diff --git a/src/connector/src/source/kinesis/source/reader.rs b/src/connector/src/source/kinesis/source/reader.rs
index 123dc3a763ba8..1089ed114dca2 100644
--- a/src/connector/src/source/kinesis/source/reader.rs
+++ b/src/connector/src/source/kinesis/source/reader.rs
@@ -126,7 +126,6 @@ impl KinesisSplitReader {
     #[try_stream(ok = Vec < SourceMessage >, error = crate::error::ConnectorError)]
     async fn into_data_stream(mut self) {
         self.new_shard_iter().await?;
-        let mut finish_flag = false;
         loop {
             if self.shard_iter.is_none() {
                 tracing::warn!(
@@ -139,22 +138,39 @@ impl KinesisSplitReader {
             }
             match self.get_records().await {
                 Ok(resp) => {
-                    if resp.millis_behind_latest.is_none()
-                        && let Some(shard) = &resp.child_shards
+                    tracing::trace!(?self.shard_id, ?resp);
+                    self.shard_iter = resp.next_shard_iterator().map(String::from);
+                    let chunk = (resp.records().iter())
+                        .map(|r| from_kinesis_record(r, self.split_id.clone()))
+                        .collect::<Vec<SourceMessage>>();
+                    if let Some(shard) = &resp.child_shards
                         && !shard.is_empty()
                     {
                         // according to the doc https://docs.rs/aws-sdk-kinesis/latest/aws_sdk_kinesis/operation/get_records/struct.GetRecordsOutput.html
                         //
                         // > The list of the current shard's child shards, returned in the GetRecords API's response only when the end of the current shard is reached.
-                        //
-                        // It means the current shard is finished, ie. inactive, and we should stop reading it. Checking `millis_behind_latest` is a double check.
+
+                        // The response will be like:
+                        // {
+                        //     "Records": [], // empty
+                        //     "MillisBehindLatest": 2665000, // non-zero
+                        //     "ChildShards": [...] // non-empty
+                        //     // no NextShardIterator
+                        // }
+
                         // Other executors are going to read the child shards.
-                        finish_flag = true;
+
+                        if !chunk.is_empty() {
+                            // This should not happen. But be extra safe here.
+                            yield chunk;
+                        }
+
+                        tracing::info!(
+                            "shard {:?} reaches the end and is inactive, stop reading",
+                            self.shard_id
+                        );
+                        break;
                     }
-                    self.shard_iter = resp.next_shard_iterator().map(String::from);
-                    let chunk = (resp.records().iter())
-                        .map(|r| from_kinesis_record(r, self.split_id.clone()))
-                        .collect::<Vec<SourceMessage>>();
                     if chunk.is_empty() {
                         tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(200)).await;
                         continue;
@@ -166,13 +182,6 @@ impl KinesisSplitReader {
                         self.latest_offset
                     );
                     yield chunk;
-                    if finish_flag {
-                        tracing::info!(
-                            "shard {:?} reaches the end and is inactive, stop reading",
-                            self.shard_id
-                        );
-                        break;
-                    }
                 }
                 Err(SdkError::ServiceError(e)) if e.err().is_resource_not_found_exception() => {
                     tracing::warn!("shard {:?} is closed, stop reading", self.shard_id);