diff --git a/src/vnode/main/src/vnodeMain.c b/src/vnode/main/src/vnodeMain.c
index 210063ecf5eac89c9d29cddeb181af8556364f89..ea7a003d3d8836105e390e26e7d2c6a66bfe8f54 100644
--- a/src/vnode/main/src/vnodeMain.c
+++ b/src/vnode/main/src/vnodeMain.c
@@ -368,6 +368,7 @@ static int32_t vnodeReadCfg(SVnodeObj *pVnode) {
   if (strcmp(option[0], "wals") != 0) return TSDB_CODE_INVALID_FILE_FORMAT;
   if (wals == -1) return TSDB_CODE_INVALID_FILE_FORMAT;
   pVnode->walCfg.wals = (int8_t)wals;
+  pVnode->walCfg.keep = 0;
 
   int32_t arbitratorIp = -1;
   num = fscanf(fp, "%s %u", option[0], &arbitratorIp);
diff --git a/src/vnode/wal/src/walMain.c b/src/vnode/wal/src/walMain.c
index e799bfd63a1c049bf7a7b5de06ea767266460708..edca4e371cdbc09cfe98f26e7b7972348c1e8098 100644
--- a/src/vnode/wal/src/walMain.c
+++ b/src/vnode/wal/src/walMain.c
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 
 typedef struct {
   int      fd;
+  int      keep;
   int      level;
   int      max;  // maximum number of wal files
   uint32_t id;   // increase continuously
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ void *walOpen(const char *path, const SWalCfg *pCfg) {
   pWal->id = 0;
   pWal->num = 0;
   pWal->level = pCfg->commitLog;
+  pWal->keep = pCfg->keep;
   strcpy(pWal->path, path);
   pthread_mutex_init(&pWal->mutex, NULL);
 
@@ -82,18 +84,21 @@ void *walOpen(const char *path, const SWalCfg *pCfg) {
 void walClose(void *handle) {
   if (handle == NULL) return;
   
-  SWal *pWal = handle;
-  
+  SWal *pWal = handle;  
   close(pWal->fd);
 
-  // remove all files in the directory
-  for (int i=0; i<pWal->num; ++i) {
-    sprintf(pWal->name, "%s/%s%d", pWal->path, walPrefix, pWal->id-i);
-    if (remove(pWal->name) <0) {
-      wError("wal:%s, failed to remove", pWal->name);
-    } else {
-      wTrace("wal:%s, it is removed", pWal->name);
+  if (pWal->keep == 0) {
+    // remove all files in the directory
+    for (int i=0; i<pWal->num; ++i) {
+      sprintf(pWal->name, "%s/%s%d", pWal->path, walPrefix, pWal->id-i);
+      if (remove(pWal->name) <0) {
+        wError("wal:%s, failed to remove", pWal->name);
+      } else {
+        wTrace("wal:%s, it is removed", pWal->name);
+      }
     }
+  } else {
+    wTrace("wal:%s, it is closed and kept", pWal->name);
   }
 
   pthread_mutex_destroy(&pWal->mutex);