diff --git a/server/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/watch.go b/server/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/watch.go
index cd834aa3e86..ddbcd231bf0 100644
--- a/server/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/watch.go
+++ b/server/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/watch.go
@@ -144,10 +144,6 @@ type serverWatchStream struct {
 	// records fragmented watch IDs
 	fragment map[mvcc.WatchID]bool
 
-	// indicates whether we have an outstanding global progress
-	// notification to send
-	deferredProgress bool
-
 	// closec indicates the stream is closed.
 	closec chan struct{}
 
@@ -177,8 +173,6 @@ func (ws *watchServer) Watch(stream pb.Watch_WatchServer) (err error) {
 		prevKV:   make(map[mvcc.WatchID]bool),
 		fragment: make(map[mvcc.WatchID]bool),
 
-		deferredProgress: false,
-
 		closec: make(chan struct{}),
 	}
 
@@ -366,14 +360,7 @@ func (sws *serverWatchStream) recvLoop() error {
 		case *pb.WatchRequest_ProgressRequest:
 			if uv.ProgressRequest != nil {
 				sws.mu.Lock()
-				// Ignore if deferred progress notification is already in progress
-				if !sws.deferredProgress {
-					// Request progress for all watchers,
-					// force generation of a response
-					if !sws.watchStream.RequestProgressAll() {
-						sws.deferredProgress = true
-					}
-				}
+				sws.watchStream.RequestProgressAll()
 				sws.mu.Unlock()
 			}
 		default:
@@ -481,11 +468,6 @@ func (sws *serverWatchStream) sendLoop() {
 				// elide next progress update if sent a key update
 				sws.progress[wresp.WatchID] = false
 			}
-			if sws.deferredProgress {
-				if sws.watchStream.RequestProgressAll() {
-					sws.deferredProgress = false
-				}
-			}
 			sws.mu.Unlock()
 
 		case c, ok := <-sws.ctrlStream:
diff --git a/tests/integration/v3_watch_test.go b/tests/integration/v3_watch_test.go
index 518db37e2c2..a2b46aaf992 100644
--- a/tests/integration/v3_watch_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/v3_watch_test.go
@@ -1438,8 +1438,8 @@ func TestV3WatchProgressWaitsForSync(t *testing.T) {
 	wch := client.Watch(ctx, "foo", clientv3.WithRev(1))
 
 	// Immediately request a progress notification. As the client
-	// is unsynchronised, the server will have to defer the
-	// notification internally.
+	// is unsynchronised, the server will not sent any notification,
+	//as client can infer progress from events.
 	err := client.RequestProgress(ctx)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
@@ -1459,8 +1459,9 @@ func TestV3WatchProgressWaitsForSync(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		event_count += len(wr.Events)
 	}
-
-	// ... followed by the requested progress notification
+	// client needs to request progress notification again
+	err = client.RequestProgress(ctx)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 	wr2 := <-wch
 	if wr2.Err() != nil {
 		t.Fatal(fmt.Errorf("watch error: %w", wr2.Err()))
@@ -1472,3 +1473,47 @@ func TestV3WatchProgressWaitsForSync(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("Wrong revision in progress notification!")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestV3WatchProgressWaitsForSyncNoEvents(t *testing.T) {
+	if ThroughProxy {
+		t.Skip("grpc proxy currently does not support requesting progress notifications")
+	}
+	BeforeTest(t)
+
+	clus := NewClusterV3(t, &ClusterConfig{Size: 1})
+	defer clus.Terminate(t)
+
+	client := clus.RandClient()
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	resp, err := client.Put(ctx, "bar", "1")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	wch := client.Watch(ctx, "foo", clientv3.WithRev(resp.Header.Revision))
+	// Request the progress notification on newly created watch that was not yet synced.
+	err = client.RequestProgress(ctx)
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(100 * time.Millisecond)
+	defer ticker.Stop()
+
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	gotProgressNotification := false
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-ticker.C:
+			err := client.RequestProgress(ctx)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+		case resp := <-wch:
+			if resp.Err() != nil {
+				t.Fatal(fmt.Errorf("watch error: %w", resp.Err()))
+			}
+			if resp.IsProgressNotify() {
+				gotProgressNotification = true
+			}
+		}
+		if gotProgressNotification {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	require.True(t, gotProgressNotification, "Expected to get progress notification")
+}