diff --git a/pkg/statistics/handle/bootstrap.go b/pkg/statistics/handle/bootstrap.go
index 1006fbce5a85f..41e1abd97a5a1 100644
--- a/pkg/statistics/handle/bootstrap.go
+++ b/pkg/statistics/handle/bootstrap.go
@@ -164,6 +164,12 @@ func (*Handle) initStatsHistograms4ChunkLite(cache statstypes.StatsCache, iter *
 }
 
 func (h *Handle) initStatsHistograms4Chunk(is infoschema.InfoSchema, cache statstypes.StatsCache, iter *chunk.Iterator4Chunk, isCacheFull bool) {
+	defer func() {
+		if r := recover(); r != nil {
+			logutil.BgLogger().Error("panic when initStatsHistograms4Chunk", zap.Any("r", r),
+				zap.Stack("stack"))
+		}
+	}()
 	var table *statistics.Table
 	for row := iter.Begin(); row != iter.End(); row = iter.Next() {
 		tblID, statsVer := row.GetInt64(0), row.GetInt64(8)
@@ -185,7 +191,12 @@ func (h *Handle) initStatsHistograms4Chunk(is infoschema.InfoSchema, cache stats
 		}
 		id, ndv, nullCount, version, totColSize := row.GetInt64(2), row.GetInt64(3), row.GetInt64(5), row.GetUint64(4), row.GetInt64(7)
 		lastAnalyzePos := row.GetDatum(11, types.NewFieldType(mysql.TypeBlob))
-		tbl, _ := h.TableInfoByID(is, table.PhysicalID)
+		tbl, ok := h.TableInfoByID(is, table.PhysicalID)
+		if !ok {
+			// this table has been dropped. but stats meta still exists and wait for being deleted.
+			logutil.BgLogger().Warn("cannot find this table when to init stats", zap.Int64("tableID", table.PhysicalID))
+			continue
+		}
 		if row.GetInt64(1) > 0 {
 			var idxInfo *model.IndexInfo
 			for _, idx := range tbl.Meta().Indices {
diff --git a/pkg/statistics/handle/handletest/initstats/BUILD.bazel b/pkg/statistics/handle/handletest/initstats/BUILD.bazel
index c5c3b99b15a86..1b7e6262b46dd 100644
--- a/pkg/statistics/handle/handletest/initstats/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/pkg/statistics/handle/handletest/initstats/BUILD.bazel
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ go_test(
         "main_test.go",
     ],
     flaky = True,
+    shard_count = 4,
     deps = [
         "//pkg/config",
         "//pkg/parser/model",
diff --git a/pkg/statistics/handle/handletest/initstats/load_stats_test.go b/pkg/statistics/handle/handletest/initstats/load_stats_test.go
index 37d0c45a9d030..af39654e63de6 100644
--- a/pkg/statistics/handle/handletest/initstats/load_stats_test.go
+++ b/pkg/statistics/handle/handletest/initstats/load_stats_test.go
@@ -102,3 +102,40 @@ func testConcurrentlyInitStats(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	require.Equal(t, int64(126), handle.GetMaxTidRecordForTest())
 }
+
+func TestDropTableBeforeConcurrentlyInitStats(t *testing.T) {
+	restore := config.RestoreFunc()
+	defer restore()
+	config.UpdateGlobal(func(conf *config.Config) {
+		conf.Performance.LiteInitStats = false
+		conf.Performance.ConcurrentlyInitStats = true
+	})
+	testDropTableBeforeInitStats(t)
+}
+
+func TestDropTableBeforeNonLiteInitStats(t *testing.T) {
+	restore := config.RestoreFunc()
+	defer restore()
+	config.UpdateGlobal(func(conf *config.Config) {
+		conf.Performance.LiteInitStats = false
+		conf.Performance.ConcurrentlyInitStats = false
+	})
+	testDropTableBeforeInitStats(t)
+}
+
+func testDropTableBeforeInitStats(t *testing.T) {
+	store, dom := testkit.CreateMockStoreAndDomain(t)
+	tk := testkit.NewTestKit(t, store)
+	tk.MustExec("use test;")
+	tk.MustExec("create table t( id int, a int, b int, index idx(id, a));")
+	tk.MustExec("insert into t values (1, 1, 1), (2, 2, 2), (3, 3, 3), (4, 4, 4), (5, 5, 5);")
+	tk.MustExec("insert into t select * from t where id<>2;")
+	tk.MustExec("insert into t select * from t where id<>2;")
+	tk.MustExec("insert into t select * from t where id<>2;")
+	tk.MustExec("insert into t select * from t where id<>2;")
+	tk.MustExec("analyze table t all columns;")
+	tk.MustExec("drop table t")
+	h := dom.StatsHandle()
+	is := dom.InfoSchema()
+	require.NoError(t, h.InitStats(context.Background(), is))
+}