diff --git a/server/leader.go b/server/leader.go
index 3f78de0fdc3..e5e39d36554 100644
--- a/server/leader.go
+++ b/server/leader.go
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ import (
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 )
 
+// The timeout to wait transfer etcd leader to complete.
+const moveLeaderTimeout = 5 * time.Second
+
 // IsLeader returns whether the server is leader or not.
 func (s *Server) IsLeader() bool {
 	// If server is not started. Both leaderID and ID could be 0.
@@ -145,7 +148,7 @@ func (s *Server) etcdLeaderLoop() {
 				break
 			}
 			if myPriority > leaderPriority {
-				err := s.etcd.Server.MoveLeader(ctx, etcdLeader, s.ID())
+				err := s.MoveEtcdLeader(ctx, etcdLeader, s.ID())
 				if err != nil {
 					log.Error("failed to transfer etcd leader", zap.Error(err))
 				} else {
@@ -161,6 +164,13 @@ func (s *Server) etcdLeaderLoop() {
 	}
 }
 
+// MoveEtcdLeader tries to transfer etcd leader.
+func (s *Server) MoveEtcdLeader(ctx context.Context, old, new uint64) error {
+	moveCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, moveLeaderTimeout)
+	defer cancel()
+	return errors.WithStack(s.etcd.Server.MoveLeader(moveCtx, old, new))
+}
+
 // getLeader gets server leader from etcd.
 func getLeader(c *clientv3.Client, leaderPath string) (*pdpb.Member, int64, error) {
 	leader := &pdpb.Member{}
@@ -374,8 +384,7 @@ func (s *Server) ResignLeader(nextLeader string) error {
 		return errors.New("no valid pd to transfer leader")
 	}
 	nextLeaderID := leaderIDs[rand.Intn(len(leaderIDs))]
-	err = s.etcd.Server.MoveLeader(s.serverLoopCtx, s.ID(), nextLeaderID)
-	return errors.WithStack(err)
+	return s.MoveEtcdLeader(s.serverLoopCtx, s.ID(), nextLeaderID)
 }
 
 func (s *Server) deleteLeaderKey() error {
diff --git a/tests/cluster.go b/tests/cluster.go
index dee9369feec..051f3f7d52f 100644
--- a/tests/cluster.go
+++ b/tests/cluster.go
@@ -201,6 +201,25 @@ func (s *TestServer) GetEtcdLeader() (string, error) {
 	return members.GetEtcdLeader().GetName(), nil
 }
 
+// GetEtcdLeaderID returns the builtin etcd leader ID.
+func (s *TestServer) GetEtcdLeaderID() (uint64, error) {
+	s.RLock()
+	defer s.RUnlock()
+	req := &pdpb.GetMembersRequest{Header: &pdpb.RequestHeader{ClusterId: s.server.ClusterID()}}
+	members, err := s.server.GetMembers(context.TODO(), req)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, errors.WithStack(err)
+	}
+	return members.GetEtcdLeader().GetMemberId(), nil
+}
+
+// MoveEtcdLeader moves etcd leader from old to new.
+func (s *TestServer) MoveEtcdLeader(old, new uint64) error {
+	s.RLock()
+	defer s.RUnlock()
+	return s.server.MoveEtcdLeader(context.Background(), old, new)
+}
+
 // GetEtcdClient returns the builtin etcd client.
 func (s *TestServer) GetEtcdClient() *clientv3.Client {
 	s.RLock()
diff --git a/tests/server/move_leader_test.go b/tests/server/move_leader_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b6549fbe3b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/server/move_leader_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+// Copyright 2019 PingCAP, Inc.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package server_test
+
+import (
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+
+	. "github.com/pingcap/check"
+	"github.com/pingcap/pd/tests"
+)
+
+func (s *serverTestSuite) TestMoveLeader(c *C) {
+	c.Parallel()
+
+	cluster, err := tests.NewTestCluster(5)
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+	defer cluster.Destroy()
+
+	err = cluster.RunInitialServers()
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+	cluster.WaitLeader()
+
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	wg.Add(5)
+	for _, s := range cluster.GetServers() {
+		go func(s *tests.TestServer) {
+			defer wg.Done()
+			if s.IsLeader() {
+				s.ResignLeader()
+			} else {
+				old, _ := s.GetEtcdLeaderID()
+				s.MoveEtcdLeader(old, s.GetServerID())
+			}
+		}(s)
+	}
+
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		wg.Wait()
+		close(done)
+	}()
+
+	select {
+	case <-done:
+	case <-time.After(10 * time.Second):
+		c.Fatal("move etcd leader does not return in 10 seconds")
+	}
+}