diff --git a/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/client/BaseHoodieWriteClient.java b/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/client/BaseHoodieWriteClient.java
index 723bd33b8..270027df1 100644
--- a/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/client/BaseHoodieWriteClient.java
+++ b/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/client/BaseHoodieWriteClient.java
@@ -1551,7 +1551,7 @@ public abstract class BaseHoodieWriteClient<T extends HoodieRecordPayload, I, K,
     }
   }
 
-  private void tryUpgrade(HoodieTableMetaClient metaClient, Option<String> instantTime) {
+  protected void tryUpgrade(HoodieTableMetaClient metaClient, Option<String> instantTime) {
     UpgradeDowngrade upgradeDowngrade =
         new UpgradeDowngrade(metaClient, config, context, upgradeDowngradeHelper);
 
diff --git a/hudi-client/hudi-flink-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/client/HoodieFlinkWriteClient.java b/hudi-client/hudi-flink-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/client/HoodieFlinkWriteClient.java
index ce75452d2..2d23c3afb 100644
--- a/hudi-client/hudi-flink-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/client/HoodieFlinkWriteClient.java
+++ b/hudi-client/hudi-flink-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/client/HoodieFlinkWriteClient.java
@@ -407,14 +407,20 @@ public class HoodieFlinkWriteClient<T extends HoodieRecordPayload> extends
     return getHoodieTable();
   }
 
+  @Override
+  protected void tryUpgrade(HoodieTableMetaClient metaClient, Option<String> instantTime) {
+    // do nothing.
+    // flink executes the upgrade/downgrade once when initializing the first instant on start up,
+    // no need to execute the upgrade/downgrade on each write in streaming.
+  }
+
   /**
    * Upgrade downgrade the Hoodie table.
    *
    * <p>This action should only be executed once for each commit.
    * The modification of the table properties is not thread safe.
    */
-  public void upgradeDowngrade(String instantTime) {
-    HoodieTableMetaClient metaClient = createMetaClient(true);
+  public void upgradeDowngrade(String instantTime, HoodieTableMetaClient metaClient) {
     new UpgradeDowngrade(metaClient, config, context, FlinkUpgradeDowngradeHelper.getInstance())
         .run(HoodieTableVersion.current(), instantTime);
   }
diff --git a/hudi-flink-datasource/hudi-flink/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/sink/StreamWriteOperatorCoordinator.java b/hudi-flink-datasource/hudi-flink/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/sink/StreamWriteOperatorCoordinator.java
index 023b1e696..39976e5ee 100644
--- a/hudi-flink-datasource/hudi-flink/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/sink/StreamWriteOperatorCoordinator.java
+++ b/hudi-flink-datasource/hudi-flink/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/sink/StreamWriteOperatorCoordinator.java
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ public class StreamWriteOperatorCoordinator
       // starts a new instant
       startInstant();
       // upgrade downgrade
-      this.writeClient.upgradeDowngrade(this.instant);
+      this.writeClient.upgradeDowngrade(this.instant, this.metaClient);
     }, "initialize instant %s", instant);
   }