diff --git a/client/v3/watch.go b/client/v3/watch.go
index b73925ba128a..da0452774bca 100644
--- a/client/v3/watch.go
+++ b/client/v3/watch.go
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ import (
 	pb "go.etcd.io/etcd/api/v3/etcdserverpb"
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/api/v3/mvccpb"
 	v3rpc "go.etcd.io/etcd/api/v3/v3rpc/rpctypes"
-
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/codes"
@@ -37,6 +36,13 @@ const (
 	EventTypePut    = mvccpb.PUT
 
 	closeSendErrTimeout = 250 * time.Millisecond
+
+	// AutoWatchID is the watcher ID passed in WatchStream.Watch when no
+	// user-provided ID is available. If pass, an ID will automatically be assigned.
+	AutoWatchID = 0
+
+	// InvalidWatchID represents an invalid watch ID and prevents duplication with an existing watch.
+	InvalidWatchID = -1
 )
 
 type Event mvccpb.Event
@@ -450,7 +456,7 @@ func (w *watcher) closeStream(wgs *watchGrpcStream) {
 
 func (w *watchGrpcStream) addSubstream(resp *pb.WatchResponse, ws *watcherStream) {
 	// check watch ID for backward compatibility (<= v3.3)
-	if resp.WatchId == -1 || (resp.Canceled && resp.CancelReason != "") {
+	if resp.WatchId == InvalidWatchID || (resp.Canceled && resp.CancelReason != "") {
 		w.closeErr = v3rpc.Error(errors.New(resp.CancelReason))
 		// failed; no channel
 		close(ws.recvc)
@@ -481,7 +487,7 @@ func (w *watchGrpcStream) closeSubstream(ws *watcherStream) {
 	} else if ws.outc != nil {
 		close(ws.outc)
 	}
-	if ws.id != -1 {
+	if ws.id != InvalidWatchID {
 		delete(w.substreams, ws.id)
 		return
 	}
@@ -543,7 +549,7 @@ func (w *watchGrpcStream) run() {
 				// TODO: pass custom watch ID?
 				ws := &watcherStream{
 					initReq: *wreq,
-					id:      -1,
+					id:      InvalidWatchID,
 					outc:    outc,
 					// unbuffered so resumes won't cause repeat events
 					recvc: make(chan *WatchResponse),
@@ -669,7 +675,7 @@ func (w *watchGrpcStream) run() {
 			if len(w.substreams)+len(w.resuming) == 0 {
 				return
 			}
-			if ws.id != -1 {
+			if ws.id != InvalidWatchID {
 				// client is closing an established watch; close it on the server proactively instead of waiting
 				// to close when the next message arrives
 				cancelSet[ws.id] = struct{}{}
@@ -716,9 +722,9 @@ func (w *watchGrpcStream) dispatchEvent(pbresp *pb.WatchResponse) bool {
 		cancelReason:    pbresp.CancelReason,
 	}
 
-	// watch IDs are zero indexed, so request notify watch responses are assigned a watch ID of -1 to
+	// watch IDs are zero indexed, so request notify watch responses are assigned a watch ID of InvalidWatchID to
 	// indicate they should be broadcast.
-	if wr.IsProgressNotify() && pbresp.WatchId == -1 {
+	if wr.IsProgressNotify() && pbresp.WatchId == InvalidWatchID {
 		return w.broadcastResponse(wr)
 	}
 
@@ -873,7 +879,7 @@ func (w *watchGrpcStream) newWatchClient() (pb.Watch_WatchClient, error) {
 	w.resumec = make(chan struct{})
 	w.joinSubstreams()
 	for _, ws := range w.substreams {
-		ws.id = -1
+		ws.id = InvalidWatchID
 		w.resuming = append(w.resuming, ws)
 	}
 	// strip out nils, if any
diff --git a/server/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/watch.go b/server/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/watch.go
index 1a3cff539f6c..00620fb69676 100644
--- a/server/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/watch.go
+++ b/server/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/watch.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	pb "go.etcd.io/etcd/api/v3/etcdserverpb"
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/api/v3/mvccpb"
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/api/v3/v3rpc/rpctypes"
+	"go.etcd.io/etcd/client/pkg/v3/verify"
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/server/v3/auth"
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/server/v3/etcdserver"
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/server/v3/etcdserver/apply"
@@ -270,7 +271,7 @@ func (sws *serverWatchStream) recvLoop() error {
 			if !sws.isWatchPermitted(creq) {
 				wr := &pb.WatchResponse{
 					Header:       sws.newResponseHeader(sws.watchStream.Rev()),
-					WatchId:      creq.WatchId,
+					WatchId:      int64(mvcc.InvalidWatchID),
 					Canceled:     true,
 					Created:      true,
 					CancelReason: rpctypes.ErrGRPCPermissionDenied.Error(),
@@ -304,7 +305,10 @@ func (sws *serverWatchStream) recvLoop() error {
 					sws.fragment[id] = true
 				}
 				sws.mu.Unlock()
+			} else {
+				id = mvcc.InvalidWatchID
 			}
+
 			wr := &pb.WatchResponse{
 				Header:   sws.newResponseHeader(wsrev),
 				WatchId:  int64(id),
@@ -341,7 +345,7 @@ func (sws *serverWatchStream) recvLoop() error {
 			if uv.ProgressRequest != nil {
 				sws.ctrlStream <- &pb.WatchResponse{
 					Header:  sws.newResponseHeader(sws.watchStream.Rev()),
-					WatchId: -1, // response is not associated with any WatchId and will be broadcast to all watch channels
+					WatchId: int64(mvcc.InvalidWatchID), // response is not associated with any WatchId and will be broadcast to all watch channels
 				}
 			}
 		default:
@@ -465,7 +469,10 @@ func (sws *serverWatchStream) sendLoop() {
 
