diff --git a/br/pkg/streamhelper/BUILD.bazel b/br/pkg/streamhelper/BUILD.bazel
index c18b015e596ea..3c281563439de 100644
--- a/br/pkg/streamhelper/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/br/pkg/streamhelper/BUILD.bazel
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ go_test(
         "//br/pkg/logutil",
         "//br/pkg/redact",
         "//br/pkg/storage",
+        "//br/pkg/streamhelper/config",
         "//br/pkg/streamhelper/spans",
         "//br/pkg/utils",
         "//kv",
diff --git a/br/pkg/streamhelper/advancer.go b/br/pkg/streamhelper/advancer.go
index 0e28a150cc157..407134bc6027a 100644
--- a/br/pkg/streamhelper/advancer.go
+++ b/br/pkg/streamhelper/advancer.go
@@ -382,15 +382,17 @@ func (c *CheckpointAdvancer) tick(ctx context.Context) error {
 		log.Debug("No tasks yet, skipping advancing.")
 		return nil
 	}
+	cx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, c.Config().TickTimeout())
+	defer cancel()
 
 	threshold := c.Config().GetDefaultStartPollThreshold()
-	if err := c.subscribeTick(ctx); err != nil {
+	if err := c.subscribeTick(cx); err != nil {
 		log.Warn("[log backup advancer] Subscriber meet error, would polling the checkpoint.", logutil.ShortError(err))
 		threshold = c.Config().GetSubscriberErrorStartPollThreshold()
 	}
 
-	err := c.advanceCheckpointBy(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) (uint64, error) {
-		return c.CalculateGlobalCheckpointLight(ctx, threshold)
+	err := c.advanceCheckpointBy(cx, func(cx context.Context) (uint64, error) {
+		return c.CalculateGlobalCheckpointLight(cx, threshold)
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/br/pkg/streamhelper/advancer_test.go b/br/pkg/streamhelper/advancer_test.go
index 0e924a4db8013..7dd4c71d35b9c 100644
--- a/br/pkg/streamhelper/advancer_test.go
+++ b/br/pkg/streamhelper/advancer_test.go
@@ -9,8 +9,11 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/pingcap/errors"
+	logbackup "github.com/pingcap/kvproto/pkg/logbackuppb"
 	"github.com/pingcap/log"
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb/br/pkg/streamhelper"
+	"github.com/pingcap/tidb/br/pkg/streamhelper/config"
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb/kv"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"go.uber.org/zap/zapcore"
@@ -219,3 +222,36 @@ func TestTaskRangesWithSplit(t *testing.T) {
 	shouldFinishInTime(t, 10*time.Second, "second advancing", func() { require.NoError(t, adv.OnTick(ctx)) })
 	require.Greater(t, env.getCheckpoint(), fstCheckpoint)
 }
+
+func TestBlocked(t *testing.T) {
+	log.SetLevel(zapcore.DebugLevel)
+	c := createFakeCluster(t, 4, true)
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	req := require.New(t)
+	c.splitAndScatter("0012", "0034", "0048")
+	marked := false
+	for _, s := range c.stores {
+		s.clientMu.Lock()
+		s.onGetRegionCheckpoint = func(glftrr *logbackup.GetLastFlushTSOfRegionRequest) error {
+			// blocking the thread.
+			// this may happen when TiKV goes down or too busy.
+			<-(chan struct{})(nil)
+			return nil
+		}
+		s.clientMu.Unlock()
+		marked = true
+	}
+	req.True(marked, "failed to mark the cluster: ")
+	env := &testEnv{fakeCluster: c, testCtx: t}
+	adv := streamhelper.NewCheckpointAdvancer(env)
+	adv.StartTaskListener(ctx)
+	adv.UpdateConfigWith(func(c *config.Config) {
+		// ... So the tick timeout would be 100ms
+		c.TickDuration = 10 * time.Millisecond
+	})
+	var err error
+	shouldFinishInTime(t, time.Second, "ticking", func() {
+		err = adv.OnTick(ctx)
+	})
+	req.ErrorIs(errors.Cause(err), context.DeadlineExceeded)
+}
diff --git a/br/pkg/streamhelper/basic_lib_for_test.go b/br/pkg/streamhelper/basic_lib_for_test.go
index 9598b5d376fe8..1dff77dd72864 100644
--- a/br/pkg/streamhelper/basic_lib_for_test.go
+++ b/br/pkg/streamhelper/basic_lib_for_test.go
@@ -77,10 +77,11 @@ type fakeStore struct {
 	id      uint64
 	regions map[uint64]*region
 
-	clientMu    sync.Mutex
-	supportsSub bool
-	bootstrapAt uint64
-	fsub        func(logbackup.SubscribeFlushEventResponse)
+	clientMu              sync.Mutex
+	supportsSub           bool
+	bootstrapAt           uint64
+	fsub                  func(logbackup.SubscribeFlushEventResponse)
+	onGetRegionCheckpoint func(*logbackup.GetLastFlushTSOfRegionRequest) error
 }
 
 type fakeCluster struct {
@@ -184,6 +185,12 @@ func (f *fakeStore) SetSupportFlushSub(b bool) {
 }
 
 func (f *fakeStore) GetLastFlushTSOfRegion(ctx context.Context, in *logbackup.GetLastFlushTSOfRegionRequest, opts ...grpc.CallOption) (*logbackup.GetLastFlushTSOfRegionResponse, error) {
+	if f.onGetRegionCheckpoint != nil {
+		err := f.onGetRegionCheckpoint(in)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
 	resp := &logbackup.GetLastFlushTSOfRegionResponse{
 		Checkpoints: []*logbackup.RegionCheckpoint{},
 	}
diff --git a/br/pkg/streamhelper/config/advancer_conf.go b/br/pkg/streamhelper/config/advancer_conf.go
index 10a645f8721e7..45cdab8a68e46 100644
--- a/br/pkg/streamhelper/config/advancer_conf.go
+++ b/br/pkg/streamhelper/config/advancer_conf.go
@@ -78,3 +78,9 @@ func (conf Config) GetDefaultStartPollThreshold() time.Duration {
 func (conf Config) GetSubscriberErrorStartPollThreshold() time.Duration {
 	return conf.TryAdvanceThreshold / 5
 }
+
+// TickTimeout returns the max duration for each tick.
+func (conf Config) TickTimeout() time.Duration {
+	// If a tick blocks 10x the interval of ticking, we may need to break it and retry.
+	return 10 * conf.TickDuration
+}