diff --git a/apps/emqx_cluster_link/src/emqx_cluster_link.erl b/apps/emqx_cluster_link/src/emqx_cluster_link.erl
index 1d196aa91..7a64b0ff7 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_cluster_link/src/emqx_cluster_link.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_cluster_link/src/emqx_cluster_link.erl
@@ -170,10 +170,7 @@ actor_init(
                 case MyClusterName of
                     TargetCluster ->
                         Env = #{timestamp => erlang:system_time(millisecond)},
-                        {ok, _} = emqx_cluster_link_extrouter:actor_init(
-                            ClusterName, Actor, Incr, Env
-                        ),
-                        ok;
+                        emqx_cluster_link_extrouter:actor_init(ClusterName, Actor, Incr, Env);
                     _ ->
                         %% The remote cluster uses a different name to refer to this cluster
                         ?SLOG(error, #{
diff --git a/apps/emqx_cluster_link/src/emqx_cluster_link_extrouter.erl b/apps/emqx_cluster_link/src/emqx_cluster_link_extrouter.erl
index bbec844df..9b6cf07e2 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_cluster_link/src/emqx_cluster_link_extrouter.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_cluster_link/src/emqx_cluster_link_extrouter.erl
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@
     actor_state/3,
     actor_apply_operation/2,
     actor_apply_operation/3,
-    actor_gc/1
+    actor_gc/1,
+    is_present_incarnation/1
 ]).
 
 %% Internal API
@@ -140,7 +141,8 @@ match_to_route(M) ->
     cluster :: cluster(),
     actor :: actor(),
     incarnation :: incarnation(),
-    lane :: lane() | undefined
+    lane :: lane() | undefined,
+    extra :: map()
 }).
 
 -type state() :: #state{}.
@@ -159,6 +161,12 @@ actor_init(Cluster, Actor, Incarnation, Env = #{timestamp := Now}) ->
             actor_init(Cluster, Actor, Incarnation, Env)
     end.
 
+-spec is_present_incarnation(state()) -> boolean().
+is_present_incarnation(#state{extra = #{is_present_incarnation := IsNew}}) ->
+    IsNew;
+is_present_incarnation(_State) ->
+    false.
+
 mnesia_actor_init(Cluster, Actor, Incarnation, TS) ->
     %% NOTE
     %% We perform this heavy-weight transaction only in the case of a new route
@@ -173,7 +181,7 @@ mnesia_actor_init(Cluster, Actor, Incarnation, TS) ->
     case mnesia:read(?EXTROUTE_ACTOR_TAB, ActorID, write) of
         [#actor{incarnation = Incarnation, lane = Lane} = Rec] ->
             ok = mnesia:write(?EXTROUTE_ACTOR_TAB, Rec#actor{until = bump_actor_ttl(TS)}, write),
-            {ok, State#state{lane = Lane}};
+            {ok, State#state{lane = Lane, extra = #{is_present_incarnation => true}}};
         [] ->
             Lane = mnesia_assign_lane(Cluster),
             Rec = #actor{
@@ -183,7 +191,7 @@ mnesia_actor_init(Cluster, Actor, Incarnation, TS) ->
                 until = bump_actor_ttl(TS)
             },
             ok = mnesia:write(?EXTROUTE_ACTOR_TAB, Rec, write),
-            {ok, State#state{lane = Lane}};
+            {ok, State#state{lane = Lane, extra = #{is_present_incarnation => false}}};
         [#actor{incarnation = Outdated} = Rec] when Incarnation > Outdated ->
             {reincarnate, Rec};
         [#actor{incarnation = Newer}] ->
@@ -321,7 +329,7 @@ mnesia_clean_incarnation(#actor{id = Actor, incarnation = Incarnation, lane = La
 clean_lane(Lane) ->
     ets:foldl(
         fun(#extroute{entry = Entry, mcounter = MCounter}, _) ->
-            apply_operation(Entry, MCounter, del, Lane)
+            apply_operation(Entry, MCounter, delete, Lane)
         end,
         0,
         ?EXTROUTE_TAB
diff --git a/apps/emqx_cluster_link/src/emqx_cluster_link_mqtt.erl b/apps/emqx_cluster_link/src/emqx_cluster_link_mqtt.erl
index 3ebfd6de6..db4e39224 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_cluster_link/src/emqx_cluster_link_mqtt.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_cluster_link/src/emqx_cluster_link_mqtt.erl
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@
 -define(F_TARGET_CLUSTER, 13).
 -define(F_PROTO_VER, 14).
 -define(F_RESULT, 15).
+-define(F_NEED_BOOTSTRAP, 16).
 
 -define(ROUTE_DELETE, 100).
 
@@ -279,18 +280,29 @@ actor_init_ack_resp_msg(Actor, InitRes, ReqId, RespTopic) ->
     Payload = #{
         ?F_OPERATION => ?OP_ACTOR_INIT_ACK,
         ?F_PROTO_VER => ?PROTO_VER,
-        ?F_ACTOR => Actor,
-        ?F_RESULT => InitRes
+        ?F_ACTOR => Actor
     },
+    Payload1 = with_res_and_bootstrap(Payload, InitRes),
     emqx_message:make(
         undefined,
         ?QOS_1,
         RespTopic,
-        ?ENCODE(Payload),
+        ?ENCODE(Payload1),
         #{},
         #{properties => #{'Correlation-Data' => ReqId}}
     ).
 
