60f527b7f7332e9a929d2abfbfaa02446e084210..7f2dc368f6cce41539b26d6a9b57c49a98d135c0 100644
--- a/src/box/relay.cc
+++ b/src/box/relay.cc
@@ -392,7 +392,8 @@ relay_set_cord_name(int fd)
 }
 
 void
-relay_initial_join(int fd, uint64_t sync, struct vclock *vclock)
+relay_initial_join(int fd, uint64_t sync, struct vclock *vclock,
+		   uint32_t replica_version_id)
 {
 	struct relay *relay = relay_new(NULL);
 	if (relay == NULL)
@@ -432,6 +433,22 @@ relay_initial_join(int fd, uint64_t sync, struct vclock *vclock)
 	row.sync = sync;
 	coio_write_xrow(&relay->io, &row);
 
+	/*
+	 * Version is present starting with 2.7.3, 2.8.2, 2.9.1
+	 * All these versions know of additional META stage of initial join.
+	 */
+	if (replica_version_id > 0) {
+		/* Mark the beginning of the metadata stream. */
+		xrow_encode_type(&row, IPROTO_JOIN_META);
+		xstream_write(&relay->stream, &row);
+
+		/* Empty at the moment. */
+
+		/* Mark the end of the metadata stream. */
+		xrow_encode_type(&row, IPROTO_JOIN_SNAPSHOT);
+		xstream_write(&relay->stream, &row);
+	}
+
 	/* Send read view to the replica. */
 	engine_join_xc(&ctx, &relay->stream);
 }
diff --git a/src/box/relay.h b/src/box/relay.h
index 615ffb75d3d86d35414fcbacfee2fd3231d1d69e..112428ae8fed0f4d717590824b0818e720663e27 100644
--- a/src/box/relay.h
+++ b/src/box/relay.h
@@ -116,9 +116,11 @@ relay_push_raft(struct relay *relay, const struct raft_request *req);
  * @param fd        client connection
  * @param sync      sync from incoming JOIN request
  * @param vclock[out] vclock of the read view sent to the replica
+ * @param replica_version_id peer's version
  */
 void
-relay_initial_join(int fd, uint64_t sync, struct vclock *vclock);
+relay_initial_join(int fd, uint64_t sync, struct vclock *vclock,
+		   uint32_t replica_version_id);
 
 /**
  * Send final JOIN rows to the replica.
diff --git a/src/box/xrow.c b/src/box/xrow.c
index 5c5da480856dc7476ece4c2ee367a362172dc63d..8ab8b27687df0d18b529c8df3bf640541adb1160 100644
--- a/src/box/xrow.c
+++ b/src/box/xrow.c
@@ -1730,6 +1730,13 @@ xrow_encode_timestamp(struct xrow_header *row, uint32_t replica_id, double tm)
 	row->tm = tm;
 }
 
+void
+xrow_encode_type(struct xrow_header *row, uint16_t type)
+{
+	memset(row, 0, sizeof(*row));
+	row->type = type;
+}
+
 void
 greeting_encode(char *greetingbuf, uint32_t version_id,
 		const struct tt_uuid *uuid, const char *salt, uint32_t salt_len)
diff --git a/src/box/xrow.h b/src/box/xrow.h
index 30d6b8639c28633395b105254386c22aa177bfee..c6e8ed0fd019fc8d7952d72b912bf9906b4c2156 100644
--- a/src/box/xrow.h
+++ b/src/box/xrow.h
@@ -570,6 +570,14 @@ xrow_decode_subscribe_response(struct xrow_header *row,
 void
 xrow_encode_timestamp(struct xrow_header *row, uint32_t replica_id, double tm);
 
+/**
+ * Encode any bodyless message.
+ * @param row[out] Row to encode into.
+ * @param type Message type.
+ */
+void
+xrow_encode_type(struct xrow_header *row, uint16_t type);
+
 /**
  * Fast encode xrow header using the specified header fields.
  * It is faster than the xrow_header_encode, because uses