The wt_file_helper.js assertStartInReplSet function sets a failpoint that allows initial sync status information to be included in ReplSetGetStatus output after a successful initial sync (usually, this status information is unavailable after a successful initial sync). However, on a slow machine, the initial sync can complete before the failpoint is set, resulting in an undefined value for initialSyncStatus.

Setting this failpoint on start up of the replica set avoids this race.