+with_res_and_bootstrap(Payload, {ok, ActorState}) ->
+    Payload#{
+        ?F_RESULT => ok,
+        ?F_NEED_BOOTSTRAP => not emqx_cluster_link_extrouter:is_present_incarnation(ActorState)
+    };
+with_res_and_bootstrap(Payload, Error) ->
+    Payload#{
+        ?F_RESULT => Error,
+        ?F_NEED_BOOTSTRAP => false
+    }.
+
 publish_route_sync(ClientPid, Actor, Incarnation, Updates) ->
     PubTopic = ?ROUTE_TOPIC,
     Payload = #{
@@ -339,9 +351,12 @@ decode_resp1(#{
     ?F_OPERATION := ?OP_ACTOR_INIT_ACK,
     ?F_ACTOR := Actor,
     ?F_PROTO_VER := ProtoVer,
-    ?F_RESULT := InitResult
+    ?F_RESULT := InitResult,
+    ?F_NEED_BOOTSTRAP := NeedBootstrap
 }) ->
-    {actor_init_ack, #{actor => Actor, result => InitResult, proto_ver => ProtoVer}}.
+    {actor_init_ack, #{
+        actor => Actor, result => InitResult, proto_ver => ProtoVer, need_bootstrap => NeedBootstrap
+    }}.
 
 decode_forwarded_msg(Payload) ->
     case ?DECODE(Payload) of
diff --git a/apps/emqx_cluster_link/src/emqx_cluster_link_router_syncer.erl b/apps/emqx_cluster_link/src/emqx_cluster_link_router_syncer.erl
index 7d0a9db25..0571ba099 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_cluster_link/src/emqx_cluster_link_router_syncer.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_cluster_link/src/emqx_cluster_link_router_syncer.erl
@@ -164,14 +164,6 @@ refine_client_options(Options = #{clientid := ClientID}, Actor) ->
         retry_interval => 0
     }.
 
-client_session_present(ClientPid) ->
-    Info = emqtt:info(ClientPid),
-    %% FIXME: waitnig for emqtt release that fixes session_present type (must be a boolean)
-    case proplists:get_value(session_present, Info, 0) of
-        0 -> false;
-        1 -> true
-    end.
-
 announce_client(Actor, TargetCluster, Pid) ->
     Name =
         case Actor of
@@ -334,13 +326,15 @@ handle_info(
     {publish, #{payload := Payload, properties := #{'Correlation-Data' := ReqId}}},
     St = #st{actor_init_req_id = ReqId}
 ) ->
-    {actor_init_ack, #{result := Res} = AckInfoMap} = emqx_cluster_link_mqtt:decode_resp(Payload),
+    {actor_init_ack, #{result := Res, need_bootstrap := NeedBootstrap} = AckInfoMap} = emqx_cluster_link_mqtt:decode_resp(
+        Payload
+    ),
     St1 = St#st{
         actor_init_req_id = undefined, actor_init_timer = undefined, remote_actor_info = AckInfoMap
     },
     case Res of
         ok ->
-            {noreply, post_actor_init(St1)};
+            {noreply, post_actor_init(St1, NeedBootstrap)};
         Error ->
             ?SLOG(error, #{
                 msg => "failed_to_init_link",
@@ -410,10 +404,11 @@ init_remote_actor(
     St#st{actor_init_req_id = ReqId, actor_init_timer = TRef}.
 
 post_actor_init(
-    St = #st{client = ClientPid, target = TargetCluster, actor = Actor, incarnation = Incr}
+    St = #st{client = ClientPid, target = TargetCluster, actor = Actor, incarnation = Incr},
+    NeedBootstrap
 ) ->
     ok = start_syncer(TargetCluster, Actor, Incr),
-    process_bootstrap(St#st{client = ClientPid}).
+    process_bootstrap(St#st{client = ClientPid}, NeedBootstrap).
 
 handle_connect_error(_Reason, St) ->
     %% TODO: logs
@@ -426,14 +421,14 @@ handle_client_down(_Reason, St = #st{target = TargetCluster, actor = Actor}) ->
     ok = close_syncer(TargetCluster, Actor),
     process_connect(St#st{client = undefined}).
 
-process_bootstrap(St = #st{bootstrapped = false}) ->
+process_bootstrap(St = #st{bootstrapped = false}, _NeedBootstrap) ->
     run_bootstrap(St);
-process_bootstrap(St = #st{client = ClientPid, bootstrapped = true}) ->
-    case client_session_present(ClientPid) of
+process_bootstrap(St = #st{bootstrapped = true}, NeedBootstrap) ->
+    case NeedBootstrap of
         true ->
-            process_bootstrapped(St);
+            run_bootstrap(St);
         false ->
-            run_bootstrap(St)
+            process_bootstrapped(St)
     end.
 
 %% Bootstrapping.