diff --git a/src/sync/src/syncMain.c b/src/sync/src/syncMain.c
index 44f66bc70c9c6c8b9246fc31ebbaa1d2665fe6df..93739ca3d14a2895aedb3bbe37085c95ac722c96 100644
--- a/src/sync/src/syncMain.c
+++ b/src/sync/src/syncMain.c
@@ -1108,7 +1108,7 @@ static void syncProcessBrokenLink(void *param) {
   SSyncPeer *pPeer = param;
   SSyncNode *pNode = pPeer->pSyncNode;
 
-  if (taosAcquireRef(tsSyncRefId, pNode->rid) < 0) return;
+  if (taosAcquireRef(tsSyncRefId, pNode->rid) == NULL) return;
   pthread_mutex_lock(&(pNode->mutex));
 
   sDebug("%s, TCP link is broken(%s)", pPeer->id, strerror(errno));
diff --git a/src/util/tests/trefTest.c b/src/util/tests/trefTest.c
index 6887b24abdae9f5d9949fee0073a35eb717eb4f7..454860410b4dd0c3fdf65c4b7fd7950a1a7d4446 100644
--- a/src/util/tests/trefTest.c
+++ b/src/util/tests/trefTest.c
@@ -77,8 +77,8 @@ void *acquireRelease(void *param) {
     printf("a");
     
     id = random() % pSpace->refNum; 
-    code = taosAcquireRef(pSpace->rsetId, pSpace->p[id]);
-    if (code >= 0) {
+    void *p = taosAcquireRef(pSpace->rsetId, pSpace->p[id]);
+    if (p) {
       usleep(id % 5 + 1);
       taosReleaseRef(pSpace->rsetId, pSpace->p[id]);
     }