diff --git a/openraft/src/core/raft_core.rs b/openraft/src/core/raft_core.rs
index e24baff3c..d5ec9bee7 100644
--- a/openraft/src/core/raft_core.rs
+++ b/openraft/src/core/raft_core.rs
@@ -845,7 +845,7 @@ impl<C: RaftTypeConfig, N: RaftNetworkFactory<C>, S: RaftStorage<C>> RaftCore<C,
 
     /// Trigger a log compaction (snapshot) job if needed.
     /// If force is True, it will skip the threshold check and start creating snapshot as demanded.
-    #[tracing::instrument(level = "trace", skip(self))]
+    #[tracing::instrument(level = "debug", skip(self))]
     pub(crate) async fn trigger_log_compaction_if_needed(&mut self, force: bool) {
         if self.snapshot_state.is_some() {
             return;
@@ -1348,6 +1348,7 @@ impl<C: RaftTypeConfig, N: RaftNetworkFactory<C>, S: RaftStorage<C>> RaftCore<C,
                         let log_id = self.write_entry(EntryPayload::Blank, None).await?;
                         tracing::debug!(log_id = display(&log_id), "ExternalCommand: sent heartbeat log");
                     }
+                    ExternalCommand::Snapshot => self.trigger_log_compaction_if_needed(true).await,
                 }
             }
             RaftMsg::Tick { i } => {
diff --git a/openraft/src/raft.rs b/openraft/src/raft.rs
index 244b2f34a..2ab3e79cc 100644
--- a/openraft/src/raft.rs
+++ b/openraft/src/raft.rs
@@ -267,6 +267,13 @@ impl<C: RaftTypeConfig, N: RaftNetworkFactory<C>, S: RaftStorage<C>> Raft<C, N,
         self.send_external_command(ExternalCommand::Heartbeat, "trigger_heartbeat").await
     }
 
+    /// Trigger to build a snapshot at once and return at once.
+    ///
+    /// Returns error when RaftCore has Fatal error, e.g. shut down or having storage error.
+    pub async fn trigger_snapshot(&self) -> Result<(), Fatal<C::NodeId>> {
+        self.send_external_command(ExternalCommand::Snapshot, "trigger_snapshot").await
+    }
+
     async fn send_external_command(
         &self,
         cmd: ExternalCommand,
@@ -1036,6 +1043,8 @@ pub(crate) enum ExternalCommand {
     Elect,
     /// Emit a heartbeat message, only if the node is leader.
     Heartbeat,
+    /// Trigger to build a snapshot
+    Snapshot,
 }
 
 /// An RPC sent by a cluster leader to replicate log entries (§5.3), and as a heartbeat (§5.2).
diff --git a/openraft/tests/snapshot/main.rs b/openraft/tests/snapshot/main.rs
index 9fb673424..68f3dd5d7 100644
--- a/openraft/tests/snapshot/main.rs
+++ b/openraft/tests/snapshot/main.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 mod fixtures;
 
 mod t20_api_install_snapshot;
+mod t20_trigger_snapshot;
 mod t23_snapshot_chunk_size;
 mod t24_snapshot_ge_half_threshold;
 mod t25_snapshot_line_rate_to_snapshot;
diff --git a/openraft/tests/snapshot/t20_trigger_snapshot.rs b/openraft/tests/snapshot/t20_trigger_snapshot.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e65f13601
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openraft/tests/snapshot/t20_trigger_snapshot.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+use maplit::btreeset;
+use openraft::Config;
+use openraft::LeaderId;
+use openraft::LogId;
+
+use crate::fixtures::init_default_ut_tracing;
+use crate::fixtures::RaftRouter;
+
+/// Manually trigger a snapshot with `Raft::trigger_snapshot()` on Leader and Follower.
+#[async_entry::test(worker_threads = 8, init = "init_default_ut_tracing()", tracing_span = "debug")]
+async fn snapshot_chunk_size() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    let config = Arc::new(
+        Config {
+            enable_heartbeat: false,
+            ..Default::default()
+        }
+        .validate()?,
+    );
+
+    let mut router = RaftRouter::new(config.clone());
+
+    tracing::info!("--- initializing cluster");
+    let mut log_index = router.new_nodes_from_single(btreeset! {0,1}, btreeset! {}).await?;
+
+    tracing::info!("--- trigger snapshot for node-1");
+    {
+        let n1 = router.get_raft_handle(&1)?;
+        n1.trigger_snapshot().await?;
+
+        router
+            .wait(&1, timeout())
+            .snapshot(LogId::new(LeaderId::new(1, 0), log_index), "node-1 snapshot")
+            .await?;
+    }
+
+    tracing::info!("--- send some logs");
+    {
+        router.client_request_many(0, "0", 10).await?;
+        log_index += 10;
+
+        router.wait(&0, timeout()).log(Some(log_index), "node-0 write logs").await?;
+        router.wait(&1, timeout()).log(Some(log_index), "node-1 write logs").await?;
+    }
+
+    tracing::info!("--- trigger snapshot for node-0");
+    {
+        let n0 = router.get_raft_handle(&0)?;
+        n0.trigger_snapshot().await?;
+
+        router
+            .wait(&0, timeout())
+            .snapshot(LogId::new(LeaderId::new(1, 0), log_index), "node-0 snapshot")
+            .await?;
+    }
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+fn timeout() -> Option<Duration> {
+    Some(Duration::from_millis(1_000))
+}