diff --git a/dm/syncer/checkpoint.go b/dm/syncer/checkpoint.go
index b102105bbdf..bb66b39ad5e 100644
--- a/dm/syncer/checkpoint.go
+++ b/dm/syncer/checkpoint.go
@@ -272,12 +272,9 @@ type CheckPoint interface {
 	// corresponding to to Meta.Pos and gtid
 	FlushedGlobalPoint() binlog.Location
 
-	// CheckGlobalPoint checks whether we should save global checkpoint
-	// corresponding to Meta.Check
-	CheckGlobalPoint() bool
-
-	// CheckLastSnapshotCreationTime checks whether we should async flush checkpoint since last time async flush
-	CheckLastSnapshotCreationTime() bool
+	// LastFlushOutdated checks the start time of a flush (when call Snapshot) and finish time of a flush, if both of
+	// the two times are outdated, LastFlushOutdated returns true.
+	LastFlushOutdated() bool
 
 	// GetFlushedTableInfo gets flushed table info
 	// use for lazy create table in schemaTracker
@@ -825,18 +822,18 @@ func (cp *RemoteCheckPoint) String() string {
 	return cp.globalPoint.String()
 }
 
-// CheckGlobalPoint implements CheckPoint.CheckGlobalPoint.
-func (cp *RemoteCheckPoint) CheckGlobalPoint() bool {
+// LastFlushOutdated implements CheckPoint.LastFlushOutdated.
+func (cp *RemoteCheckPoint) LastFlushOutdated() bool {
 	cp.RLock()
 	defer cp.RUnlock()
-	return time.Since(cp.globalPointSaveTime) >= time.Duration(cp.cfg.CheckpointFlushInterval)*time.Second
-}
 
-// CheckLastSnapshotCreationTime implements CheckPoint.CheckLastSnapshotCreationTime.
-func (cp *RemoteCheckPoint) CheckLastSnapshotCreationTime() bool {
-	cp.RLock()
-	defer cp.RUnlock()
-	return time.Since(cp.lastSnapshotCreationTime) >= time.Duration(cp.cfg.CheckpointFlushInterval)*time.Second
+	if time.Since(cp.globalPointSaveTime) < time.Duration(cp.cfg.CheckpointFlushInterval)*time.Second {
+		return false
+	}
+	if time.Since(cp.lastSnapshotCreationTime) < time.Duration(cp.cfg.CheckpointFlushInterval)*time.Second {
+		return false
+	}
+	return true
 }
 
 // Rollback implements CheckPoint.Rollback.
diff --git a/dm/syncer/checkpoint_test.go b/dm/syncer/checkpoint_test.go
index 480b2b0b989..a8293a28354 100644
--- a/dm/syncer/checkpoint_test.go
+++ b/dm/syncer/checkpoint_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/pingcap/tiflow/dm/dm/config"
 	"github.com/pingcap/tiflow/dm/pkg/binlog"
@@ -38,6 +40,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pingcap/log"
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb-tools/pkg/dbutil"
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb-tools/pkg/filter"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"go.uber.org/zap/zapcore"
 )
 
@@ -495,3 +498,23 @@ func (s *testCheckpointSuite) testTableCheckPoint(c *C, cp CheckPoint) {
 	c.Assert(rcp.points[schemaName][tableName].flushedPoint.ti, NotNil)
 	c.Assert(*rcp.safeModeExitPoint, DeepEquals, binlog.InitLocation(pos2, gs))
 }
+
+func TestLastFlushOutdated(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := &config.SubTaskConfig{
+		ServerID:   101,
+		MetaSchema: "test",
+		Name:       "syncer_checkpoint_ut",
+		Flavor:     mysql.MySQLFlavor,
+	}
+	cfg.WorkerCount = 0
+	cfg.CheckpointFlushInterval = 1
+
+	cp := NewRemoteCheckPoint(tcontext.Background(), cfg, "1")
+	checkpoint := cp.(*RemoteCheckPoint)
+	checkpoint.globalPointSaveTime = time.Now().Add(-2 * time.Second)
+
+	require.True(t, checkpoint.LastFlushOutdated())
+	require.Nil(t, checkpoint.Snapshot(true))
+	// though snapshot is nil, checkpoint is not outdated
+	require.False(t, checkpoint.LastFlushOutdated())
+}
diff --git a/dm/syncer/syncer.go b/dm/syncer/syncer.go
index 02f3cc405a1..7d262fb20f4 100644
--- a/dm/syncer/syncer.go
+++ b/dm/syncer/syncer.go
@@ -1046,7 +1046,7 @@ func (s *Syncer) addJob(job *job) error {
 	}
 
 	// Periodically create checkpoint snapshot and async flush checkpoint snapshot
-	if s.checkpoint.CheckGlobalPoint() && s.checkpoint.CheckLastSnapshotCreationTime() {
+	if s.checkpoint.LastFlushOutdated() {
 		jobSeq := s.getFlushSeq()
 		s.jobWg.Add(1)
 		if s.cfg.Experimental.AsyncCheckpointFlush {
@@ -1093,7 +1093,7 @@ func (s *Syncer) resetShardingGroup(table *filter.Table) {
 // and except rejecting to flush the checkpoint, we also need to rollback the checkpoint saved before
 // this should be handled when `s.Run` returned
 //
-// we may need to refactor the concurrency model to make the work-flow more clearer later.
+// we may need to refactor the concurrency model to make the work-flow more clear later.
 func (s *Syncer) flushCheckPoints() error {
 	err := s.execError.Load()
 	// TODO: for now, if any error occurred (including user canceled), checkpoint won't be updated. But if we have put
@@ -2015,7 +2015,7 @@ func (s *Syncer) Run(ctx context.Context) (err error) {
 		case *replication.GenericEvent:
 			if e.Header.EventType == replication.HEARTBEAT_EVENT {
 				// flush checkpoint even if there are no real binlog events
-				if s.checkpoint.CheckGlobalPoint() {
+				if s.checkpoint.LastFlushOutdated() {
 					tctx.L().Info("meet heartbeat event and then flush jobs")
 					err2 = s.flushJobs()
 				}