diff --git a/src/sync/src/syncMain.c b/src/sync/src/syncMain.c
index ef635e6efc1ca5f071c64dbe00920c3987837494..d93a23711b002713f7e8076be2824ec44d46f919 100644
--- a/src/sync/src/syncMain.c
+++ b/src/sync/src/syncMain.c
@@ -310,6 +310,7 @@ int32_t syncForwardToPeer(void *param, void *data, void *mhandle, int qtype) {
   int        code = 0;
 
   if (pNode == NULL) return 0;
+  syncAddNodeRef(pNode);
 
   if (nodeRole == TAOS_SYNC_ROLE_SLAVE && pWalHead->version != nodeVersion + 1) {
     sError("vgId:%d, received ver:%" PRIu64 ", inconsistent with last ver:%" PRIu64 ", restart connection", pNode->vgId,
@@ -318,6 +319,7 @@ int32_t syncForwardToPeer(void *param, void *data, void *mhandle, int qtype) {
       pPeer = pNode->peerInfo[i];
       syncRestartConnection(pPeer);
     }
+    syncDecNodeRef(pNode);
     return TSDB_CODE_SYN_INVALID_VERSION;
   }
 
@@ -326,10 +328,16 @@ int32_t syncForwardToPeer(void *param, void *data, void *mhandle, int qtype) {
   sDebug("vgId:%d, replica:%d nodeRole:%s qtype:%d ver:%" PRIu64, pNode->vgId, pNode->replica, syncRole[nodeRole],
          qtype, pWalHead->version);
 
-  if (pNode->replica == 1 || nodeRole != TAOS_SYNC_ROLE_MASTER) return 0;
+  if (pNode->replica == 1 || nodeRole != TAOS_SYNC_ROLE_MASTER) {
+    syncDecNodeRef(pNode);
+    return 0;
+  }
 
   // only pkt from RPC or CQ can be forwarded
-  if (qtype != TAOS_QTYPE_RPC && qtype != TAOS_QTYPE_CQ) return 0;
+  if (qtype != TAOS_QTYPE_RPC && qtype != TAOS_QTYPE_CQ) {
+    syncDecNodeRef(pNode);
+    return 0;
+  }
 
   // a hacker way to improve the performance
   pSyncHead = (SSyncHead *)(((char *)pWalHead) - sizeof(SSyncHead));
@@ -361,6 +369,7 @@ int32_t syncForwardToPeer(void *param, void *data, void *mhandle, int qtype) {
 
   pthread_mutex_unlock(&(pNode->mutex));
 
+  syncDecNodeRef(pNode);
   return code;
 }