diff --git a/java/connector-node/risingwave-connector-service/src/main/java/com/risingwave/connector/source/common/PostgresValidator.java b/java/connector-node/risingwave-connector-service/src/main/java/com/risingwave/connector/source/common/PostgresValidator.java
index 084843672cb6f..31b016146e000 100644
--- a/java/connector-node/risingwave-connector-service/src/main/java/com/risingwave/connector/source/common/PostgresValidator.java
+++ b/java/connector-node/risingwave-connector-service/src/main/java/com/risingwave/connector/source/common/PostgresValidator.java
@@ -79,14 +79,19 @@ public PostgresValidator(
 
     @Override
     public void validateDbConfig() {
-        // TODO: check database server version
-        try (var stmt = jdbcConnection.createStatement()) {
-            // check whether wal has been enabled
-            var res = stmt.executeQuery(ValidatorUtils.getSql("postgres.wal"));
-            while (res.next()) {
-                if (!res.getString(1).equals("logical")) {
-                    throw ValidatorUtils.invalidArgument(
-                            "Postgres wal_level should be 'logical'.\nPlease modify the config and restart your Postgres server.");
+        try {
+            if (jdbcConnection.getMetaData().getDatabaseMajorVersion() > 16) {
+                throw ValidatorUtils.failedPrecondition("Postgres version should be less than 16.");
+            }
+
+            try (var stmt = jdbcConnection.createStatement()) {
+                // check whether wal has been enabled
+                var res = stmt.executeQuery(ValidatorUtils.getSql("postgres.wal"));
+                while (res.next()) {
+                    if (!res.getString(1).equals("logical")) {
+                        throw ValidatorUtils.invalidArgument(
+                                "Postgres wal_level should be 'logical'.\nPlease modify the config and restart your Postgres server.");
+                    }
                 }
             }
         } catch (SQLException e) {
diff --git a/java/connector-node/risingwave-connector-service/src/main/resources/postgres.properties b/java/connector-node/risingwave-connector-service/src/main/resources/postgres.properties
index 326138403d3b2..06c4210fcf468 100644
--- a/java/connector-node/risingwave-connector-service/src/main/resources/postgres.properties
+++ b/java/connector-node/risingwave-connector-service/src/main/resources/postgres.properties
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ publication.autocreate.mode=disabled
 publication.name=${publication.name:-rw_publication}
 # default heartbeat interval 5 mins
 heartbeat.interval.ms=${debezium.heartbeat.interval.ms:-300000}
+# emit a WAL message to the replication stream
+# see https://github.com/risingwavelabs/risingwave/issues/16697 for more details
+heartbeat.action.query=SELECT pg_logical_emit_message(false, 'heartbeat', now()::varchar)
 # In sharing cdc source mode, we will subscribe to multiple tables in the given database,
 # so here we set ${table.name} to a default value `RW_CDC_Sharing` just for display.
 name=${hostname}:${port}:${database.name}.${schema.name}.${table.name:-RW_CDC_Sharing}
diff --git a/java/connector-node/risingwave-source-test/src/test/java/com/risingwave/connector/source/PostgresSourceTest.java b/java/connector-node/risingwave-source-test/src/test/java/com/risingwave/connector/source/PostgresSourceTest.java
index 477ae42899f16..5ccb24cef3ffc 100644
--- a/java/connector-node/risingwave-source-test/src/test/java/com/risingwave/connector/source/PostgresSourceTest.java
+++ b/java/connector-node/risingwave-source-test/src/test/java/com/risingwave/connector/source/PostgresSourceTest.java
@@ -145,7 +145,8 @@ public void testLines() throws Exception {
         int count = countResult.get();
         LOG.info("number of cdc messages received: {}", count);
         try {
-            assertEquals(10000, count);
+            // 10000 rows plus one heartbeat message
+            assertTrue(count >= 10000);
         } catch (Exception e) {
             Assert.fail("validate rpc fail: " + e.getMessage());
         } finally {