diff --git a/pkg/controller/periodicity/periodicity_controller.go b/pkg/controller/periodicity/periodicity_controller.go
index a42a29383e..2d3a8079a2 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/periodicity/periodicity_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/periodicity/periodicity_controller.go
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 package periodicity
 
 import (
-	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb-operator/pkg/apis/pingcap/v1alpha1"
@@ -31,8 +30,10 @@ import (
 	v1alpha1listers "github.com/pingcap/tidb-operator/pkg/client/listers/pingcap/v1alpha1"
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb-operator/pkg/controller"
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb-operator/pkg/label"
+	"github.com/pingcap/tidb-operator/pkg/util"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/errors"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
 	kubeinformers "k8s.io/client-go/informers"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes"
 	eventv1 "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/typed/core/v1"
@@ -97,21 +98,18 @@ func (c *Controller) syncStatefulSetTimeStamp() error {
 	for _, sts := range stsList {
 		// If there is any error during our sts annotation updating, we just collect the error
 		// and continue to next sts
-		if sts.Annotations == nil {
-			sts.Annotations = map[string]string{}
-		}
-		if sts.Labels == nil {
-			sts.Labels = map[string]string{}
-		}
-		tcName, ok := sts.Labels[label.InstanceLabelKey]
+		ok, tcRef := util.IsOwnedByTidbCluster(sts)
 		if !ok {
 			continue
 		}
-		tc, err := c.tcLister.TidbClusters(sts.Namespace).Get(tcName)
+		tc, err := c.tcLister.TidbClusters(sts.Namespace).Get(tcRef.Name)
 		if err != nil {
 			errs = append(errs, err)
 			continue
 		}
+		if sts.Annotations == nil {
+			sts.Annotations = map[string]string{}
+		}
 		sts.Annotations[label.AnnStsLastSyncTimestamp] = time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339)
 		newSts, err := c.statefulSetControl.UpdateStatefulSet(tc, sts)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/upgrader/upgrader.go b/pkg/upgrader/upgrader.go
index b59bec2ddb..89ea06e697 100644
--- a/pkg/upgrader/upgrader.go
+++ b/pkg/upgrader/upgrader.go
@@ -23,11 +23,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb-operator/pkg/client/clientset/versioned"
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb-operator/pkg/features"
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb-operator/pkg/label"
+	"github.com/pingcap/tidb-operator/pkg/util"
 	utildiscovery "github.com/pingcap/tidb-operator/pkg/util/discovery"
 	appsv1 "k8s.io/api/apps/v1"
 	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
-	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes"
 	"k8s.io/klog"
 )
@@ -56,20 +56,6 @@ type upgrader struct {
 
 var _ Interface = &upgrader{}
 
-// isOwnedByTidbCluster checks if the given object is owned by TidbCluster.
-// Schema Kind and Group are checked, Version is ignored.
-func isOwnedByTidbCluster(obj metav1.Object) (bool, *metav1.OwnerReference) {
-	ref := metav1.GetControllerOf(obj)
-	if ref == nil {
-		return false, nil
-	}
-	gv, err := schema.ParseGroupVersion(ref.APIVersion)
-	if err != nil {
-		return false, nil
-	}
-	return ref.Kind == v1alpha1.TiDBClusterKind && gv.Group == v1alpha1.SchemeGroupVersion.Group, ref
-}
-
 func (u *upgrader) Upgrade() error {
 	if features.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.AdvancedStatefulSet) {
 		klog.Infof("Upgrader: migrating Kubernetes StatefulSets to Advanced StatefulSets")
@@ -80,7 +66,7 @@ func (u *upgrader) Upgrade() error {
 		stsToMigrate := make([]appsv1.StatefulSet, 0)
 		tidbClusters := make([]*v1alpha1.TidbCluster, 0)
 		for _, sts := range stsList.Items {
-			if ok, tcRef := isOwnedByTidbCluster(&sts); ok {
+			if ok, tcRef := util.IsOwnedByTidbCluster(&sts); ok {
 				stsToMigrate = append(stsToMigrate, sts)
 				tc, err := u.cli.PingcapV1alpha1().TidbClusters(sts.Namespace).Get(tcRef.Name, metav1.GetOptions{})
 				if err != nil && !apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
@@ -130,7 +116,7 @@ func (u *upgrader) Upgrade() error {
 		}
 		stsToMigrate := make([]asappsv1.StatefulSet, 0)
 		for _, sts := range stsList.Items {
-			if ok, _ := isOwnedByTidbCluster(&sts); ok {
+			if ok, _ := util.IsOwnedByTidbCluster(&sts); ok {
 				stsToMigrate = append(stsToMigrate, sts)
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/upgrader/upgrader_test.go b/pkg/upgrader/upgrader_test.go
index 91b3625cb0..aedf4e4830 100644
--- a/pkg/upgrader/upgrader_test.go
+++ b/pkg/upgrader/upgrader_test.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	versionedfake "github.com/pingcap/tidb-operator/pkg/client/clientset/versioned/fake"
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb-operator/pkg/features"
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb-operator/pkg/label"
+	"github.com/pingcap/tidb-operator/pkg/util"
 	appsv1 "k8s.io/api/apps/v1"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/fake"
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ func TestIsOwnedByTidbCluster(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			ok, _ := isOwnedByTidbCluster(&tt.sts)
+			ok, _ := util.IsOwnedByTidbCluster(&tt.sts)
 			if tt.wantOK != ok {
 				t.Errorf("got %v, want %v", ok, tt.wantOK)
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/util/util.go b/pkg/util/util.go
index 9d45d44c75..f518be3978 100644
--- a/pkg/util/util.go
+++ b/pkg/util/util.go
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb-operator/pkg/label"
 	appsv1 "k8s.io/api/apps/v1"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets"
 )
 
@@ -210,3 +212,17 @@ func AppendEnv(a []corev1.EnvVar, b []corev1.EnvVar) []corev1.EnvVar {
 	}
 	return a
 }
+
+// IsOwnedByTidbCluster checks if the given object is owned by TidbCluster.
+// Schema Kind and Group are checked, Version is ignored.
+func IsOwnedByTidbCluster(obj metav1.Object) (bool, *metav1.OwnerReference) {
+	ref := metav1.GetControllerOf(obj)
+	if ref == nil {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+	gv, err := schema.ParseGroupVersion(ref.APIVersion)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+	return ref.Kind == v1alpha1.TiDBClusterKind && gv.Group == v1alpha1.SchemeGroupVersion.Group, ref
+}