diff --git a/tools/functional-tester/etcd-tester/checks.go b/tools/functional-tester/etcd-tester/checks.go
index 7dea1101dc8..b4407dbb190 100644
--- a/tools/functional-tester/etcd-tester/checks.go
+++ b/tools/functional-tester/etcd-tester/checks.go
@@ -171,8 +171,10 @@ func (lc *leaseChecker) checkInvariant(lStresser Stresser) error {
 	if err := checkLeasesExpired(ls); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	ls.revokedLeases = &atomicLeases{leases: make(map[int64]time.Time)}
-	return checkLeasesAlive(ls)
+	if err := checkLeasesAlive(ls); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return checkShortLivedLeases(ls)
 }
 
 func checkLeasesExpired(ls *leaseStresser) error {
@@ -185,6 +187,12 @@ func checkLeasesAlive(ls *leaseStresser) error {
 	return checkLeases(false, ls, ls.aliveLeases.getLeasesMap())
 }
 
+// checkShortLivedLeases() verifies that the short lived leases are indeed being deleted.
+func checkShortLivedLeases(ls *leaseStresser) error {
+	plog.Infof("short lived leases %v", ls.shortLivedLeases.getLeasesMap())
+	return checkLeases(true, ls, ls.shortLivedLeases.getLeasesMap())
+}
+
 func checkLeases(expired bool, ls *leaseStresser, leases map[int64]time.Time) error {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), leaseCheckerTimeout)
 	defer cancel()
diff --git a/tools/functional-tester/etcd-tester/lease_stresser.go b/tools/functional-tester/etcd-tester/lease_stresser.go
index 0107340af7f..9538c72c2f2 100644
--- a/tools/functional-tester/etcd-tester/lease_stresser.go
+++ b/tools/functional-tester/etcd-tester/lease_stresser.go
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ import (
 
 const (
 	// time to live for lease
-	TTL = 120
+	TTL      = 120
+	TTLShort = 2
 	// leasesStressRoundPs indicates the rate that leaseStresser.run() creates and deletes leases per second
 	leasesStressRoundPs = 1
 )
@@ -56,8 +57,9 @@ type leaseStresser struct {
 	numLeases    int
 	keysPerLease int
 
-	aliveLeases   *atomicLeases
-	revokedLeases *atomicLeases
+	aliveLeases      *atomicLeases
+	revokedLeases    *atomicLeases
+	shortLivedLeases *atomicLeases
 
 	runWg   sync.WaitGroup
 	aliveWg sync.WaitGroup
@@ -158,7 +160,7 @@ func (ls *leaseStresser) setupOnce() error {
 	ls.lc = pb.NewLeaseClient(conn)
 
 	ls.aliveLeases = &atomicLeases{leases: make(map[int64]time.Time)}
-	ls.revokedLeases = &atomicLeases{leases: make(map[int64]time.Time)}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -167,6 +169,8 @@ func (ls *leaseStresser) Stress() error {
 	if err := ls.setupOnce(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	ls.revokedLeases = &atomicLeases{leases: make(map[int64]time.Time)}
+	ls.shortLivedLeases = &atomicLeases{leases: make(map[int64]time.Time)}
 
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	ls.cancel = cancel
@@ -203,24 +207,22 @@ func (ls *leaseStresser) restartKeepAlives() {
 }
 
 func (ls *leaseStresser) createLeases() {
+	ls.createAliveLeases()
+	ls.createShortLivedLeases()
+}
+
+func (ls *leaseStresser) createAliveLeases() {
 	neededLeases := ls.numLeases - len(ls.aliveLeases.getLeasesMap())
 	var wg sync.WaitGroup
 	for i := 0; i < neededLeases; i++ {
 		wg.Add(1)
 		go func() {
 			defer wg.Done()
-			leaseID, err := ls.createLease()
+			leaseID, err := ls.createLeaseWithKeys(TTL)
 			if err != nil {
 				plog.Debugf("lease creation error: (%v)", err)
 				return
 			}
-			plog.Debugf("lease %v created", leaseID)
-			// if attaching keys to the lease encountered an error, we don't add the lease to the aliveLeases map
-			// because invariant check on the lease will fail due to keys not found
-			if err := ls.attachKeysWithLease(leaseID); err != nil {
-				plog.Debugf("unable to attach keys to lease %d error (%v)", leaseID, err)
-				return
-			}
 			ls.aliveLeases.add(leaseID, time.Now())
 			// keep track of all the keep lease alive go routines
 			ls.aliveWg.Add(1)
@@ -230,6 +232,38 @@ func (ls *leaseStresser) createLeases() {
 	wg.Wait()
 }
 
+func (ls *leaseStresser) createShortLivedLeases() {
+	// one round of createLeases() might not create all the short lived leases we want due to falures.
+	// thus, we want to create remaining short lived leases in the future round.
+	neededLeases := ls.numLeases - len(ls.shortLivedLeases.getLeasesMap())
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	for i := 0; i < neededLeases; i++ {
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func() {
+			defer wg.Done()
+			leaseID, err := ls.createLeaseWithKeys(TTLShort)
+			if err != nil {
+				return
+			}
+			ls.shortLivedLeases.add(leaseID, time.Now())
+		}()
+	}
+	wg.Wait()
+}
+
+func (ls *leaseStresser) createLeaseWithKeys(ttl int64) (int64, error) {
+	leaseID, err := ls.createLease(ttl)
+	if err != nil {
+		plog.Debugf("lease creation error: (%v)", err)
+		return -1, err
+	}
+	plog.Debugf("lease %v created ", leaseID)
+	if err := ls.attachKeysWithLease(leaseID); err != nil {
+		return -1, err
+	}
+	return leaseID, nil
+}
+
 func (ls *leaseStresser) randomlyDropLeases() {
 	var wg sync.WaitGroup
 	for l := range ls.aliveLeases.getLeasesMap() {
@@ -285,8 +319,8 @@ func (ls *leaseStresser) hasKeysAttachedToLeaseExpired(ctx context.Context, leas
 	return len(resp.Kvs) == 0, nil
 }
 
-func (ls *leaseStresser) createLease() (int64, error) {
-	resp, err := ls.lc.LeaseGrant(ls.ctx, &pb.LeaseGrantRequest{TTL: TTL})
+func (ls *leaseStresser) createLease(ttl int64) (int64, error) {
+	resp, err := ls.lc.LeaseGrant(ls.ctx, &pb.LeaseGrantRequest{TTL: ttl})
 	if err != nil {
 		return -1, err
 	}
@@ -394,6 +428,9 @@ func (ls *leaseStresser) Cancel() {
 	ls.cancel()
 	ls.runWg.Wait()
 	ls.aliveWg.Wait()
+	// we sleep for TTLShort seconds to make sure leases in shortLivedLeases are expired
+	// leaseChecker will then verify that those leases are indeed expired
+	time.Sleep(TTLShort * time.Second)
 	plog.Infof("lease stresser %q is canceled", ls.endpoint)
 }