 			// track id creation
 			wid := mvcc.WatchID(c.WatchId)
-			if c.Canceled {
+
+			verify.Assert((c.Canceled && c.Created) && wid != mvcc.InvalidWatchID, "unexpected watchId: %d, wanted: %d, since both 'Canceled' and 'Created' are true", wid, mvcc.InvalidWatchID)
+
+			if c.Canceled && wid != mvcc.InvalidWatchID {
 				delete(ids, wid)
 				continue
 			}
diff --git a/server/proxy/grpcproxy/watch.go b/server/proxy/grpcproxy/watch.go
index 3ec38d600c3c..43cdba27d07e 100644
--- a/server/proxy/grpcproxy/watch.go
+++ b/server/proxy/grpcproxy/watch.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/api/v3/v3rpc/rpctypes"
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/client/v3"
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/server/v3/etcdserver/api/v3rpc"
+	"go.etcd.io/etcd/server/v3/storage/mvcc"
 
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/codes"
@@ -238,7 +239,7 @@ func (wps *watchProxyStream) recvLoop() error {
 			if err := wps.checkPermissionForWatch(cr.Key, cr.RangeEnd); err != nil {
 				wps.watchCh <- &pb.WatchResponse{
 					Header:       &pb.ResponseHeader{},
-					WatchId:      -1,
+					WatchId:      int64(mvcc.InvalidWatchID),
 					Created:      true,
 					Canceled:     true,
 					CancelReason: err.Error(),
@@ -258,7 +259,7 @@ func (wps *watchProxyStream) recvLoop() error {
 				filters:  v3rpc.FiltersFromRequest(cr),
 			}
 			if !w.wr.valid() {
-				w.post(&pb.WatchResponse{WatchId: -1, Created: true, Canceled: true})
+				w.post(&pb.WatchResponse{WatchId: int64(mvcc.InvalidWatchID), Created: true, Canceled: true})
 				wps.mu.Unlock()
 				continue
 			}
diff --git a/server/storage/mvcc/watcher.go b/server/storage/mvcc/watcher.go
index f48a9ef3b33f..fc415c402665 100644
--- a/server/storage/mvcc/watcher.go
+++ b/server/storage/mvcc/watcher.go
@@ -22,9 +22,14 @@ import (
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/api/v3/mvccpb"
 )
 
-// AutoWatchID is the watcher ID passed in WatchStream.Watch when no
-// user-provided ID is available. If pass, an ID will automatically be assigned.
-const AutoWatchID WatchID = 0
+const (
+	// InvalidWatchID represents an invalid watch ID and prevents duplication with an existing watch.
+	InvalidWatchID WatchID = -1
+
+	// AutoWatchID is the watcher ID passed in WatchStream.Watch when no
+	// user-provided ID is available. If pass, an ID will automatically be assigned.
+	AutoWatchID WatchID = 0
+)
 
 var (
 	ErrWatcherNotExist    = errors.New("mvcc: watcher does not exist")
diff --git a/tests/integration/v3_watch_test.go b/tests/integration/v3_watch_test.go
index 45b62f7acbbc..84c1ff056290 100644
--- a/tests/integration/v3_watch_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/v3_watch_test.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 	pb "go.etcd.io/etcd/api/v3/etcdserverpb"
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/api/v3/mvccpb"
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/server/v3/etcdserver/api/v3rpc"
+	"go.etcd.io/etcd/server/v3/storage/mvcc"
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/tests/v3/framework/integration"
 )
 
@@ -390,8 +391,8 @@ func TestV3WatchWrongRange(t *testing.T) {
 		if cresp.Canceled != tt.canceled {
 			t.Fatalf("#%d: canceled %v, want %v", i, tt.canceled, cresp.Canceled)
 		}
-		if tt.canceled && cresp.WatchId != -1 {
-			t.Fatalf("#%d: canceled watch ID %d, want -1", i, cresp.WatchId)
+		if tt.canceled && cresp.WatchId != int64(mvcc.InvalidWatchID) {
+			t.Fatalf("#%d: canceled watch ID %d, want %d", i, cresp.WatchId, mvcc.InvalidWatchID)
 		}
 	}
 }