diff --git a/dm/dm/master/openapi_controller.go b/dm/dm/master/openapi_controller.go
index 500b591048f..4b43c6b5a0c 100644
--- a/dm/dm/master/openapi_controller.go
+++ b/dm/dm/master/openapi_controller.go
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/pingcap/log"
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
 
 	"github.com/pingcap/tiflow/dm/checker"
 	dmcommon "github.com/pingcap/tiflow/dm/dm/common"
@@ -445,14 +449,29 @@ func (s *Server) deleteTask(ctx context.Context, taskName string, force bool) er
 	}
 	defer release()
 
+	ignoreCannotConnectError := func(err error) bool {
+		if err == nil {
+			return true
+		}
+		if force && strings.Contains(err.Error(), "connect: connection refused") {
+			log.L().Warn("connect downstream error when fore delete task", zap.Error(err))
+			return true
+		}
+		return false
+	}
+
 	toDBCfg := config.GetTargetDBCfgFromOpenAPITask(task)
 	if adjustErr := adjustTargetDB(ctx, toDBCfg); adjustErr != nil {
-		return adjustErr
+		if !ignoreCannotConnectError(adjustErr) {
+			return adjustErr
+		}
 	}
 	metaSchema := *task.MetaSchema
 	err = s.removeMetaData(ctx, taskName, metaSchema, toDBCfg)
 	if err != nil {
-		return terror.Annotate(err, "while removing metadata")
+		if !ignoreCannotConnectError(err) {
+			return terror.Annotate(err, "while removing metadata")
+		}
 	}
 	release()
 	sourceNameList := s.getTaskSourceNameList(taskName)
diff --git a/dm/tests/_utils/test_prepare b/dm/tests/_utils/test_prepare
index b4ea29bf170..dfcd0075483 100644
--- a/dm/tests/_utils/test_prepare
+++ b/dm/tests/_utils/test_prepare
@@ -35,6 +35,14 @@ function cleanup_process() {
     wait_process_exit dm-syncer.test
 }
 
+function cleanup_tidb_server(){
+    tidb_server_num=$(ps aux >temp && grep "tidb-server" temp | wc -l && rm temp)
+    echo "tidb_server_num tidb-server alive"
+    pkill -hup tidb-server 2>/dev/null || true
+
+    wait_process_exit tidb-server
+}
+
 function wait_pattern_exit() {
     pattern=$1
     while true
diff --git a/dm/tests/openapi/run.sh b/dm/tests/openapi/run.sh
index 97fd9fc705b..8dece3028bf 100644
--- a/dm/tests/openapi/run.sh
+++ b/dm/tests/openapi/run.sh
@@ -598,6 +598,42 @@ function test_task_with_ignore_check_items() {
 	echo ">>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>TEST OPENAPI: TEST TASK WITH IGNORE CHECK ITEMS SUCCESS"
 }
 
+function test_delete_task_with_stopped_downstream() {
+	echo ">>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>START TEST OPENAPI: DELETE TASK WITH STOPPED DOWNSTREAM"
+	prepare_database
+
+	task_name="test-no-shard"
+	target_table_name="" # empty means no route
+
+	# create source successfully
+	openapi_source_check "create_source1_success"
+	# create source successfully
+	openapi_source_check "create_source2_success"
+	# get source list success
+	openapi_source_check "list_source_success" 2
+	# create no shard task success
+	openapi_task_check "create_noshard_task_success" $task_name $target_table_name
+	run_dm_ctl_with_retry $WORK_DIR "127.0.0.1:$MASTER_PORT" \
+		"query-status $task_name" \
+		"\"stage\": \"Stopped\"" 2
+
+	# stop downstream
+	cleanup_tidb_server
+
+	# delete task failed because downstream is stopped.
+	openapi_task_check "delete_task_failed" "$task_name"
+
+	# delete task success with force
+	openapi_task_check "delete_task_with_force_success" "$task_name"
+	openapi_task_check "get_task_list" 0
+
+	# restart downstream
+	run_tidb_server 4000 $TIDB_PASSWORD
+	sleep 2
+	clean_cluster_sources_and_tasks
+	echo ">>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>TEST OPENAPI: DELETE TASK WITH STOPPED DOWNSTREAM SUCCESS"
+}
+
 function test_cluster() {
 	# list master and worker node
 	openapi_cluster_check "list_master_success" 2
@@ -642,6 +678,7 @@ function run() {
 	test_noshard_task_dump_status
 	test_complex_operations_of_source_and_task
 	test_task_with_ignore_check_items
+	test_delete_task_with_stopped_downstream
 
 	# NOTE: this test case MUST running at last, because it will offline some members of cluster
 	test_cluster