diff --git a/cdc/owner/feed_state_manager.go b/cdc/owner/feed_state_manager.go
index 8da86ded230..b08204831f0 100644
--- a/cdc/owner/feed_state_manager.go
+++ b/cdc/owner/feed_state_manager.go
@@ -432,6 +432,16 @@ func (m *feedStateManager) handleError(errs ...*model.RunningError) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	//  changefeed state from stopped to failed is allowed
+	// but stopped to error or normal is not allowed
+	if m.state.Info != nil && m.state.Info.State == model.StateStopped {
+		log.Warn("changefeed is stopped, ignore errors",
+			zap.String("changefeed", m.state.ID.ID),
+			zap.String("namespace", m.state.ID.Namespace),
+			zap.Any("errors", errs))
+		return
+	}
+
 	// we need to patch changefeed unretryable error to the changefeed info,
 	// so we have to iterate all errs here to check wether it is a unretryable
 	// error in errs
diff --git a/cdc/owner/feed_state_manager_test.go b/cdc/owner/feed_state_manager_test.go
index 6900f9f14ae..3b8a0243a76 100644
--- a/cdc/owner/feed_state_manager_test.go
+++ b/cdc/owner/feed_state_manager_test.go
@@ -361,6 +361,23 @@ func TestHandleFastFailError(t *testing.T) {
 	tester.MustApplyPatches()
 }
 
+func TestHandleErrorWhenChangefeedIsPaused(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := cdcContext.NewBackendContext4Test(true)
+	manager := newFeedStateManager4Test(0, 0, 0, 0)
+	manager.state = orchestrator.NewChangefeedReactorState(etcd.DefaultCDCClusterID,
+		ctx.ChangefeedVars().ID)
+	err := &model.RunningError{
+		Addr:    ctx.GlobalVars().CaptureInfo.AdvertiseAddr,
+		Code:    "CDC:ErrReachMaxTry",
+		Message: "fake error for test",
+	}
+	manager.state.Info = &model.ChangeFeedInfo{
+		State: model.StateStopped,
+	}
+	manager.handleError(err)
+	require.Equal(t, model.StateStopped, manager.state.Info.State)
+}
+
 func TestChangefeedStatusNotExist(t *testing.T) {
 	changefeedInfo := `
 {