diff --git a/server/jetstream_api.go b/server/jetstream_api.go
index e90f5f7b8b..6f9913b1f1 100644
--- a/server/jetstream_api.go
+++ b/server/jetstream_api.go
@@ -4709,7 +4709,7 @@ func (s *Server) jsConsumerInfoRequest(sub *subscription, c *client, _ *Account,
 
 		// Since these could wait on the Raft group lock, don't do so under the JS lock.
 		ourID := meta.ID()
-		groupLeader := meta.GroupLeader()
+		groupLeaderless := meta.Leaderless()
 		groupCreated := meta.Created()
 
 		js.mu.RLock()
@@ -4727,7 +4727,7 @@ func (s *Server) jsConsumerInfoRequest(sub *subscription, c *client, _ *Account,
 		// Also capture if we think there is no meta leader.
 		var isLeaderLess bool
 		if !isLeader {
-			isLeaderLess = groupLeader == _EMPTY_ && time.Since(groupCreated) > lostQuorumIntervalDefault
+			isLeaderLess = groupLeaderless && time.Since(groupCreated) > lostQuorumIntervalDefault
 		}
 		js.mu.RUnlock()
 
@@ -4814,7 +4814,7 @@ func (s *Server) jsConsumerInfoRequest(sub *subscription, c *client, _ *Account,
 				return
 			}
 			// If we are a member and we have a group leader or we had a previous leader consider bailing out.
-			if node.GroupLeader() != _EMPTY_ || node.HadPreviousLeader() {
+			if !node.Leaderless() || node.HadPreviousLeader() {
 				if leaderNotPartOfGroup {
 					resp.Error = NewJSConsumerOfflineError()
 					s.sendDelayedAPIErrResponse(ci, acc, subject, reply, string(msg), s.jsonResponse(&resp), nil, errRespDelay)
@@ -4998,6 +4998,8 @@ func (s *Server) jsConsumerPauseRequest(sub *subscription, c *client, _ *Account
 		}
 
 		nca := *ca
+		ncfg := *ca.Config
+		nca.Config = &ncfg
 		js.mu.RUnlock()
 		pauseUTC := req.PauseUntil.UTC()
 		if !pauseUTC.IsZero() {
diff --git a/server/jetstream_cluster.go b/server/jetstream_cluster.go
index ef904e258b..efbb5c2a9d 100644
--- a/server/jetstream_cluster.go
+++ b/server/jetstream_cluster.go
@@ -825,7 +825,7 @@ func (js *jetStream) isLeaderless() bool {
 
 	// If we don't have a leader.
 	// Make sure we have been running for enough time.
-	if meta.GroupLeader() == _EMPTY_ && time.Since(meta.Created()) > lostQuorumIntervalDefault {
+	if meta.Leaderless() && time.Since(meta.Created()) > lostQuorumIntervalDefault {
 		return true
 	}
 	return false
@@ -857,7 +857,7 @@ func (js *jetStream) isGroupLeaderless(rg *raftGroup) bool {
 	node := rg.node
 	js.mu.RUnlock()
 	// If we don't have a leader.
-	if node.GroupLeader() == _EMPTY_ {
+	if node.Leaderless() {
 		// Threshold for jetstream startup.
 		const startupThreshold = 10 * time.Second
 
@@ -1073,7 +1073,7 @@ func (js *jetStream) checkForOrphans() {
 
 	// We only want to cleanup any orphans if we know we are current with the meta-leader.
 	meta := cc.meta
-	if meta == nil || meta.GroupLeader() == _EMPTY_ {
+	if meta == nil || meta.Leaderless() {
 		js.mu.Unlock()
 		s.Debugf("JetStream cluster skipping check for orphans, no meta-leader")
 		return
@@ -1375,7 +1375,7 @@ func (js *jetStream) monitorCluster() {
 			// If we have a current leader or had one in the past we can cancel this here since the metaleader
 			// will be in charge of all peer state changes.
 			// For cold boot only.
-			if n.GroupLeader() != _EMPTY_ || n.HadPreviousLeader() {
+			if !n.Leaderless() || n.HadPreviousLeader() {
 				lt.Stop()
 				continue
 			}
@@ -2568,7 +2568,7 @@ func (js *jetStream) monitorStream(mset *stream, sa *streamAssignment, sendSnaps
 				// Always cancel if this was running.
 				stopDirectMonitoring()
 
-			} else if n.GroupLeader() != noLeader {
+			} else if !n.Leaderless() {
 				js.setStreamAssignmentRecovering(sa)
 			}
 
