diff --git a/src/rpc/src/rpcMain.c b/src/rpc/src/rpcMain.c
index b86b95b8585350da9777f2045fa503a3fb81d61e..414d37d8b8c3141784a22bb117a8ec6d92b4096a 100644
--- a/src/rpc/src/rpcMain.c
+++ b/src/rpc/src/rpcMain.c
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ void *rpcMallocCont(int contLen) {
     tError("failed to malloc msg, size:%d", size);
     return NULL;
   } else {
-    tDebug("malloc msg: %p", start);
+    tTrace("malloc mem: %p", start);
   }
 
   return start + sizeof(SRpcReqContext) + sizeof(SRpcHead);
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ void rpcFreeCont(void *cont) {
   if (cont) {
     char *temp = ((char *)cont) - sizeof(SRpcHead) - sizeof(SRpcReqContext);
     free(temp);
-    tDebug("free mem: %p", temp);
+    tTrace("free mem: %p", temp);
   }
 }
 
@@ -553,7 +553,7 @@ static void rpcFreeMsg(void *msg) {
   if ( msg ) {
     char *temp = (char *)msg - sizeof(SRpcReqContext);
     free(temp);
-    tDebug("free msg: %p", temp);
+    tTrace("free mem: %p", temp);
   }
 }
 
@@ -819,9 +819,18 @@ static int rpcProcessReqHead(SRpcConn *pConn, SRpcHead *pHead) {
       return TSDB_CODE_RPC_LAST_SESSION_NOT_FINISHED;
     }
 
+    if (rpcContLenFromMsg(pHead->msgLen) <= 0) {
+      tDebug("%s, message body is empty, ignore", pConn->info);
+      return TSDB_CODE_RPC_APP_ERROR;
+    }
+
     pConn->inTranId = pHead->tranId;
     pConn->inType = pHead->msgType;
 
+    // start the progress timer to monitor the response from server app
+    if (pConn->connType != RPC_CONN_TCPS) 
+      pConn->pTimer = taosTmrStart(rpcProcessProgressTimer, tsProgressTimer, pConn, pConn->pRpc->tmrCtrl);
+ 
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -960,11 +969,7 @@ static SRpcConn *rpcProcessMsgHead(SRpcInfo *pRpc, SRecvInfo *pRecv, SRpcReqCont
         pConn->pIdleTimer = taosTmrStart(rpcProcessIdleTimer, tsRpcTimer*2, pConn, pRpc->tmrCtrl);
     } else {
       terrno = rpcProcessRspHead(pConn, pHead);
-      if (terrno == 0) {
-        SRpcReqContext *pContext = pConn->pContext;
-        *ppContext = pContext;
-        pConn->pContext = NULL;
-      }
+      *ppContext = pConn->pContext;
     }
   }
 
@@ -1094,20 +1099,11 @@ static void rpcProcessIncomingMsg(SRpcConn *pConn, SRpcHead *pHead, SRpcReqConte
    
   if ( rpcIsReq(pHead->msgType) ) {
     rpcMsg.ahandle = pConn->ahandle;
-    if (rpcMsg.contLen > 0) {
-      rpcMsg.handle = pConn;
-      rpcAddRef(pRpc);  // add the refCount for requests
+    rpcMsg.handle = pConn;
+    rpcAddRef(pRpc);  // add the refCount for requests
 
-      // start the progress timer to monitor the response from server app
-      if (pConn->connType != RPC_CONN_TCPS) 
-        pConn->pTimer = taosTmrStart(rpcProcessProgressTimer, tsProgressTimer, pConn, pRpc->tmrCtrl);
- 
-      // notify the server app
-      (*(pRpc->cfp))(&rpcMsg, NULL);
-    } else {
-      tDebug("%s, message body is empty, ignore", pConn->info);
-      rpcFreeCont(rpcMsg.pCont);
-    }
+    // notify the server app
+    (*(pRpc->cfp))(&rpcMsg, NULL);
   } else {
     // it's a response
     rpcMsg.handle = pContext;
@@ -1451,7 +1447,7 @@ static SRpcHead *rpcDecompressRpcMsg(SRpcHead *pHead) {
       pNewHead->msgLen = rpcMsgLenFromCont(origLen);
       rpcFreeMsg(pHead); // free the compressed message buffer
       pHead = pNewHead; 
-      //tTrace("decompress rpc msg, compLen:%d, after:%d", compLen, contLen);
+      tTrace("decomp malloc mem: %p", temp);
     } else {
       tError("failed to allocate memory to decompress msg, contLen:%d", contLen);
     }
diff --git a/src/rpc/src/rpcTcp.c b/src/rpc/src/rpcTcp.c
index 20b03b34e351ac6430ed36643261ff062e4b6091..dd9e7684e03e5cfc8c44dc3555a4ad1d144b90b6 100644
--- a/src/rpc/src/rpcTcp.c
+++ b/src/rpc/src/rpcTcp.c
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ static int taosReadTcpData(SFdObj *pFdObj, SRecvInfo *pInfo) {
     tError("%s %p TCP malloc(size:%d) fail", pThreadObj->label, pFdObj->thandle, msgLen);
     return -1;
   } else {
-    tDebug("TCP malloc mem: %p", buffer);
+    tTrace("TCP malloc mem: %p", buffer);
   }
 
   msg = buffer + tsRpcOverhead;
diff --git a/src/rpc/src/rpcUdp.c b/src/rpc/src/rpcUdp.c
index 4ea47582b9c93fbd483454a50e1bf6aed5237870..6f653046615f162c516b5eebf08995d30c6214d7 100644
--- a/src/rpc/src/rpcUdp.c
+++ b/src/rpc/src/rpcUdp.c
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ static void *taosRecvUdpData(void *param) {
       tError("%s failed to allocate memory, size:%" PRId64, pConn->label, (int64_t)dataLen);
       continue;
     } else {
-      tDebug("UDP malloc mem: %p", tmsg);
+      tTrace("UDP malloc mem: %p", tmsg);
     }
 
     tmsg += tsRpcOverhead;  // overhead for SRpcReqContext