diff --git a/pkg/cluster/operation/scale_in.go b/pkg/cluster/operation/scale_in.go
index 4d27f769b6..ef8135b2d4 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/operation/scale_in.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/operation/scale_in.go
@@ -263,6 +263,7 @@ func ScaleInCluster(
 	cdcInstances := make([]spec.Instance, 0)
 	// Delete member from cluster
 	for _, component := range cluster.ComponentsByStartOrder() {
+		deferInstances := make([]spec.Instance, 0)
 		for _, instance := range component.Instances() {
 			if !deletedNodes.Exist(instance.ID()) {
 				continue
@@ -274,6 +275,46 @@ func ScaleInCluster(
 				continue
 			}
 
+			if component.Role() == spec.ComponentPD {
+				// defer PD leader to be scale-in after others
+				isLeader, err := instance.(*spec.PDInstance).IsLeader(ctx, cluster, int(options.APITimeout), tlsCfg)
+				if err != nil {
+					logger.Warnf("cannot found pd leader, ignore: %s", err)
+					return err
+				}
+				if isLeader {
+					deferInstances = append(deferInstances, instance)
+					logger.Debugf("Deferred scale-in of PD leader %s", instance.ID())
+					continue
+				}
+			}
+
+			err := deleteMember(ctx, component, instance, pdClient, binlogClient, options.APITimeout)
+			if err != nil {
+				return errors.Trace(err)
+			}
+
+			if !asyncOfflineComps.Exist(instance.ComponentName()) {
+				instCount[instance.GetHost()]--
+				if err := StopAndDestroyInstance(ctx, cluster, instance, options, false, instCount[instance.GetHost()] == 0, tlsCfg); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+			} else {
+				logger.Warnf(color.YellowString("The component `%s` will become tombstone, maybe exists in several minutes or hours, after that you can use the prune command to clean it",
+					component.Name()))
+			}
+		}
+
+		// process deferred instances
+		for _, instance := range deferInstances {
+			// actually, it must be the pd leader at the moment, so the `PreRestart` always triggered.
+			rollingInstance, ok := instance.(spec.RollingUpdateInstance)
+			if ok {
+				if err := rollingInstance.PreRestart(ctx, cluster, int(options.APITimeout), tlsCfg); err != nil {
+					return errors.Trace(err)
+				}
+			}
+
 			err := deleteMember(ctx, component, instance, pdClient, binlogClient, options.APITimeout)
 			if err != nil {
 				return errors.Trace(err)
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/operation/upgrade.go b/pkg/cluster/operation/upgrade.go
index c9e20b906f..02775d4cf0 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/operation/upgrade.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/operation/upgrade.go
@@ -175,7 +175,13 @@ func Upgrade(
 	return RestartMonitored(ctx, uniqueHosts.Slice(), noAgentHosts, topo.GetMonitoredOptions(), options.OptTimeout)
 }
 
-func upgradeInstance(ctx context.Context, topo spec.Topology, instance spec.Instance, options Options, tlsCfg *tls.Config) (err error) {
+func upgradeInstance(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	topo spec.Topology,
+	instance spec.Instance,
+	options Options,
+	tlsCfg *tls.Config,
+) (err error) {
 	// insert checkpoint
 	point := checkpoint.Acquire(ctx, upgradePoint, map[string]interface{}{"instance": instance.ID()})
 	defer func() {
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/spec/cdc.go b/pkg/cluster/spec/cdc.go
index 71750d232a..ac08d6e841 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/spec/cdc.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/spec/cdc.go
@@ -241,14 +241,7 @@ func (i *CDCInstance) PreRestart(ctx context.Context, topo Topology, apiTimeoutS
 	client := api.NewCDCOpenAPIClient(ctx, []string{address}, 5*time.Second, tlsCfg)
 	captures, err := client.GetAllCaptures()
 	if err != nil {
-		logger.Warnf("cdc pre-restart skipped, cannot get all captures, trigger hard restart, addr: %s, elapsed: %+v", address, time.Since(start))
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	// this may happen all other captures crashed, only this one alive,
-	// no need to drain the capture, just return it to trigger hard restart.
-	if len(captures) <= 1 {
-		logger.Debugf("cdc pre-restart finished, only one alive capture found, trigger hard restart, addr: %s, elapsed: %+v", address, time.Since(start))
+		logger.Debugf("cdc pre-restart skipped, cannot get all captures, trigger hard restart, addr: %s, elapsed: %+v", address, time.Since(start))
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -257,7 +250,6 @@ func (i *CDCInstance) PreRestart(ctx context.Context, topo Topology, apiTimeoutS
 		found     bool
 		isOwner   bool
 	)
-
 	for _, capture := range captures {
 		if address == capture.AdvertiseAddr {
 			found = true