diff --git a/service/history/historyReplicator.go b/service/history/historyReplicator.go
index c2eed0a1907..6b0720a0d2f 100644
--- a/service/history/historyReplicator.go
+++ b/service/history/historyReplicator.go
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ func (r *historyReplicator) ApplyOtherEvents(ctx context.Context, context *workf
 		history := request.GetHistory()
 		lastEvent := history.Events[len(history.Events)-1]
 		now := time.Unix(0, lastEvent.GetTimestamp())
-		return context.updateHelper(nil, nil, nil, false, sourceCluster, lastWriteVersion, transactionID, now)
+		return context.updateHelper(nil, nil, transactionID, now, false, nil, sourceCluster)
 	}
 
 	// Apply the replication task
diff --git a/service/history/workflowExecutionContext.go b/service/history/workflowExecutionContext.go
index 4b1f99ddaf3..ca6b3b4865d 100644
--- a/service/history/workflowExecutionContext.go
+++ b/service/history/workflowExecutionContext.go
@@ -145,9 +145,8 @@ func (c *workflowExecutionContext) replicateWorkflowExecution(request *h.Replica
 	nextEventID := lastEventID + 1
 	c.msBuilder.GetExecutionInfo().NextEventID = nextEventID
 
-	builder := newHistoryBuilderFromEvents(request.History.Events, c.logger)
-	return c.updateHelper(builder, transferTasks, timerTasks, false, request.GetSourceCluster(), request.GetVersion(),
-		transactionID, now)
+	standbyHistoryBuilder := newHistoryBuilderFromEvents(request.History.Events, c.logger)
+	return c.updateHelper(transferTasks, timerTasks, transactionID, now, false, standbyHistoryBuilder, request.GetSourceCluster())
 }
 
 func (c *workflowExecutionContext) updateVersion() error {
@@ -188,12 +187,12 @@ func (c *workflowExecutionContext) updateWorkflowExecution(transferTasks []persi
 	}
 
 	now := time.Now()
-	return c.updateHelper(nil, transferTasks, timerTasks, c.createReplicationTask, "", currentVersion, transactionID, now)
+	return c.updateHelper(transferTasks, timerTasks, transactionID, now, c.createReplicationTask, nil, "")
 }
 
-func (c *workflowExecutionContext) updateHelper(builder *historyBuilder, transferTasks []persistence.Task,
-	timerTasks []persistence.Task, createReplicationTask bool, sourceCluster string, lastWriteVersion int64,
-	transactionID int64, now time.Time) (errRet error) {
+func (c *workflowExecutionContext) updateHelper(transferTasks []persistence.Task, timerTasks []persistence.Task,
+	transactionID int64, now time.Time,
+	createReplicationTask bool, standbyHistoryBuilder *historyBuilder, sourceCluster string) (errRet error) {
 
 	defer func() {
 		if errRet != nil {
@@ -208,40 +207,66 @@ func (c *workflowExecutionContext) updateHelper(builder *historyBuilder, transfe
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// Replicator passes in a custom builder as it already has the events
-	if builder == nil {
-		// If no builder is passed in then use the one as part of the updates
-		builder = updates.newEventsBuilder
-	}
 	executionInfo := c.msBuilder.GetExecutionInfo()
-	hasNewHistoryEvents := len(builder.history) > 0
+
+	// this builder has events generated locally
+	hasNewStandbyHistoryEvents := standbyHistoryBuilder != nil && len(standbyHistoryBuilder.history) > 0
+	activeHistoryBuilder := updates.newEventsBuilder
+	hasNewActiveHistoryEvents := len(activeHistoryBuilder.history) > 0
 
 	// Replication state should only be updated after the UpdateSession is closed.  IDs for certain events are only
 	// generated on CloseSession as they could be buffered events.  The value for NextEventID will be wrong on
 	// mutable state if read before flushing the buffered events.
 	crossDCEnabled := c.msBuilder.GetReplicationState() != nil
-	if crossDCEnabled && hasNewHistoryEvents {
-		lastEventID := c.msBuilder.GetNextEventID() - 1
-		c.msBuilder.UpdateReplicationStateLastEventID(sourceCluster, lastWriteVersion, lastEventID)
+	if crossDCEnabled {
+		// always standby history first
+		if hasNewStandbyHistoryEvents {
+			lastEvent := standbyHistoryBuilder.history[len(standbyHistoryBuilder.history)-1]
+			c.msBuilder.UpdateReplicationStateLastEventID(
+				sourceCluster,
+				lastEvent.GetVersion(),
+				lastEvent.GetEventId(),
+			)
+		}
+
+		if hasNewActiveHistoryEvents {
+			c.msBuilder.UpdateReplicationStateLastEventID(
+				"",
+				c.msBuilder.GetCurrentVersion(),
+				executionInfo.NextEventID,
+			)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// always standby history first
+	if hasNewStandbyHistoryEvents {
+		firstEvent := standbyHistoryBuilder.GetFirstEvent()
+		// Note: standby events has no transient decision events
+		err = c.appendHistoryEvents(standbyHistoryBuilder, standbyHistoryBuilder.history, transactionID)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		executionInfo.LastFirstEventID = firstEvent.GetEventId()
 	}
 
 	// Some operations only update the mutable state. For example RecordActivityTaskHeartbeat.
-	if hasNewHistoryEvents {
-		firstEvent := builder.GetFirstEvent()
+	if hasNewActiveHistoryEvents {
+		firstEvent := activeHistoryBuilder.GetFirstEvent()
 		// Transient decision events need to be written as a separate batch
-		if builder.HasTransientEvents() {
-			err = c.appendHistoryEvents(builder, builder.transientHistory, transactionID)
+		if activeHistoryBuilder.HasTransientEvents() {
+			err = c.appendHistoryEvents(activeHistoryBuilder, activeHistoryBuilder.transientHistory, transactionID)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 		}
 
-		err = c.appendHistoryEvents(builder, builder.history, transactionID)
+		err = c.appendHistoryEvents(activeHistoryBuilder, activeHistoryBuilder.history, transactionID)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		executionInfo.LastFirstEventID = *firstEvent.EventId
+		executionInfo.LastFirstEventID = firstEvent.GetEventId()
 	}
 
 	continueAsNew := updates.continueAsNew
@@ -262,7 +287,7 @@ func (c *workflowExecutionContext) updateHelper(builder *historyBuilder, transfe
 
 	var replicationTasks []persistence.Task
 	// Check if the update resulted in new history events before generating replication task
-	if hasNewHistoryEvents && createReplicationTask {
+	if hasNewActiveHistoryEvents && createReplicationTask {
 		// Let's create a replication task as part of this update
 		replicationTasks = append(replicationTasks, c.msBuilder.CreateReplicationTask())
 	}