diff --git a/compute/src/main/java/org/zstack/compute/vm/StopVmGC.java b/compute/src/main/java/org/zstack/compute/vm/StopVmGC.java
index a55de8878cf..5f4cb98f800 100755
--- a/compute/src/main/java/org/zstack/compute/vm/StopVmGC.java
+++ b/compute/src/main/java/org/zstack/compute/vm/StopVmGC.java
@@ -43,6 +43,12 @@ protected void triggerNow(GCCompletion completion) {
             completion.cancel();
             return;
         }
+        if (state != VmInstanceState.Stopped) {
+            logger.info(String.format("cancel StopVmGC for vm[uuid:%s,name:%s] on host[uuid:%s], current state is %s, only stopped vm can be stopped on hypervisor by this GC",
+                    inventory.getUuid(), inventory.getName(), hostUuid, state));
+            completion.cancel();
+            return;
+        }
 
         FlowChain chain = FlowChainBuilder.newSimpleFlowChain();
         chain.setName(String.format("gc-stop-vm-%s-on-host-%s", inventory.getUuid(), hostUuid));
diff --git a/test/src/test/groovy/org/zstack/test/integration/kvm/vm/VmGCCase.groovy b/test/src/test/groovy/org/zstack/test/integration/kvm/vm/VmGCCase.groovy
index ed2b5520d31..f9925859d5c 100755
--- a/test/src/test/groovy/org/zstack/test/integration/kvm/vm/VmGCCase.groovy
+++ b/test/src/test/groovy/org/zstack/test/integration/kvm/vm/VmGCCase.groovy
@@ -225,6 +225,7 @@ class VmGCCase extends SubCase {
 
             testStopVmWhenHostDisconnect()
             testStopVmGCJobCancelAfterVmDeleted()
+            testStopVmGCJobCancelAfterVmStarted()
             testStopVmGCJobCancelAfterHostDeleted()
         }
     }
@@ -317,6 +318,46 @@ class VmGCCase extends SubCase {
         }
     }
 
+    void testStopVmGCJobCancelAfterVmStarted() {
+        VmInstanceInventory vm = createGCCandidateStoppedVm()
+
+        vm = startVmInstance {
+            uuid = vm.uuid
+        } as VmInstanceInventory
+
+        assert dbFindByUuid(vm.uuid, VmInstanceVO.class).state == VmInstanceState.Running
+
+        KVMAgentCommands.StopVmCmd cmd = null
+        env.afterSimulator(KVMConstant.KVM_STOP_VM_PATH) { rsp, HttpEntity<String> e ->
+            cmd = json(e.body, KVMAgentCommands.StopVmCmd.class)
+            return rsp
+        }
+
+        // reconnect host to trigger the GC
+        reconnectHost {
+            uuid = vm.hostUuid
+        }
+
+        GarbageCollectorInventory inv = null
+        retryInSecs {
+            inv = queryGCJob {
+                conditions=["context~=%${vm.uuid}%"]
+            }[0]
+
+            // the GC job is cancelled because the vm has already been started again
+            assert cmd == null
+            assert inv.status == GCStatus.Done.toString()
+        }
+
+        deleteGCJob {
+            uuid = inv.uuid
+        }
+
+        destroyVmInstance {
+            uuid = vm.uuid
+        }
+    }
+
     void testStopVmWhenHostDisconnect() {
         VmInstanceInventory vm = createGCCandidateStoppedVm()