diff --git a/kong/clustering/services/sync/rpc.lua b/kong/clustering/services/sync/rpc.lua
index 0b6970e4c2f7..4d67808f74e0 100644
--- a/kong/clustering/services/sync/rpc.lua
+++ b/kong/clustering/services/sync/rpc.lua
@@ -8,14 +8,21 @@ local constants = require("kong.constants")
 local concurrency = require("kong.concurrency")
 local isempty = require("table.isempty")
 local events = require("kong.runloop.events")
+local lrucache = require("resty.lrucache")
 
 
+local EMPTY = require("kong.tools.table").EMPTY
 local insert_entity_for_txn = declarative.insert_entity_for_txn
 local delete_entity_for_txn = declarative.delete_entity_for_txn
 local DECLARATIVE_HASH_KEY = constants.DECLARATIVE_HASH_KEY
 local DECLARATIVE_DEFAULT_WORKSPACE_KEY = constants.DECLARATIVE_DEFAULT_WORKSPACE_KEY
+local DECLARATIVE_EMPTY_CONFIG_HASH = constants.DECLARATIVE_EMPTY_CONFIG_HASH
 local CLUSTERING_SYNC_STATUS = constants.CLUSTERING_SYNC_STATUS
 local SYNC_MUTEX_OPTS = { name = "get_delta", timeout = 0, }
+local encode_base64 = ngx.encode_base64
+local decode_base64 = ngx.decode_base64
+local cjson_encode = require("cjson.safe").encode
+
 
 
 local assert = assert
@@ -25,6 +32,7 @@ local ngx_null = ngx.null
 local ngx_log = ngx.log
 local ngx_ERR = ngx.ERR
 local ngx_INFO = ngx.INFO
+local ngx_NOTICE = ngx.NOTICE
 local ngx_DEBUG = ngx.DEBUG
 
 
@@ -32,9 +40,49 @@ local ngx_DEBUG = ngx.DEBUG
 local FULL_SYNC_THRESHOLD = 512
 
 
-function _M.new(strategy)
+local function decode_pagination_status(pagination_status)
+  if not pagination_status then
+    return nil, nil
+  end
+  
+  -- base64 encoded json
+  local decoded = decode_base64(pagination_status)
+  if not decoded then
+    return nil, "failed to base64 decode pagination status:" .. err
+  end
+
+  decoded, err = cjson_decode(decoded)
+  if not decoded then
+    return nil, "failed to cjson decode pagination status:" .. err
+  end
+
+  return decoded.version, decoded.page_size, decoded.next_page
+end
+
+
+
+local function encode_pagination_status(version, page_size, next_page)
+  local data = {
+    version = version,
+    page_size = page_size,
+    next_page = next_page,
+  }
+
+  local json, err = cjson_encode(data)
+  if not json then
+    return nil, "failed to encode pagination:" .. err
+  end
+  
+  return encode_base64(json)
+end
+
+
+function _M.new(strategy, opts)
+  opts = opts or EMPTY
+
   local self = {
     strategy = strategy,
+    page_size = opts.page_size,
   }
 
   return setmetatable(self, _MT)
@@ -46,20 +94,78 @@ local function inc_sync_result(res)
 end
 
 
-local function full_sync_result()
-  local deltas, err = declarative.export_config_sync()
-  if not deltas then
-    return nil, err
+function _M:full_sync_result(full_sync_status)
+  local target_version, page_size, next_page = decode_pagination_status(full_sync_status)
+
+  -- page_size mean err here
+  if (not target_version) and page_size then
+    return nil, "communication error: " .. page_size
+  end
+
+  -- try fetch from cache
+  local config_deltas
+  if target_version then
+    config_deltas = self.full_sync_cache:get(target_version)
+    -- DP tries to fetch unknown version or cache expired/evicted/missed
+    -- we consider it the first time full sync call
+    if not config_deltas then
+      ngx_log(ngx_NOTICE, "full sync cache miss for version: ", target_version)
+    end 
+  end
+
+  -- first time full sync call, need wipe and begin the full sync session
+  local first_time = not config_deltas
+  if first_time then
+    -- set the target_version for the first time
+    config_deltas, target_version = declarative.export_config_sync()
+    if not config_deltas then
+      return nil, target_version
+    end
+
+    local ok, err = self.full_sync_cache:set(target_version, config_deltas)
+    if not ok then
+      return "failed to cache full sync deltas: " .. err
+    end
+  end
+
+  local begin = next_page or 1
+  page_size = page_size or self.page_size
+  next_page = begin + page_size
+
+  -- at this point,
+  -- config_deltas, target_version, page_size, next_page are all guaranteed to be non-nil
+
+  -- no more deltas. end the session for DP
+  local last_time = next_page > #config_deltas
+
+  -- get the deltas for the current page
+  local deltas, n = {}, 1
+  for i = begin, next_page - 1 do
+    local delta = config_deltas[i]
+    if not delta then
+      break
+    end
+
+    deltas[n] = delta
+    n = n + 1
+  end
+
+  -- TODO: handle new deltas those which happen during the full sync
+
+  local full_sync_status
+  if not last_time then
+    full_sync_status = encode_pagination_status(target_version, page_size, next_page)
   end
 
