diff --git a/internal/proxy/meta_cache.go b/internal/proxy/meta_cache.go
index 033ef8abcd..4cf941efef 100644
--- a/internal/proxy/meta_cache.go
+++ b/internal/proxy/meta_cache.go
@@ -72,11 +72,24 @@ type collectionInfo struct {
 	schema              *schemapb.CollectionSchema
 	partInfo            map[string]*partitionInfo
 	shardLeaders        map[string][]queryNode
+	leaderMutex         sync.Mutex
 	createdTimestamp    uint64
 	createdUtcTimestamp uint64
 	isLoaded            bool
 }
 
+// CloneShardLeaders returns a copy of shard leaders
+// leaderMutex shall be accuired before invoking this method
+func (c *collectionInfo) CloneShardLeaders() map[string][]queryNode {
+	m := make(map[string][]queryNode)
+	for channel, leaders := range c.shardLeaders {
+		l := make([]queryNode, len(leaders))
+		copy(l, leaders)
+		m[channel] = l
+	}
+	return m
+}
+
 type partitionInfo struct {
 	partitionID         typeutil.UniqueID
 	createdTimestamp    uint64
@@ -584,11 +597,11 @@ func (m *MetaCache) GetShards(ctx context.Context, withCache bool, collectionNam
 
 	if withCache {
 		if len(info.shardLeaders) > 0 {
-			shards := updateShardsWithRoundRobin(info.shardLeaders)
+			info.leaderMutex.Lock()
+			updateShardsWithRoundRobin(info.shardLeaders)
 
-			m.mu.Lock()
-			m.collInfo[collectionName].shardLeaders = shards
-			m.mu.Unlock()
+			shards := info.CloneShardLeaders()
+			info.leaderMutex.Unlock()
 			return shards, nil
 		}
 		log.Info("no shard cache for collection, try to get shard leaders from QueryCoord",
@@ -612,13 +625,16 @@ func (m *MetaCache) GetShards(ctx context.Context, withCache bool, collectionNam
 
 	shards := parseShardLeaderList2QueryNode(resp.GetShards())
 
-	shards = updateShardsWithRoundRobin(shards)
+	// manipulate info in map, get map returns a copy of the information
+	m.mu.RLock()
+	defer m.mu.RUnlock()
+	info = m.collInfo[collectionName]
+	// lock leader
+	info.leaderMutex.Lock()
+	defer info.leaderMutex.Unlock()
+	info.shardLeaders = shards
 
-	m.mu.Lock()
-	m.collInfo[collectionName].shardLeaders = shards
-	m.mu.Unlock()
-
-	return shards, nil
+	return info.CloneShardLeaders(), nil
 }
 
 func parseShardLeaderList2QueryNode(shardsLeaders []*querypb.ShardLeadersList) map[string][]queryNode {
diff --git a/internal/proxy/task_policies.go b/internal/proxy/task_policies.go
index f293adf602..68eadf63ad 100644
--- a/internal/proxy/task_policies.go
+++ b/internal/proxy/task_policies.go
@@ -49,8 +49,7 @@ func (q queryNode) String() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("<NodeID: %d>", q.nodeID)
 }
 
-func updateShardsWithRoundRobin(shardsLeaders map[string][]queryNode) map[string][]queryNode {
-
+func updateShardsWithRoundRobin(shardsLeaders map[string][]queryNode) {
 	for channelID, leaders := range shardsLeaders {
 		if len(leaders) <= 1 {
 			continue
@@ -58,8 +57,6 @@ func updateShardsWithRoundRobin(shardsLeaders map[string][]queryNode) map[string
 
 		shardsLeaders[channelID] = append(leaders[1:], leaders[0])
 	}
-
-	return shardsLeaders
 }
 
 func roundRobinPolicy(ctx context.Context, getQueryNodePolicy getQueryNodePolicy, query func(UniqueID, types.QueryNode) error, leaders []queryNode) error {
diff --git a/internal/proxy/task_policies_test.go b/internal/proxy/task_policies_test.go
index 568da81936..2be147cc62 100644
--- a/internal/proxy/task_policies_test.go
+++ b/internal/proxy/task_policies_test.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestUpdateShardsWithRoundRobin(t *testing.T) {
-	in := map[string][]queryNode{
+	list := map[string][]queryNode{
 		"channel-1": {
 			{1, "addr1"},
 			{2, "addr2"},
@@ -26,12 +26,12 @@ func TestUpdateShardsWithRoundRobin(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 
-	out := updateShardsWithRoundRobin(in)
+	updateShardsWithRoundRobin(list)
 
-	assert.Equal(t, int64(2), out["channel-1"][0].nodeID)
-	assert.Equal(t, "addr2", out["channel-1"][0].address)
-	assert.Equal(t, int64(21), out["channel-2"][0].nodeID)
-	assert.Equal(t, "addr21", out["channel-2"][0].address)
+	assert.Equal(t, int64(2), list["channel-1"][0].nodeID)
+	assert.Equal(t, "addr2", list["channel-1"][0].address)
+	assert.Equal(t, int64(21), list["channel-2"][0].nodeID)
+	assert.Equal(t, "addr21", list["channel-2"][0].address)
 
 	t.Run("check print", func(t *testing.T) {
 		qns := []queryNode{