diff --git a/server/tso/tso.go b/server/tso/tso.go
index 2cf2e559f0a..578bab1f2b6 100644
--- a/server/tso/tso.go
+++ b/server/tso/tso.go
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ type TimestampOracle struct {
 	// For tso, set after pd becomes leader.
 	ts            unsafe.Pointer
 	lastSavedTime atomic.Value
-	lease         *member.LeaderLease
+
+	lease *member.LeaderLease
 
 	rootPath      string
 	member        string
@@ -255,7 +256,7 @@ func (t *TimestampOracle) ResetTimestamp() {
 	atomic.StorePointer(&t.ts, unsafe.Pointer(zero))
 }
 
-var maxRetryCount = 100
+var maxRetryCount = 10
 
 // GetRespTS is used to get a timestamp.
 func (t *TimestampOracle) GetRespTS(count uint32) (pdpb.Timestamp, error) {
@@ -272,9 +273,7 @@ func (t *TimestampOracle) GetRespTS(count uint32) (pdpb.Timestamp, error) {
 	for i := 0; i < maxRetryCount; i++ {
 		current := (*atomicObject)(atomic.LoadPointer(&t.ts))
 		if current == nil || current.physical == typeutil.ZeroTime {
-			log.Error("we haven't synced timestamp ok, wait and retry", zap.Int("retry-count", i))
-			time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond)
-			continue
+			return pdpb.Timestamp{}, errors.New("can not get timestamp, may be not leader")
 		}
 
 		resp.Physical = current.physical.UnixNano() / int64(time.Millisecond)
@@ -287,6 +286,7 @@ func (t *TimestampOracle) GetRespTS(count uint32) (pdpb.Timestamp, error) {
 			time.Sleep(UpdateTimestampStep)
 			continue
 		}
+		// In case lease expired after the first check.
 		if t.lease == nil || t.lease.IsExpired() {
 			return pdpb.Timestamp{}, errors.New("alloc timestamp failed, lease expired")
 		}
diff --git a/tests/server/tso/tso_test.go b/tests/server/tso/tso_test.go
index 974f198950c..4fec5331ffd 100644
--- a/tests/server/tso/tso_test.go
+++ b/tests/server/tso/tso_test.go
@@ -170,6 +170,46 @@ func (s *testTsoSuite) TestTsoCount0(c *C) {
 	c.Assert(err, NotNil)
 }
 
+func (s *testTsoSuite) TestRequestFollower(c *C) {
+	cluster, err := tests.NewTestCluster(s.ctx, 2)
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+	defer cluster.Destroy()
+
+	err = cluster.RunInitialServers()
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+	cluster.WaitLeader()
+
+	var followerServer *tests.TestServer
+	for _, s := range cluster.GetServers() {
+		if s.GetConfig().Name != cluster.GetLeader() {
+			followerServer = s
+		}
+	}
+	c.Assert(followerServer, NotNil)
+
+	grpcPDClient := testutil.MustNewGrpcClient(c, followerServer.GetAddr())
+	clusterID := followerServer.GetClusterID()
+	req := &pdpb.TsoRequest{
+		Header: testutil.NewRequestHeader(clusterID),
+		Count:  1,
+	}
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+	tsoClient, err := grpcPDClient.Tso(ctx)
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+	defer tsoClient.CloseSend()
+
+	start := time.Now()
+	err = tsoClient.Send(req)
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+	_, err = tsoClient.Recv()
+	c.Assert(err, NotNil)
+
+	// Requesting follower should fail fast, or the unavailable time will be
+	// too long.
+	c.Assert(time.Since(start), Less, time.Second)
+}
+
 var _ = Suite(&testTimeFallBackSuite{})
 
 type testTimeFallBackSuite struct {