diff --git a/src/util/src/ttimer.c b/src/util/src/ttimer.c
index a89dbaebe613b35664b1487a0aec16959f4091bd..375d1a7a94162ee48594a9ec53ee9523d6745c24 100644
--- a/src/util/src/ttimer.c
+++ b/src/util/src/ttimer.c
@@ -78,8 +78,13 @@ typedef struct {
   int        count;
 } tmr_list_t;
 
+
+#define TMR_CTRL_STAGE_UNUSED       0
+#define TMR_CTRL_STAGE_IN_USE       1
+#define TMR_CTRL_STAGE_CLEANNING_UP 2
+
 typedef struct _tmr_ctrl_t {
-  void *          signature;
+  int             stage;            /* life cycle stage of this tmr ctrl */
   pthread_mutex_t mutex;            /* mutex to protect critical resource */
   int             resolution;       /* resolution in mseconds */
   int             numOfPeriods;     /* total number of periods */
@@ -110,15 +115,37 @@ void *taosTimerLoopFunc(int signo) {
 
   for (int i = 1; i < maxNumOfTmrCtrl; ++i) {
     pCtrl = tmrCtrl + i;
-    if (pCtrl->signature) {
-      count++;
+    // save 'stage' to a local variable so that all later code can
+    // use the same 'stage'. acquire semantic is required to ensure
+    // 'stage' is load before other 'pCtrl' fields.
+    int stage = __atomic_load_n(&pCtrl->stage, __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE);
+
+    if (stage == TMR_CTRL_STAGE_IN_USE) {
       pCtrl->ticks++;
       if (pCtrl->ticks >= pCtrl->maxTicks) {
         taosTmrProcessList(pCtrl);
         pCtrl->ticks = 0;
       }
-      if (count >= numOfTmrCtrl) break;
+    } else if (stage == TMR_CTRL_STAGE_CLEANNING_UP) {
+      __atomic_store_n(&pCtrl->stage, TMR_CTRL_STAGE_UNUSED, __ATOMIC_RELEASE);
+      pthread_mutex_destroy(&pCtrl->mutex);
+      tfree(pCtrl->tmrList);
+      tmrMemPoolCleanUp(pCtrl->poolHandle);
+
+      // decrease 'numOfTmrCtrl', need to be atomic but relaxed semantic is fine
+      // because we don't need (unable to guarantee either) an accurate counter.
+      int num = __atomic_add_fetch(&numOfTmrCtrl, -1, __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
+      tmrTrace("%s is cleaned up, numOfTmrCtrls:%d", pCtrl->label, num);
+
+      // return 'id' to the poool and then this timer controller can be reused,
+      // this must be the last step.
+      taosFreeId(tmrIdPool, pCtrl->tmrCtrlId);
+    } else {
+      continue;
     }
+
+    if (++count >= __atomic_load_n(&numOfTmrCtrl, __ATOMIC_RELAXED))
+      break;
   }
 
   return NULL;
@@ -206,9 +233,6 @@ void *taosTmrInit(int maxNumOfTmrs, int resolution, int longest, char *label) {
   }
 
   pCtrl = tmrCtrl + tmrCtrlId;
-  tfree(pCtrl->tmrList);
-  tmrMemPoolCleanUp(pCtrl->poolHandle);
-
   memset(pCtrl, 0, sizeof(tmr_ctrl_t));
 
   pCtrl->tmrCtrlId = tmrCtrlId;
@@ -217,18 +241,25 @@ void *taosTmrInit(int maxNumOfTmrs, int resolution, int longest, char *label) {
 
   if ((pCtrl->poolHandle = tmrMemPoolInit(maxNumOfTmrs + 10, sizeof(tmr_obj_t))) == NULL) {
     tmrError("%s failed to allocate mem pool", label);
-    tmrMemPoolCleanUp(pCtrl->poolHandle);
+    taosFreeId(tmrIdPool, tmrCtrlId);
     return NULL;
   }
 
   if (resolution < MSECONDS_PER_TICK) resolution = MSECONDS_PER_TICK;
   pCtrl->resolution = resolution;
   pCtrl->maxTicks = resolution / MSECONDS_PER_TICK;
-  pCtrl->ticks = rand() / pCtrl->maxTicks;
+  pCtrl->ticks = rand() % pCtrl->maxTicks;
   pCtrl->numOfPeriods = longest / resolution;
   if (pCtrl->numOfPeriods < 10) pCtrl->numOfPeriods = 10;
 
