diff --git a/server/balancer.go b/server/balancer.go
index c5e50cd8cda..d3642bf3670 100644
--- a/server/balancer.go
+++ b/server/balancer.go
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ func (cb *capacityBalancer) Balance(cluster *ClusterInfo) (*BalanceOperator, err
 		return nil, nil
 	}
 
-	leaderTransferOperator := newTransferLeaderOperator(oldLeader, newLeader)
+	leaderTransferOperator := newTransferLeaderOperator(oldLeader, newLeader, maxWaitCount)
 	addPeerOperator := newAddPeerOperator(newPeer)
 	removePeerOperator := newRemovePeerOperator(oldLeader)
 
diff --git a/server/balancer_worker_test.go b/server/balancer_worker_test.go
index 73e0fdc9e6a..65ac87bb626 100644
--- a/server/balancer_worker_test.go
+++ b/server/balancer_worker_test.go
@@ -72,9 +72,31 @@ func (s *testBalancerWorkerSuite) TestBalancerWorker(c *C) {
 	c.Assert(bop.ops, HasLen, 3)
 
 	op1 := bop.ops[0].(*TransferLeaderOperator)
+	c.Assert(op1.maxWaitCount, Equals, maxWaitCount)
 	c.Assert(op1.oldLeader.GetStoreId(), Equals, uint64(1))
 	c.Assert(op1.newLeader.GetStoreId(), Equals, uint64(4))
 
+	// Now we check the maxWaitCount for TransferLeaderOperator.
+	op1.maxWaitCount = 2
+
+	ok, res, err := op1.Do(region, leaderPeer)
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+	c.Assert(ok, IsFalse)
+	c.Assert(res.GetTransferLeader().GetPeer().GetStoreId(), Equals, uint64(4))
+	c.Assert(op1.count, Equals, 1)
+
+	ok, res, err = op1.Do(region, leaderPeer)
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+	c.Assert(ok, IsFalse)
+	c.Assert(res, IsNil)
+	c.Assert(op1.count, Equals, 2)
+
+	ok, res, err = op1.Do(region, leaderPeer)
+	c.Assert(err, NotNil)
+	c.Assert(ok, IsFalse)
+	c.Assert(res, IsNil)
+	c.Assert(op1.count, Equals, 2)
+
 	op2 := bop.ops[1].(*ChangePeerOperator)
 	c.Assert(op2.changePeer.GetChangeType(), Equals, raftpb.ConfChangeType_AddNode)
 	c.Assert(op2.changePeer.GetPeer().GetStoreId(), Equals, uint64(2))
diff --git a/server/operator.go b/server/operator.go
index 0058e28eb52..6b593c3764f 100644
--- a/server/operator.go
+++ b/server/operator.go
@@ -21,6 +21,12 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pingcap/kvproto/pkg/raftpb"
 )
 
+const (
+	// TODO: we can make this as a config flag.
+	// maxWaitCount is the heartbeat count when we check whether the operator is successful.
+	maxWaitCount = 3
+)
+
 // Operator is the interface to do some operations.
 type Operator interface {
 	// Do does the operator, if finished then return true.
@@ -176,14 +182,19 @@ func (co *ChangePeerOperator) Do(region *metapb.Region, leader *metapb.Peer) (bo
 
 // TransferLeaderOperator is used to do leader transfer.
 type TransferLeaderOperator struct {
+	count        int
+	maxWaitCount int
+
 	oldLeader *metapb.Peer
 	newLeader *metapb.Peer
 }
 
-func newTransferLeaderOperator(oldLeader, newLeader *metapb.Peer) *TransferLeaderOperator {
+func newTransferLeaderOperator(oldLeader, newLeader *metapb.Peer, waitCount int) *TransferLeaderOperator {
 	return &TransferLeaderOperator{
-		oldLeader: oldLeader,
-		newLeader: newLeader,
+		oldLeader:    oldLeader,
+		newLeader:    newLeader,
+		count:        0,
+		maxWaitCount: waitCount,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -218,10 +229,21 @@ func (lto *TransferLeaderOperator) Do(region *metapb.Region, leader *metapb.Peer
 		return true, nil, nil
 	}
 
+	// If lto.count is greater than 0, then we should check whether it exceeds the lto.maxWaitCount.
+	if lto.count > 0 {
+		if lto.count >= lto.maxWaitCount {
+			return false, nil, errors.Errorf("transfer leader operator called %d times but still be unsucceessful - %v", lto.count, lto)
+		}
+
+		lto.count++
+		return false, nil, nil
+	}
+
 	res := &pdpb.RegionHeartbeatResponse{
 		TransferLeader: &pdpb.TransferLeader{
 			Peer: lto.newLeader,
 		},
 	}
+	lto.count++
 	return false, res, nil
 }