-  -- wipe dp lmdb, full sync
-  return { default = { deltas = deltas, wipe = true, }, }
+  return { default = { deltas = deltas, wipe = first_time, full_sync_done = last_time, full_sync_status = full_sync_status }, }
 end
 
 
 function _M:init_cp(manager)
   local purge_delay = manager.conf.cluster_data_plane_purge_delay
 
+  self.full_sync_cache = lrucache.new(10)
+
   -- CP
   -- Method: kong.sync.v2.get_delta
   -- Params: versions: list of current versions of the database
@@ -103,7 +209,8 @@ function _M:init_cp(manager)
 
     -- is the node empty? If so, just do a full sync to bring it up to date faster
     if default_namespace_version == 0 or
-       latest_version - default_namespace_version > FULL_SYNC_THRESHOLD
+       latest_version - default_namespace_version > FULL_SYNC_THRESHOLD or
+       default_namespace.full_sync_status
     then
       -- we need to full sync because holes are found
 
@@ -112,7 +219,7 @@ function _M:init_cp(manager)
               ", current_version: ", default_namespace_version,
               ", forcing a full sync")
 
-      return full_sync_result()
+      return self:full_sync_result(default_namespace.full_sync_status)
     end
 
     -- do we need an incremental sync?
@@ -199,14 +306,19 @@ local function is_rpc_ready()
 end
 
 
-local function do_sync()
+local function do_sync(dp_status)
   if not is_rpc_ready() then
     return nil, "rpc is not ready"
   end
 
+  -- when in a partial sync, even if a update notification triggers a sync, it will
+  -- be blocked by the mutex, and it will continue to do the rest of the sync
+  local in_full_sync = dp_status.full_sync_status
+
   local msg = { default =
                  { version =
                    tonumber(declarative.get_current_hash()) or 0,
+                   full_sync_status = in_full_sync,
                  },
                }
 
@@ -217,7 +329,7 @@ local function do_sync()
   end
 
   -- ns_deltas should look like:
-  -- { default = { deltas = { ... }, wipe = true, }, }
+  -- { default = { deltas = { ... }, wipe = true, full_sync_done = false, full_sync_status = ...}, }
 
   local ns_delta = ns_deltas.default
   if not ns_delta then
@@ -231,6 +343,11 @@ local function do_sync()
     return true
   end
 
+  if ns_delta.full_sync_status then
+    -- full sync is in progress
+    in_full_sync = true
+  end
+
   -- we should find the correct default workspace
   -- and replace the old one with it
   local default_ws_changed
@@ -247,9 +364,15 @@ local function do_sync()
 
   local t = txn.begin(512)
 
+  -- begining of the full sync session, wipe the lmdb and purge the cache
   local wipe = ns_delta.wipe
   if wipe then
     t:db_drop(false)
+    kong.core_cache:purge()
+    kong.cache:purge()
+    -- we are at a unready state
+    -- consider the config empty
+    t:set(DECLARATIVE_HASH_KEY, DECLARATIVE_EMPTY_CONFIG_HASH)
   end
 
   local db = kong.db
@@ -298,8 +421,8 @@ local function do_sync()
               ", version: ", delta_version,
               ", type: ", delta_type)
 
-      -- wipe the whole lmdb, should not have events
-      if not wipe then
+      -- during the full sync, should not emit events
+      if not in_full_sync then
         ev = { delta_type, old_entity and "update" or "create", delta_entity, old_entity, }
       end
 
@@ -310,8 +433,8 @@ local function do_sync()
         return nil, err
       end
 
-      -- If we will wipe lmdb, we don't need to delete it from lmdb.
-      if old_entity and not wipe then
+      -- during the full sync, should not emit events
+      if old_entity and not in_full_sync then
         local res, err = delete_entity_for_txn(t, delta_type, old_entity, opts)
         if not res then
           return nil, err
@@ -323,14 +446,14 @@ local function do_sync()
               ", version: ", delta_version,
               ", type: ", delta_type)
 
-      -- wipe the whole lmdb, should not have events
-      if not wipe then
+      -- delete the entity, opts for getting correct lmdb key
+      if not in_full_sync then
         ev = { delta_type, "delete", old_entity, }
       end
     end -- if delta_entity ~= nil and delta_entity ~= ngx_null
 
