diff --git a/dm/config/task.go b/dm/config/task.go
index c0a0e51639..bd2eedc4b8 100644
--- a/dm/config/task.go
+++ b/dm/config/task.go
@@ -309,6 +309,9 @@ type TaskConfig struct {
 	CleanDumpFile bool `yaml:"clean-dump-file" toml:"clean-dump-file" json:"clean-dump-file"`
 
 	EnableANSIQuotes bool `yaml:"ansi-quotes" toml:"ansi-quotes" json:"ansi-quotes"`
+
+	// deprecated, replaced by `start-task --remove-meta`
+	RemoveMeta bool `yaml:"remove-meta"`
 }
 
 // NewTaskConfig creates a TaskConfig
@@ -537,6 +540,10 @@ func (c *TaskConfig) adjust() error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if c.RemoveMeta {
+		log.L().Warn("`remove-meta` in task config is deprecated, please use `start-task ... --remove-meta` instead")
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/dm/master/server.go b/dm/master/server.go
index fab9b2fede..99ef3b1ad5 100644
--- a/dm/master/server.go
+++ b/dm/master/server.go
@@ -482,6 +482,9 @@ func (s *Server) StartTask(ctx context.Context, req *pb.StartTaskRequest) (*pb.S
 		}
 
 		resp.Result = true
+		if cfg.RemoveMeta {
+			resp.Msg = "`remove-meta` in task config is deprecated, please use `start-task ... --remove-meta` instead"
+		}
 		sourceResps = s.getSourceRespsAfterOperation(ctx, cfg.Name, sources, []string{}, req)
 	}
 
diff --git a/syncer/checkpoint.go b/syncer/checkpoint.go
index bc8de2b775..6a4eb9d89e 100644
--- a/syncer/checkpoint.go
+++ b/syncer/checkpoint.go
@@ -32,11 +32,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pingcap/dm/pkg/schema"
 	"github.com/pingcap/dm/pkg/terror"
 	"github.com/pingcap/dm/pkg/utils"
-	"github.com/pingcap/tidb-tools/pkg/dbutil"
 
 	"github.com/pingcap/failpoint"
 	"github.com/pingcap/parser/model"
 	tmysql "github.com/pingcap/parser/mysql"
+	"github.com/pingcap/tidb-tools/pkg/dbutil"
 	"github.com/siddontang/go-mysql/mysql"
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 )
diff --git a/tests/dmctl_command/conf/dm-task.yaml b/tests/dmctl_command/conf/dm-task.yaml
index 3ebea97659..4c5473c5f5 100644
--- a/tests/dmctl_command/conf/dm-task.yaml
+++ b/tests/dmctl_command/conf/dm-task.yaml
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ meta-schema: "dm_meta"
 heartbeat-update-interval: 1
 heartbeat-report-interval: 1
 timezone: "Asia/Shanghai"
+remove-meta: true
 
 target-database:
   host: "127.0.0.1"
diff --git a/tests/dmctl_command/run.sh b/tests/dmctl_command/run.sh
index c1771b322c..236e70e3b3 100644
--- a/tests/dmctl_command/run.sh
+++ b/tests/dmctl_command/run.sh
@@ -98,7 +98,10 @@ function run() {
     dmctl_operate_source create $WORK_DIR/source2.yaml $SOURCE_ID2
 
     # start DM task with command mode
-    $PWD/bin/dmctl.test DEVEL --master-addr=:$MASTER_PORT start-task $cur/conf/dm-task.yaml
+    run_dm_ctl $WORK_DIR "127.0.0.1:$MASTER_PORT" \
+        "start-task $cur/conf/dm-task.yaml" \
+        "\`remove-meta\` in task config is deprecated, please use \`start-task ... --remove-meta\` instead" 1
+    check_log_contains $WORK_DIR/master/log/dm-master.log "\`remove-meta\` in task config is deprecated, please use \`start-task ... --remove-meta\` instead"
 
     # use sync_diff_inspector to check full dump loader
     check_sync_diff $WORK_DIR $cur/conf/diff_config.toml
diff --git a/tests/import_v10x/conf/task.yaml b/tests/import_v10x/conf/task.yaml
index 53fd5c30e7..db0e5464c1 100644
--- a/tests/import_v10x/conf/task.yaml
+++ b/tests/import_v10x/conf/task.yaml
@@ -124,3 +124,4 @@ syncers:
     enable-ansi-quotes: false
 clean-dump-file: false
 ansi-quotes: false
+remove-meta: false