diff --git a/server/cluster/cluster.go b/server/cluster/cluster.go
index 32c8eefc284..fdb56c529ce 100644
--- a/server/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/server/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -865,6 +865,9 @@ func (c *RaftCluster) processRegionHeartbeat(region *core.RegionInfo) error {
 
 	var overlaps []*core.RegionInfo
 	if saveCache {
+		failpoint.Inject("decEpoch", func() {
+			region = region.Clone(core.SetRegionConfVer(2), core.SetRegionVersion(2))
+		})
 		// To prevent a concurrent heartbeat of another region from overriding the up-to-date region info by a stale one,
 		// check its validation again here.
 		//
diff --git a/server/core/region.go b/server/core/region.go
index 03da953ba60..48114bdb951 100644
--- a/server/core/region.go
+++ b/server/core/region.go
@@ -751,6 +751,7 @@ func (r *RegionsInfo) AtomicCheckAndPutRegion(region *RegionInfo) ([]*RegionInfo
 	}
 	_, err := check(region, origin, overlaps)
 	if err != nil {
+		r.t.Unlock()
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	origin, overlaps, rangeChanged := r.setRegionLocked(region)
diff --git a/tests/server/cluster/cluster_test.go b/tests/server/cluster/cluster_test.go
index 80e4da73704..c4614e27b51 100644
--- a/tests/server/cluster/cluster_test.go
+++ b/tests/server/cluster/cluster_test.go
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pingcap/kvproto/pkg/metapb"
 	"github.com/pingcap/kvproto/pkg/pdpb"
 	"github.com/pingcap/kvproto/pkg/replication_modepb"
-	"github.com/sasha-s/go-deadlock"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"github.com/tikv/pd/pkg/dashboard"
 	"github.com/tikv/pd/pkg/mock/mockid"
@@ -179,6 +178,51 @@ func TestDamagedRegion(t *testing.T) {
 	re.Equal(uint64(1), rc.GetOperatorController().OperatorCount(operator.OpAdmin))
 }
 
+func TestStaleRegion(t *testing.T) {
+	re := require.New(t)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+	tc, err := tests.NewTestCluster(ctx, 1)
+	defer tc.Destroy()
+	re.NoError(err)
+
+	err = tc.RunInitialServers()
+	re.NoError(err)
+
+	tc.WaitLeader()
+	leaderServer := tc.GetServer(tc.GetLeader())
+	grpcPDClient := testutil.MustNewGrpcClient(re, leaderServer.GetAddr())
+	clusterID := leaderServer.GetClusterID()
+	bootstrapCluster(re, clusterID, grpcPDClient)
+
+	region := &metapb.Region{
+		Id:       10,
+		StartKey: []byte("abc"),
+		EndKey:   []byte("xyz"),
+		Peers: []*metapb.Peer{
+			{Id: 101, StoreId: 1},
+			{Id: 102, StoreId: 2},
+			{Id: 103, StoreId: 3},
+		},
+		RegionEpoch: &metapb.RegionEpoch{
+			ConfVer: 10,
+			Version: 10,
+		},
+	}
+
+	// To put region.
+	regionInfoA := core.NewRegionInfo(region, region.Peers[0], core.SetApproximateSize(30))
+	err = tc.HandleRegionHeartbeat(regionInfoA)
+	re.NoError(err)
+	regionInfoA = regionInfoA.Clone(core.WithIncConfVer(), core.WithIncVersion())
+	re.NoError(failpoint.Enable("github.com/tikv/pd/server/cluster/decEpoch", `return(true)`))
+	tc.HandleRegionHeartbeat(regionInfoA)
+	re.NoError(failpoint.Disable("github.com/tikv/pd/server/cluster/decEpoch"))
+	regionInfoA = regionInfoA.Clone(core.WithIncConfVer(), core.WithIncVersion())
+	err = tc.HandleRegionHeartbeat(regionInfoA)
+	re.NoError(err)
+}
+
 func TestGetPutConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	re := require.New(t)
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
@@ -566,7 +610,6 @@ func TestStoreVersionChange(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestConcurrentHandleRegion(t *testing.T) {
 	re := require.New(t)
-	deadlock.Opts.DeadlockTimeout = time.Minute
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	defer cancel()
 	dashboard.SetCheckInterval(30 * time.Minute)