diff --git a/src/dnode/src/dnodePeer.c b/src/dnode/src/dnodePeer.c
index 7fe8225f1b5088be888b6000204ecff0766284f8..4c44924cd0b79bae5b0c83f9ddad8ae30afcf292 100644
--- a/src/dnode/src/dnodePeer.c
+++ b/src/dnode/src/dnodePeer.c
@@ -152,8 +152,9 @@ void dnodeCleanupClient() {
 
 static void dnodeProcessRspFromDnode(SRpcMsg *pMsg, SRpcEpSet *pEpSet) {
   if (dnodeGetRunStatus() != TSDB_RUN_STATUS_RUNING) {
+    if (pMsg == NULL || pMsg->pCont == NULL) return;
+    dDebug("msg:%p is ignored since dnode not running", pMsg);
     rpcFreeCont(pMsg->pCont);
-    dDebug("RPC %p, msg:%s is ignored since dnode not running", pMsg->handle, taosMsg[pMsg->msgType]);
     return;
   }