Galway held off a determined challenge from Leitrim to post a 0-17 to 1-10 win at the new-look Páirc Sean MacDiarmada and qualify for the Connacht SFC final clash with Sligo on 8 July.
Nicky Joyce kicked 0-06 as Galway did just enough to warrant the win – it was the Tribesmen's eighth successive victory over Leitrim since 1995.
Gary McCloskey's ninth minute goal gave Leitrim added hope of recording an upset and the hosts were only 0-09 to 1-05 down at half-time.
Galway knuckled down after the goal and had all six of their forwards on the scoresheet by the 27th minute.
Peter Ford's side motored into a five-point lead with just a quarter-of-an-hour remaining and while Donal Brennan, Ciaran Duignan and Declan Maxwell kept Leitrim in touch, substitute Sean Armstrong and Nicky Joyce provided the insurance points for Galway in injury-time.
Both teams lined out as originally selected with key defender and team captain John McKeon overcoming an ankle injury to start for Leitrim, while Diarmuid Blake returned at centre-back in place of Niall Coyne as Galway's only change to the side that beat Mayo last time out.
Playing with the backing of a light breeze, Galway started in towards the town goal end and showed some nice touches in the opening minutes, most notably when two of their 1998 All-Ireland-winning heroes, Padraig Joyce and Ja Fallon, combined to tee up Michael Meehan for a fisted point.
Ciaran Duignan opened the scoring with a third minute free before Meehan and Fallon, who sent over a left-footed drive, replied for the visitors.
Leitrim switched McKeon in to full-back and moved Maxwell, arguably their best forward, in to a position between top of the left and full-forward as they sought to stretch the Galway defence.
Galway had a high work-rate but they were rocked back on their heels when midfielder McCloskey barrelled forward to drill home Leitrim's goal.
McCloskey's strike was one any corner-forward in the country would have been proud of as he took a pass from Michael Duignan before turning to unleash a fierce shot to the far left corner of Paul Doherty's net.
However, Dessie Dolan Senior's side never truly built on the foundations of that goal.
Maxwell curled over a lovely point off his right and Michael Foley also raced forward to land a left-footed point, but a 1-03 to 0-03 lead was as good as it got for Leitrim.
Galway's forward sextet really upped the tempo, aided by workhorse midfielder Joe Bergin, and they managed to fire over five successive points between the 16th and 27th minutes to go 0-08 to 1-03 in front.
Nicky Joyce landed a quick brace, sandwiching a decent goal chance for corner man Meehan, who was inches wide from finding the Leitrim net after a great show of strength.
Then Cormac Bane levelled the tie with a shot from 40 metres out and Derek Savage and Padraig Joyce also got in on the scoring act as Ford's charges looked to take control.
However, they were being met with stiff resistance and as the half wore on, Leitrim began to edge the man-to-man battles, most notably with the excellent McKeon nipping in ahead of Padraig Joyce to clear two balls.
James Glancy and Donal Brennan pumped over two points late in the opening half to whittle Galway's lead down to a single point.
Former Footballer of the Year Fallon then notched his side's ninth point in injury-time before Brennan launched over an excellent score from the right.
Helped by the introduction of Armstrong, who is fit again after being sidelined by a hamstring injury, Galway made a composed start to the second half with three early points.
Cousins Nicky and Padraig Joyce sent the men in maroon 0-11 to 1-05 ahead before Brennan thumped over a towering point that greatly encouraged the Carrick-on-Shannon faithful.
Armstrong, who came on for the well-shackled Bane, slotted over from the left to keep Galway ticking but their defence crumbled moments later to allow corner-forward Ciaran Duignan a rare sight of goal.
The Fenagh-St Caillin's clubman picked his spot in the 47th minute but Galway net-minder Doherty brilliantly palmed away the shot with his right hand and Galway regrouped.
Some neat interplay did lead to Duginan grabbing a point, three minutes later, but Galway's fluent attack clicked into gear again to land four points on the bounce with Bergin and the Joyces on target.
Ciaran Duignan tagged on another point as Galway's scores suddenly dried up.
Dangerously, they went a full 15 minutes without scoring as substitute Fintan McBrien (free) and Maxwell managed to add to Leitrim's total.
The hosts dominated territorially in the closing stages as they hunted for a much-needed goal. Maxwell did have a chance of a major but Doherty did well to crowd him out.
Padraig Joyce did have the ball in the net at the other end but he was called back for a free out and it was left to Armstrong and Nicky Joyce to finish off a topsy-turvy display from the Tribesmen.
Afterwards, Galway boss Peter Ford, whose side meet his former charges Sligo in the provincial decider, said: 'We're delighted to get the win. In all fairness, we struggled at times and Leitrim made us work hard, they tested us particularly in the first half. But we're very happy to have come here and won by four points.'
Leitrim: N Gill; D Reynolds, J McKeon (capt), M McGuinness; B Prior, B McWeeney, S Foley; G McCloskey (1-00), M Duignan; C Regan, C Duignan (0-03, 0-01f), M Foley (0-01); J Glancy (0-01), D Brennan (0-02), D Maxwell (0-02).
Subs used: F McBrien (0-01, 0-01f) for Glancy (52 mins), J Guckian for M Duignan (58), C Kennedy for M Foley (60), P Howard for C Duignan (70+1).
Galway: P Doherty; D Burke, F Hanley, K Fitzgerald (capt); D Meehan, D Blake, M Comer; J Bergin (0-01), N Coleman; D Savage (0-01), J Fallon (0-02), N Joyce (0-06, 0-02f); M Meehan (0-01), P Joyce (0-03, 0-02f), C Bane (0-01).
Subs used: S Armstrong (0-02) for Bane (41 mins), N Coyne for Hanley (51), B Cullinane for Savage (60), P Geraghty for Fallon (70+2).
Referee: Michael Meade (Limerick)
