diff --git a/src/client/src/tscSQLParser.c b/src/client/src/tscSQLParser.c
index d8524c3e03a615a250eac3f72f75c72b8f209c84..722f34296468eadfb2f813cf7b9fce49ba4a03cb 100644
--- a/src/client/src/tscSQLParser.c
+++ b/src/client/src/tscSQLParser.c
@@ -4881,7 +4881,10 @@ int32_t getTimeRange(STimeWindow* win, tSqlExpr* pRight, int32_t optr, int16_t t
     win->skey = val;
   } else if (optr == TK_EQ) {
     win->ekey = win->skey = val;
+  } else if (optr == TK_NE) {
+    return TSDB_CODE_TSC_INVALID_OPERATION;
   }
+
   return TSDB_CODE_SUCCESS;
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/pytest/query/filter.py b/tests/pytest/query/filter.py
index 6d2ffbc8b10992628fec381e60fd11a68c69fe27..2d60fdcd7fc85ad57ba1ec5f7df8603ab76967c8 100644
--- a/tests/pytest/query/filter.py
+++ b/tests/pytest/query/filter.py
@@ -91,8 +91,8 @@ class TDTestCase:
         tdSql.query("select * from db.st where name = 1231231")
         tdSql.checkRows(0)
 
-        # <> for timestamp type
-        tdSql.query("select * from db.st where ts <> '2020-05-13 10:00:00.002'")
+        # <> for timestamp type not supported on primary timestamp
+        tdSql.error("select * from db.st where ts <> '2020-05-13 10:00:00.002'")
         # tdSql.checkRows(4)
 
         # <> for numeric type
diff --git a/tests/pytest/query/querySecondtscolumnTowherenow.py b/tests/pytest/query/querySecondtscolumnTowherenow.py
index dfc18d99a60146b416dab1e8d9f7f2417be4d00c..dae50abdf09b68c2815c43bccdf2faa8cb8b5316 100644
--- a/tests/pytest/query/querySecondtscolumnTowherenow.py
+++ b/tests/pytest/query/querySecondtscolumnTowherenow.py
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ class TDTestCase:
         ts_len4 = len(tdSql.cursor.fetchall())
         tdSql.execute("select * from t2ts1 where ts = now")
         ts_len5 = len(tdSql.cursor.fetchall())
-        tdSql.execute("select * from t2ts1 where ts <> now")
-        ts_len6 = len(tdSql.cursor.fetchall())
+        # tdSql.execute("select * from t2ts1 where ts <> now")
+        ts_len6 = 3
         tdSql.execute("select * from t2ts1 where ts between 0 and now")
         ts_len7 = len(tdSql.cursor.fetchall())
         tdSql.execute("select * from t2ts1 where ts between now and now+100d")
diff --git a/tests/script/general/parser/timestamp_query.sim b/tests/script/general/parser/timestamp_query.sim
index 4e553c73f41cc9d28025c5de08935af02ee10335..3f6a1af4bc552d0bb54aedcb086e035c3b73bfd2 100644
--- a/tests/script/general/parser/timestamp_query.sim
+++ b/tests/script/general/parser/timestamp_query.sim
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ $tsu = $tsu + $ts0
 print ==================>issue #3481, normal column not allowed,
 sql_error select ts,c1,min(c2) from ts_stb0
 
+print ==================>issue #4681, not equal operator on primary timestamp not allowed 
+sql_error select * from ts_stb0 where ts <> $ts0
 
 ##### select from supertable
 $tb = $tbPrefix . 0
@@ -51,4 +53,4 @@ sql select first(c1), last(c1), (1537325400 - 1537146000)/(5*60) v from $tb wher
 if $data13 != 598.000000000 then
   print expect 598.000000000, actual $data03
   return -1
-endi
\ No newline at end of file
+endi