-    -- wipe the whole lmdb, should not have events
-    if not wipe then
+    -- during the full sync, should not emit events
+    if not in_full_sync then
       crud_events_n = crud_events_n + 1
       crud_events[crud_events_n] = ev
     end
@@ -343,9 +466,12 @@ local function do_sync()
     end
   end -- for _, delta
 
-  -- store current sync version
-  t:set(DECLARATIVE_HASH_KEY, fmt("%032d", version))
-
+  -- only update the sync version if not in full sync/ full sync done
+  if (not in_full_sync) or ns_delta.full_sync_done then
+    -- store current sync version
+    t:set(DECLARATIVE_HASH_KEY, fmt("%032d", version))
+  end
+  
   -- store the correct default workspace uuid
   if default_ws_changed then
     t:set(DECLARATIVE_DEFAULT_WORKSPACE_KEY, kong.default_workspace)
@@ -356,32 +482,32 @@ local function do_sync()
     return nil, err
   end
 
-  if wipe then
-    kong.core_cache:purge()
-    kong.cache:purge()
+  dp_status.full_sync_status = ns_delta.full_sync_status
 
+  -- the full sync is done
+  if ns_delta.full_sync_done then
     -- Trigger other workers' callbacks like reconfigure_handler.
     --
     -- Full sync could rebuild route, plugins and balancer route, so their
     -- hashes are nil.
+    -- Until this point, the dataplane is not ready to serve requests or to
+    -- do delta syncs.
     local reconfigure_data = { kong.default_workspace, nil, nil, nil, }
-    local ok, err = events.declarative_reconfigure_notify(reconfigure_data)
-    if not ok then
-      return nil, err
-    end
+    return events.declarative_reconfigure_notify(reconfigure_data)
+  end
 
-  else
-    for _, event in ipairs(crud_events) do
-      -- delta_type, crud_event_type, delta.entity, old_entity
-      db[event[1]]:post_crud_event(event[2], event[3], event[4])
-    end
+  -- emit the CRUD events
+  -- if in_full_sync, no events should be added into the queue
+  for _, event in ipairs(crud_events) do
+    -- delta_type, crud_event_type, delta.entity, old_entity
+    db[event[1]]:post_crud_event(event[2], event[3], event[4])
   end
 
   return true
 end
 
 
-local function sync_handler(premature)
+local function sync_handler(premature, dp_status)
   if premature then
     return
   end
@@ -391,7 +517,7 @@ local function sync_handler(premature)
     -- to CP quickly after sync. (`kong.sync.v2.get_delta` is used for both pulling delta
     -- as well as status reporting)
     for _ = 1, 2 do
-      local ok, err = do_sync()
+      local ok, err = do_sync(dp_status)
       if not ok then
         return nil, err
       end
@@ -402,11 +528,17 @@ local function sync_handler(premature)
   if not res and err ~= "timeout" then
     ngx_log(ngx_ERR, "unable to create worker mutex and sync: ", err)
   end
+
+  if dp_status.full_sync_status then
+    -- full sync is in progress
+    -- continue to sync
+    return _M:sync_once()
+  end
 end
 
 
-local function start_sync_timer(timer_func, delay)
-  local hdl, err = timer_func(delay, sync_handler)
+local function start_sync_timer(timer_func, delay, dp_status)
+  local hdl, err = timer_func(delay, sync_handler, dp_status)
 
   if not hdl then
     return nil, err
@@ -417,12 +549,12 @@ end
 
 
 function _M:sync_once(delay)
-  return start_sync_timer(ngx.timer.at, delay or 0)
+  return start_sync_timer(ngx.timer.at, delay or 0, self)
 end
 
 
 function _M:sync_every(delay)
-  return start_sync_timer(ngx.timer.every, delay)
+  return start_sync_timer(ngx.timer.every, delay, self)
 end
 
 
diff --git a/kong/db/declarative/export.lua b/kong/db/declarative/export.lua
index 9dbe994a42c7..47b13ef78729 100644
--- a/kong/db/declarative/export.lua
+++ b/kong/db/declarative/export.lua
@@ -134,15 +134,16 @@ local function export_from_db_impl(emitter, skip_ws, skip_disabled_entities, exp
     return nil, err
   end
 
-  local sync_version
+  local sync_version = get_latest_version()
+  local meta_sync_version
   if emitter.want_sync_version then
-    sync_version = get_latest_version()
+    meta_sync_version = sync_version
   end
 
   emitter:emit_toplevel({
     _format_version = "3.0",
     _transform = false,
-    _sync_version = sync_version, -- only used by sync emitter, DP doesn't care about this
+    _sync_version = meta_sync_version, -- only used by sync emitter, DP doesn't care about this
   })
 
   local disabled_services = {}
@@ -210,7 +211,7 @@ local function export_from_db_impl(emitter, skip_ws, skip_disabled_entities, exp
 
   end_transaction(db)
 
-  return emitter:done()
+  return emitter:done(), sync_version
 end