diff --git a/server-base/src/main/java/org/apache/kylin/rest/service/QueryService.java b/server-base/src/main/java/org/apache/kylin/rest/service/QueryService.java
index 84a184ecf2a..17f6b58ddfe 100644
--- a/server-base/src/main/java/org/apache/kylin/rest/service/QueryService.java
+++ b/server-base/src/main/java/org/apache/kylin/rest/service/QueryService.java
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@
 import org.apache.kylin.rest.request.SQLRequest;
 import org.apache.kylin.rest.response.SQLResponse;
 import org.apache.kylin.rest.util.AclEvaluate;
-import org.apache.kylin.rest.util.QueryRequestUtil;
+import org.apache.kylin.rest.util.QueryRequestLimits;
 import org.apache.kylin.rest.util.TableauInterceptor;
 import org.apache.kylin.storage.hybrid.HybridInstance;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
@@ -412,25 +412,28 @@ public SQLResponse doQueryWithCache(SQLRequest sqlRequest, boolean secureEnabled
             final boolean isSelect = QueryUtil.isSelectStatement(sql);
             final boolean isPushDownUpdateEnabled = kylinConfig.isPushDownEnabled()
                     && kylinConfig.isPushDownUpdateEnabled();
+            final int maxConcurrentQuery = projectInstance.getConfig().getQueryConcurrentRunningThresholdForProject();
 
             if (!isSelect && !isPushDownUpdateEnabled) {
                 logger.debug("Directly return exception as the sql is unsupported, and query pushdown is disabled");
                 throw new BadRequestException(msg.getNOT_SUPPORTED_SQL());
             }
 
-            int maxConcurrentQuery = projectInstance.getConfig().getQueryConcurrentRunningThresholdForProject();
-            if (!QueryRequestUtil.openQueryRequest(projectInstance.getName(), maxConcurrentQuery)) {
-                logger.warn("Directly return exception as too many concurrent query requests for project:" + project);
-                throw new BadRequestException(msg.getQUERY_TOO_MANY_RUNNING());
-            }
+            SQLResponse sqlResponse = null;
+
+            try {
+                // Check project level query request concurrency limitation per query server
+                if (!QueryRequestLimits.openQueryRequest(projectInstance.getName(), maxConcurrentQuery)) {
+                    logger.warn(
+                            "Directly return exception as too many concurrent query requests for project:" + project);
+                    throw new BadRequestException(msg.getQUERY_TOO_MANY_RUNNING());
+                }
 
-            long startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
+                long startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
 
-            // force clear the query context before a new query
-            OLAPContext.clearThreadLocalContexts();
+                // force clear the query context before a new query
+                OLAPContext.clearThreadLocalContexts();
 
-            SQLResponse sqlResponse = null;
-            try { // to deal with the case that cache searching throws exception
                 boolean queryCacheEnabled = checkCondition(kylinConfig.isQueryCacheEnabled(),
                         "query cache disabled in KylinConfig") && //
                         checkCondition(!BackdoorToggles.getDisableCache(), "query cache disabled in BackdoorToggles");
@@ -498,7 +501,7 @@ && checkCondition(
                     }
                 }
             } finally {
-                QueryRequestUtil.closeQueryRequest(projectInstance.getName(), maxConcurrentQuery);
+                QueryRequestLimits.closeQueryRequest(projectInstance.getName(), maxConcurrentQuery);
             }
 
             logQuery(sqlRequest, sqlResponse);
diff --git a/server-base/src/main/java/org/apache/kylin/rest/util/QueryRequestUtil.java b/server-base/src/main/java/org/apache/kylin/rest/util/QueryRequestLimits.java
similarity index 89%
rename from server-base/src/main/java/org/apache/kylin/rest/util/QueryRequestUtil.java
rename to server-base/src/main/java/org/apache/kylin/rest/util/QueryRequestLimits.java
index 3eb1670d72d..cddaa12f022 100644
--- a/server-base/src/main/java/org/apache/kylin/rest/util/QueryRequestUtil.java
+++ b/server-base/src/main/java/org/apache/kylin/rest/util/QueryRequestLimits.java
@@ -31,10 +31,10 @@
 import com.google.common.cache.RemovalListener;
 import com.google.common.cache.RemovalNotification;
 
