diff --git a/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/service/persistent/PersistentTopic.java b/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/service/persistent/PersistentTopic.java
index fa08330ff3c353..587609fa84404c 100644
--- a/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/service/persistent/PersistentTopic.java
+++ b/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/service/persistent/PersistentTopic.java
@@ -338,7 +338,38 @@ public CompletableFuture<Void> initialize() {
             if (cursor.getName().startsWith(replicatorPrefix)) {
                 String localCluster = brokerService.pulsar().getConfiguration().getClusterName();
                 String remoteCluster = PersistentReplicator.getRemoteCluster(cursor.getName());
-                futures.add(addReplicationCluster(remoteCluster, cursor, localCluster));
+                final CompletableFuture<Void> future = new CompletableFuture<>();
+                addReplicationCluster(remoteCluster, cursor, localCluster).whenComplete((__, e) -> {
+                    if (e == null) {
+                        future.complete(null);
+                    } else {
+                        Throwable throwable = e;
+                        while (throwable.getCause() != null) {
+                            throwable = throwable.getCause();
+                        }
+                        if (throwable instanceof MetadataStoreException.NotFoundException
+                                && throwable.getMessage().equals(remoteCluster)) {
+                            log.warn("[{}] Remote cluster '{}' is not found while there is a replicator cursor,"
+                                            + " remove cursor '{}'", topic, remoteCluster, cursor.getName());
+                            ledger.asyncDeleteCursor(cursor.getName(), new DeleteCursorCallback() {
+                                @Override
+                                public void deleteCursorComplete(Object ctx) {
+                                    log.info("[{}] Deleted replicator cursor '{}'", topic, cursor.getName());
+                                }
+
+                                @Override
+                                public void deleteCursorFailed(ManagedLedgerException exception, Object ctx) {
+                                    log.error("[{}] Failed to delete the replicator cursor '{}'",
+                                            topic, cursor.getName(), exception);
+                                }
+                            }, null);
+                            future.complete(null);
+                        } else {
+                            future.completeExceptionally(e);
+                        }
+                    }
+                });
+                futures.add(future);
             }
         }
         return FutureUtil.waitForAll(futures).thenCompose(__ ->
diff --git a/pulsar-broker/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/service/persistent/PersistentTopicTest.java b/pulsar-broker/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/service/persistent/PersistentTopicTest.java
index 80a79e0234de43..bea38336293a14 100644
--- a/pulsar-broker/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/service/persistent/PersistentTopicTest.java
+++ b/pulsar-broker/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/service/persistent/PersistentTopicTest.java
@@ -40,15 +40,20 @@
 import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.UUID;
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
 import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
+import java.util.function.Supplier;
 import lombok.Cleanup;
 import org.apache.bookkeeper.client.LedgerHandle;
+import org.apache.bookkeeper.mledger.ManagedCursor;
 import org.apache.bookkeeper.mledger.ManagedLedger;
 import org.apache.pulsar.broker.service.BrokerService;
 import org.apache.pulsar.broker.service.BrokerTestBase;
@@ -57,6 +62,7 @@
 import org.apache.pulsar.client.admin.PulsarAdminException;
 import org.apache.pulsar.client.api.Consumer;
 import org.apache.pulsar.client.api.Message;
+import org.apache.pulsar.client.api.MessageId;
 import org.apache.pulsar.client.api.MessageListener;
 import org.apache.pulsar.client.api.MessageRoutingMode;
 import org.apache.pulsar.client.api.Producer;
@@ -525,4 +531,28 @@ public void testDeleteTopicFail() throws Exception {
         makeDeletedFailed.set(false);
         persistentTopic.delete().get();
     }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testCreateTopicWithZombieReplicatorCursor() throws Exception {
+        final String topicName = "persistent://prop/ns-abc/testCreateTopicWithZombieReplicatorCursor";
+        final String remoteCluster = "remote";
+        admin.topics().createNonPartitionedTopic(topicName);
+        admin.topics().createSubscription(topicName, conf.getReplicatorPrefix() + "." + remoteCluster,
+                MessageId.earliest, true);
+
+        final PersistentTopic topic = (PersistentTopic) pulsar.getBrokerService().getTopic(topicName, false)
+                .get(3, TimeUnit.SECONDS).orElse(null);
+        assertNotNull(topic);
+
+        final Supplier<Set<String>> getCursors = () -> {
+            final Set<String> cursors = new HashSet<>();
+            final Iterable<ManagedCursor> iterable = topic.getManagedLedger().getCursors();
+            iterable.forEach(c -> cursors.add(c.getName()));
+            return cursors;
+        };
+        assertEquals(getCursors.get(), Collections.singleton(conf.getReplicatorPrefix() + "." + remoteCluster));
+        topic.initialize().get(3, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+        Awaitility.await().atMost(3, TimeUnit.SECONDS)
+                .until(() -> !topic.getManagedLedger().getCursors().iterator().hasNext());
+    }
 }