@@ -4089,7 +4089,7 @@ func (js *jetStream) processClusterDeleteStream(sa *streamAssignment, isMember,
 	js.mu.RLock()
 	s := js.srv
 	node := sa.Group.node
-	hadLeader := node == nil || node.GroupLeader() != noLeader
+	hadLeader := node == nil || !node.Leaderless()
 	offline := s.allPeersOffline(sa.Group)
 	var isMetaLeader bool
 	if cc := js.cluster; cc != nil {
@@ -4436,7 +4436,11 @@ func (js *jetStream) processClusterCreateConsumer(ca *consumerAssignment, state
 		if isConfigUpdate = !reflect.DeepEqual(&cfg, ca.Config); isConfigUpdate {
 			// Call into update, ignore consumer exists error here since this means an old deliver subject is bound
 			// which can happen on restart etc.
-			if err := o.updateConfig(ca.Config); err != nil && err != NewJSConsumerNameExistError() {
+			// JS lock needed as this can mutate the consumer assignments and race with updateInactivityThreshold.
+			js.mu.Lock()
+			err := o.updateConfig(ca.Config)
+			js.mu.Unlock()
+			if err != nil && err != NewJSConsumerNameExistError() {
 				// This is essentially an update that has failed. Respond back to metaleader if we are not recovering.
 				js.mu.RLock()
 				if !js.metaRecovering {
@@ -8545,13 +8549,13 @@ RETRY:
 	// the semaphore.
 	releaseSyncOutSem()
 
-	if n.GroupLeader() == _EMPTY_ {
+	if n.Leaderless() {
 		// Prevent us from spinning if we've installed a snapshot from a leader but there's no leader online.
 		// We wait a bit to check if a leader has come online in the meantime, if so we can continue.
 		var canContinue bool
 		if numRetries == 0 {
 			time.Sleep(startInterval)
-			canContinue = n.GroupLeader() != _EMPTY_
+			canContinue = !n.Leaderless()
 		}
 		if !canContinue {
 			return fmt.Errorf("%w for stream '%s > %s'", errCatchupAbortedNoLeader, mset.account(), mset.name())
diff --git a/server/monitor.go b/server/monitor.go
index df14a22c7c..1b19bb959b 100644
--- a/server/monitor.go
+++ b/server/monitor.go
@@ -3901,7 +3901,7 @@ func (s *Server) HandleRaftz(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			Applied:       n.applied,
 			CatchingUp:    n.catchup != nil,
 			Leader:        n.leader,
-			EverHadLeader: n.pleader,
+			EverHadLeader: n.pleader.Load(),
 			Term:          n.term,
 			Vote:          n.vote,
 			PTerm:         n.pterm,
diff --git a/server/raft.go b/server/raft.go
index 1c472fcaa1..9fec016920 100644
--- a/server/raft.go
+++ b/server/raft.go
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ type RaftNode interface {
 	Current() bool
 	Healthy() bool
 	Term() uint64
+	Leaderless() bool
 	GroupLeader() string
 	HadPreviousLeader() bool
 	StepDown(preferred ...string) error
@@ -180,9 +181,10 @@ type raft struct {
 	c  *client    // Internal client for subscriptions
 	js *jetStream // JetStream, if running, to see if we are out of resources
 
-	dflag    bool // Debug flag
-	pleader  bool // Has the group ever had a leader?
-	observer bool // The node is observing, i.e. not participating in voting
+	dflag     bool        // Debug flag
+	hasleader atomic.Bool // Is there a group leader right now?
+	pleader   atomic.Bool // Has the group ever had a leader?
+	observer  bool        // The node is observing, i.e. not participating in voting
 
 	extSt extensionState // Extension state
 
@@ -935,7 +937,7 @@ func (n *raft) AdjustBootClusterSize(csz int) error {
 	n.Lock()
 	defer n.Unlock()
 
-	if n.leader != noLeader || n.pleader {
+	if n.leader != noLeader || n.pleader.Load() {
 		return errAdjustBootCluster
 	}
 	// Same floor as bootstrap.
@@ -1497,9 +1499,7 @@ func (n *raft) Healthy() bool {
 
 // HadPreviousLeader indicates if this group ever had a leader.
 func (n *raft) HadPreviousLeader() bool {
-	n.RLock()
-	defer n.RUnlock()
-	return n.pleader
+	return n.pleader.Load()
 }
 
 // GroupLeader returns the current leader of the group.
@@ -1512,6 +1512,17 @@ func (n *raft) GroupLeader() string {
 	return n.leader
 }
 
+// Leaderless is a lockless way of finding out if the group has a
+// leader or not. Use instead of GroupLeader in hot paths.
+func (n *raft) Leaderless() bool {
+	if n == nil {
+		return true
+	}
+	// Negated because we want the default state of hasLeader to be
+	// false until the first setLeader() call.
+	return !n.hasleader.Load()
+}
+
 // Guess the best next leader. Stepdown will check more thoroughly.
 // Lock should be held.
 func (n *raft) selectNextLeader() string {
@@ -3263,8 +3274,9 @@ func (n *raft) resetWAL() {
 // Lock should be held
 func (n *raft) updateLeader(newLeader string) {
 	n.leader = newLeader
-	if !n.pleader && newLeader != noLeader {
-		n.pleader = true
+	n.hasleader.Store(newLeader != _EMPTY_)
+	if !n.pleader.Load() && newLeader != noLeader {
+		n.pleader.Store(true)
 	}
 }