diff --git a/src/rsync_client.cc b/src/rsync_client.cc
index f8ee7aeae8..f65314c6ea 100644
--- a/src/rsync_client.cc
+++ b/src/rsync_client.cc
@@ -358,7 +358,9 @@ Status RsyncClient::PullRemoteMeta(std::string* snapshot_uuid, std::set<std::str
     }
 
     if (resp.get() == nullptr || resp->code() != RsyncService::kOk) {
-      s = Status::IOError("kRsyncMeta request failed! unknown reason");
+      s = Status::IOError("kRsyncMeta request failed! db is not exist or doing bgsave");
+      sleep(1);
+      retries++;
       continue;
     }
     LOG(INFO) << "receive rsync meta infos, snapshot_uuid: " << resp->snapshot_uuid()
diff --git a/src/rsync_server.cc b/src/rsync_server.cc
index 1aac50a530..ea339af59c 100644
--- a/src/rsync_server.cc
+++ b/src/rsync_server.cc
@@ -116,10 +116,6 @@ void RsyncServerConn::HandleMetaRsyncRequest(void* arg) {
   std::shared_ptr<net::PbConn> conn = task_arg->conn;
   std::string db_name = req->db_name();
   std::shared_ptr<DB> db = g_pika_server->GetDB(db_name);
-  if (!db || db->IsBgSaving()) {
-    LOG(WARNING) << "waiting bgsave done...";
-    return;
-  }
 
   RsyncService::RsyncResponse response;
   response.set_reader_index(req->reader_index());
@@ -133,8 +129,16 @@ void RsyncServerConn::HandleMetaRsyncRequest(void* arg) {
    */
   response.set_slot_id(0);
 
-  std::vector<std::string> filenames;
   std::string snapshot_uuid;
+  if (!db || db->IsBgSaving()) {
+    LOG(WARNING) << "waiting bgsave done...";
+    response.set_snapshot_uuid(snapshot_uuid);
+    response.set_code(RsyncService::kErr);
+    RsyncWriteResp(response, conn);
+    return;
+  }
+
+  std::vector<std::string> filenames;
   g_pika_server->GetDumpMeta(db_name, &filenames, &snapshot_uuid);
   response.set_snapshot_uuid(snapshot_uuid);