   pCtrl->tmrList = (tmr_list_t *)malloc(sizeof(tmr_list_t) * pCtrl->numOfPeriods);
+  if (pCtrl->tmrList == NULL) {
+    tmrError("%s failed to allocate tmrList", label);
+    tmrMemPoolCleanUp(pCtrl->poolHandle);
+    taosFreeId(tmrIdPool, tmrCtrlId);
+    return NULL;
+  }
+
   for (int i = 0; i < pCtrl->numOfPeriods; i++) {
     pCtrl->tmrList[i].head = NULL;
     pCtrl->tmrList[i].count = 0;
@@ -236,12 +267,20 @@ void *taosTmrInit(int maxNumOfTmrs, int resolution, int longest, char *label) {
 
   if (pthread_mutex_init(&pCtrl->mutex, NULL) < 0) {
     tmrError("%s failed to create the mutex, reason:%s", label, strerror(errno));
-    taosTmrCleanUp(pCtrl);
+    free(pCtrl->tmrList);
+    tmrMemPoolCleanUp(pCtrl->poolHandle);
+    taosFreeId(tmrIdPool, tmrCtrlId);
     return NULL;
   }
 
-  pCtrl->signature = pCtrl;
-  numOfTmrCtrl++;
+  // set 'stage' to 'in use' to mark the completion of initialization,
+  // release semantic is required to ensure all operations prior this
+  // are visible to other threads first.
+  __atomic_store_n(&pCtrl->stage, TMR_CTRL_STAGE_IN_USE, __ATOMIC_RELEASE);
+
+  // increase 'numOfTmrCtrl', need to be atomic but relaxed semantic is fine
+  __atomic_add_fetch(&numOfTmrCtrl, 1, __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
+
   tmrTrace("%s timer ctrl is initialized, index:%d", label, tmrCtrlId);
   return pCtrl;
 }
@@ -293,12 +332,14 @@ void taosTmrProcessList(tmr_ctrl_t *pCtrl) {
 
 void taosTmrCleanUp(void *handle) {
   tmr_ctrl_t *pCtrl = (tmr_ctrl_t *)handle;
-  if (pCtrl == NULL || pCtrl->signature != pCtrl) return;
+  if (pCtrl == NULL)
+    return;
 
-  pCtrl->signature = NULL;
-  taosFreeId(tmrIdPool, pCtrl->tmrCtrlId);
-  numOfTmrCtrl--;
-  tmrTrace("%s is cleaned up, numOfTmrs:%d", pCtrl->label, numOfTmrCtrl);
+  // set 'stage' to 'cleanning up' if it is 'in use' atomically,
+  // actual cleanning up will be done in 'taosTimerLoopFunc'.
+  int oldStage = TMR_CTRL_STAGE_IN_USE;
+  __atomic_compare_exchange_n(&pCtrl->stage, &oldStage, TMR_CTRL_STAGE_CLEANNING_UP,
+          false, __ATOMIC_ACQ_REL, __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE);
 }
 
 tmr_h taosTmrStart(void (*fp)(void *, void *), int mseconds, void *param1, void *handle) {
@@ -538,7 +579,6 @@ mpool_h tmrMemPoolInit(int numOfBlock, int blockSize) {
   pool_p->blockSize = blockSize;
   pool_p->numOfBlock = numOfBlock;
   pool_p->pool = (char *)malloc(blockSize * numOfBlock);
-  memset(pool_p->pool, 0, blockSize * numOfBlock);
   pool_p->freeList = (int *)malloc(sizeof(int) * numOfBlock);
 
   if (pool_p->pool == NULL || pool_p->freeList == NULL) {
@@ -596,6 +636,6 @@ void tmrMemPoolCleanUp(mpool_h handle) {
 
   if (pool_p->pool) free(pool_p->pool);
   if (pool_p->freeList) free(pool_p->freeList);
-  memset(&pool_p, 0, sizeof(pool_p));
+  memset(pool_p, 0, sizeof(*pool_p));
   free(pool_p);
 }