-public class QueryRequestUtil {
-    private static final Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(QueryRequestUtil.class);
+public class QueryRequestLimits {
+    private static final Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(QueryRequestLimits.class);
 
-    private static LoadingCache<String, AtomicInteger> queryRequestMap = CacheBuilder.newBuilder()
+    private static LoadingCache<String, AtomicInteger> runningStats = CacheBuilder.newBuilder()
             .removalListener(new RemovalListener<String, AtomicInteger>() {
                 @Override
                 public void onRemoval(RemovalNotification<String, AtomicInteger> notification) {
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ public static boolean openQueryRequest(String project, int maxConcurrentQuery) {
             return true;
         }
         try {
-            AtomicInteger nRunningQueries = queryRequestMap.get(project);
+            AtomicInteger nRunningQueries = runningStats.get(project);
             for (;;) {
                 int nRunning = nRunningQueries.get();
                 if (nRunning < maxConcurrentQuery) {
@@ -73,14 +73,14 @@ public static void closeQueryRequest(String project, int maxConcurrentQuery) {
         if (maxConcurrentQuery == 0) {
             return;
         }
-        AtomicInteger nRunningQueries = queryRequestMap.getIfPresent(project);
+        AtomicInteger nRunningQueries = runningStats.getIfPresent(project);
         if (nRunningQueries != null) {
             nRunningQueries.decrementAndGet();
         }
     }
 
     public static Integer getCurrentRunningQuery(String project) {
-        AtomicInteger nRunningQueries = queryRequestMap.getIfPresent(project);
+        AtomicInteger nRunningQueries = runningStats.getIfPresent(project);
         if (nRunningQueries != null) {
             return nRunningQueries.get();
         } else {
diff --git a/server-base/src/test/java/org/apache/kylin/rest/util/QueryRequestUtilTest.java b/server-base/src/test/java/org/apache/kylin/rest/util/QueryRequestLimitsTest.java
similarity index 86%
rename from server-base/src/test/java/org/apache/kylin/rest/util/QueryRequestUtilTest.java
rename to server-base/src/test/java/org/apache/kylin/rest/util/QueryRequestLimitsTest.java
index fb6d2ff5783..021c057807f 100644
--- a/server-base/src/test/java/org/apache/kylin/rest/util/QueryRequestUtilTest.java
+++ b/server-base/src/test/java/org/apache/kylin/rest/util/QueryRequestLimitsTest.java
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 import org.junit.Assert;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
-public class QueryRequestUtilTest {
+public class QueryRequestLimitsTest {
 
     @Test
     public void testOpenAndCloseQueryRequest() {
@@ -43,11 +43,11 @@ public void testOpenAndCloseQueryRequest() {
                 @Override
                 public void run() {
                     try {
-                        boolean ifOpen = QueryRequestUtil.openQueryRequest(project, maxConcurrentQuery);
+                        boolean ifOpen = QueryRequestLimits.openQueryRequest(project, maxConcurrentQuery);
                         lock.countDown();
                         if (ifOpen) {
                             lock.await();
-                            QueryRequestUtil.closeQueryRequest(project, maxConcurrentQuery);
+                            QueryRequestLimits.closeQueryRequest(project, maxConcurrentQuery);
                         } else {
                             nQueryFailed.incrementAndGet();
                         }
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ public void run() {
             } catch (InterruptedException e) {
             }
         }
-        Assert.assertEquals(new Integer(0), QueryRequestUtil.getCurrentRunningQuery(project));
+        Assert.assertEquals(new Integer(0), QueryRequestLimits.getCurrentRunningQuery(project));
         Assert.assertEquals(nThread - maxConcurrentQuery, nQueryFailed.get());
     }
 }