diff --git a/lightning/cmd/tidb-lightning/main.go b/lightning/cmd/tidb-lightning/main.go
index 53c4fe30bef32..d68d6033acc4f 100644
--- a/lightning/cmd/tidb-lightning/main.go
+++ b/lightning/cmd/tidb-lightning/main.go
@@ -99,7 +99,9 @@ func main() {
 	finished := true
 	if common.IsContextCanceledError(err) {
 		err = nil
-		finished = false
+		if app.TaskCanceled() {
+			finished = false
+		}
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.Error("tidb lightning encountered error stack info", zap.Error(err))
@@ -121,7 +123,7 @@ func main() {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if err != nil {
+	if err != nil || (globalCfg.App.ServerMode && !finished) {
 		exit(1)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/lightning/pkg/server/lightning.go b/lightning/pkg/server/lightning.go
index 6520e849fb6c8..3e4ed74f3913b 100644
--- a/lightning/pkg/server/lightning.go
+++ b/lightning/pkg/server/lightning.go
@@ -92,6 +92,8 @@ type Lightning struct {
 	cancelLock sync.Mutex
 	curTask    *config.Config
 	cancel     context.CancelFunc // for per task context, which maybe different from lightning context
+
+	taskCanceled bool
 }
 
 func initEnv(cfg *config.GlobalConfig) error {
@@ -604,6 +606,7 @@ func (l *Lightning) run(taskCtx context.Context, taskCfg *config.Config, o *opti
 func (l *Lightning) Stop() {
 	l.cancelLock.Lock()
 	if l.cancel != nil {
+		l.taskCanceled = true
 		l.cancel()
 	}
 	l.cancelLock.Unlock()
@@ -613,6 +616,13 @@ func (l *Lightning) Stop() {
 	l.shutdown()
 }
 
+// TaskCanceled return whether the current task is canceled.
+func (l *Lightning) TaskCanceled() bool {
+	l.cancelLock.Lock()
+	defer l.cancelLock.Unlock()
+	return l.taskCanceled
+}
+
 // Status return the sum size of file which has been imported to TiKV and the total size of source file.
 func (l *Lightning) Status() (finished int64, total int64) {
 	finished = l.status.FinishedFileSize.Load()