diff --git a/plugin/externalStorage/src/main/java/org/zstack/externalStorage/primary/kvm/ExternalPrimaryStorageKvmFactory.java b/plugin/externalStorage/src/main/java/org/zstack/externalStorage/primary/kvm/ExternalPrimaryStorageKvmFactory.java
index 90aca223f1e..a1e5a0aefe9 100644
--- a/plugin/externalStorage/src/main/java/org/zstack/externalStorage/primary/kvm/ExternalPrimaryStorageKvmFactory.java
+++ b/plugin/externalStorage/src/main/java/org/zstack/externalStorage/primary/kvm/ExternalPrimaryStorageKvmFactory.java
@@ -140,6 +140,26 @@ public void done(ErrorCodeList errorCodeList) {
                     }
                 });
             }
+        }).then(new NoRollbackFlow() {
+            String __name__ = "ensure-heartbeat-volume";
+
+            @Override
+            public void run(FlowTrigger trigger, Map data) {
+                ensureHeartbeatVolume(context.getInventory(), extPss, new WhileDoneCompletion(trigger) {
+                    @Override
+                    public void done(ErrorCodeList errorCodeList) {
+                        if (errorCodeList.getCauses().isEmpty()) {
+                            trigger.next();
+                        } else {
+                            logger.warn(String.format("failed to ensure heartbeat volumes before checking KVM host[uuid:%s, name:%s] storage connection, %s",
+                                    context.getInventory().getUuid(), context.getInventory().getName(), errorCodeList.getReadableDetails()));
+                            trigger.fail(operr(new ErrorCodeList().causedBy(errorCodeList.getCauses()),
+                                    "failed to ensure heartbeat volumes before checking KVM host[uuid:%s, name:%s] storage connection",
+                                    context.getInventory().getUuid(), context.getInventory().getName()));
+                        }
+                    }
+                });
+            }
         }).then(new NoRollbackFlow() {
             String __name__ = "check-host-status";
 
@@ -166,6 +186,25 @@ public void handle(Map data) {
         }).start();
     }
 
+    private void ensureHeartbeatVolume(HostInventory host, List<ExternalPrimaryStorageVO> extPss, WhileDoneCompletion completion) {
+        new While<>(extPss).each((extPs, compl) -> {
+            logger.debug(String.format("ensuring heartbeat volume for external primary storage[uuid:%s, name:%s] before checking KVM host[uuid:%s, name:%s] storage connection",
+                    extPs.getUuid(), extPs.getName(), host.getUuid(), host.getName()));
+            extPsFactory.getNodeSvc(extPs.getUuid()).activateHeartbeatVolume(host, new ReturnValueCompletion<HeartbeatVolumeTO>(compl) {
+                @Override
+                public void success(HeartbeatVolumeTO returnValue) {
+                    compl.done();
+                }
+
+                @Override
+                public void fail(ErrorCode errorCode) {
+                    compl.addError(errorCode);
+                    compl.done();
+                }
+            });
+        }).run(completion);
+    }
+
     private void deployClient(final KVMHostConnectedContext context, List<ExternalPrimaryStorageVO> extPss, WhileDoneCompletion completion) {
         new While<>(extPss).each((extPs, compl) -> {
             logger.debug(String.format("deploying client for external primary storage[uuid:%s, name:%s] on KVM host[uuid:%s, name:%s]",
diff --git a/test/src/test/groovy/org/zstack/test/integration/storage/primary/addon/zbs/ZbsPrimaryStorageCase.groovy b/test/src/test/groovy/org/zstack/test/integration/storage/primary/addon/zbs/ZbsPrimaryStorageCase.groovy
index f2394a852ba..5a85f0fc4d4 100644
--- a/test/src/test/groovy/org/zstack/test/integration/storage/primary/addon/zbs/ZbsPrimaryStorageCase.groovy
+++ b/test/src/test/groovy/org/zstack/test/integration/storage/primary/addon/zbs/ZbsPrimaryStorageCase.groovy
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ import org.zstack.testlib.SubCase
 import org.zstack.utils.data.SizeUnit
 import org.zstack.utils.gson.JSONObjectUtil
 
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean
+
 /**
  * @author Xingwei Yu
  * @date 2024/4/19 10:09
@@ -179,8 +181,25 @@ class ZbsPrimaryStorageCase extends SubCase {
             clusterUuid = cluster.uuid
         }
 
+        Set<String> heartbeatPools = Collections.synchronizedSet(new HashSet<>())
+        AtomicBoolean checkStartedBeforeHeartbeatReady = new AtomicBoolean(false)
+        env.afterSimulator(ZbsStorageController.CREATE_VOLUME_PATH) { rsp, HttpEntity<String> e ->
+            ZbsStorageController.CreateVolumeCmd cmd = JSONObjectUtil.toObject(e.body, ZbsStorageController.CreateVolumeCmd)
+            if (cmd.volume == ZbsConstants.ZBS_HEARTBEAT_VOLUME_NAME) {
+                heartbeatPools.add(cmd.logicalPool)
+                ZbsStorageController.CreateVolumeRsp createVolumeRsp = new ZbsStorageController.CreateVolumeRsp()
+                createVolumeRsp.installPath = "zbs://${cmd.logicalPool}/${cmd.volume}"
+                return createVolumeRsp
+            }
+
+            return rsp
+        }
+
         env.afterSimulator(ZbsStorageController.CHECK_HOST_STORAGE_CONNECTION_PATH) { rsp, HttpEntity<String> e ->
             ZbsStorageController.CheckHostStorageConnectionCmd cmd = JSONObjectUtil.toObject(e.body, ZbsStorageController.CheckHostStorageConnectionCmd)
+            if (!heartbeatPools.contains("lpool1")) {
+                checkStartedBeforeHeartbeatReady.set(true)
+            }
 
             ZbsStorageController.CheckHostStorageConnectionRsp checkHostStorageConnectionRsp = new ZbsStorageController.CheckHostStorageConnectionRsp()
             checkHostStorageConnectionRsp.error = "fake error"
@@ -194,6 +213,10 @@ class ZbsPrimaryStorageCase extends SubCase {
                 uuid = kvm.getUuid()
             }
         }
+        retryInSecs {
+            assert heartbeatPools.contains("lpool1")
+            assert !checkStartedBeforeHeartbeatReady.get()
+        }
 
         retryInSecs {
             assert Q.New(PrimaryStorageHostRefVO.class)