diff --git a/tools/leaderelection/leaderelection.go b/tools/leaderelection/leaderelection.go
index c3c1d9be..07180630 100644
--- a/tools/leaderelection/leaderelection.go
+++ b/tools/leaderelection/leaderelection.go
@@ -306,18 +306,30 @@ func (le *LeaderElector) renew(ctx context.Context) {
 
 // release attempts to release the leader lease if we have acquired it.
 func (le *LeaderElector) release() bool {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	timeoutCtx, timeoutCancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, le.config.RenewDeadline)
+	defer timeoutCancel()
+	// update the resourceVersion of lease
+	oldLeaderElectionRecord, _, err := le.config.Lock.Get(timeoutCtx)
+	if err != nil {
+		if !errors.IsNotFound(err) {
+			klog.Errorf("error retrieving resource lock %v: %v", le.config.Lock.Describe(), err)
+			return false
+		}
+		klog.Infof("lease lock not found: %v", le.config.Lock.Describe())
+		return false
+	}
+
 	if !le.IsLeader() {
 		return true
 	}
 	now := metav1.NewTime(le.clock.Now())
 	leaderElectionRecord := rl.LeaderElectionRecord{
-		LeaderTransitions:    le.observedRecord.LeaderTransitions,
+		LeaderTransitions:    oldLeaderElectionRecord.LeaderTransitions,
 		LeaseDurationSeconds: 1,
 		RenewTime:            now,
 		AcquireTime:          now,
 	}
-	timeoutCtx, timeoutCancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), le.config.RenewDeadline)
-	defer timeoutCancel()
 	if err := le.config.Lock.Update(timeoutCtx, leaderElectionRecord); err != nil {
 		klog.Errorf("Failed to release lock: %v", err)
 		return false
diff --git a/tools/leaderelection/leaderelection_test.go b/tools/leaderelection/leaderelection_test.go
index 211f11df..eff46177 100644
--- a/tools/leaderelection/leaderelection_test.go
+++ b/tools/leaderelection/leaderelection_test.go
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@ func testReleaseLease(t *testing.T, objectType string) {
 					verb:       "get",
 					objectType: objectType,
 					reaction: func(action fakeclient.Action) (handled bool, ret runtime.Object, err error) {
-						return true, nil, errors.NewNotFound(action.(fakeclient.GetAction).GetResource().GroupResource(), action.(fakeclient.GetAction).GetName())
+						return true, createLockObject(t, objectType, action.GetNamespace(), action.(fakeclient.GetAction).GetName(), &rl.LeaderElectionRecord{HolderIdentity: "baz"}), nil
 					},
 				},
 				{
@@ -574,6 +574,13 @@ func testReleaseLease(t *testing.T, objectType string) {
 						return true, action.(fakeclient.UpdateAction).GetObject(), nil
 					},
 				},
+				{
+					verb:       "get",
+					objectType: objectType,
+					reaction: func(action fakeclient.Action) (handled bool, ret runtime.Object, err error) {
+						return true, nil, errors.NewNotFound(action.(fakeclient.GetAction).GetResource().GroupResource(), action.(fakeclient.GetAction).GetName())
+					},
+				},
 			},
 			expectSuccess: true,
 			outHolder:     "",
@@ -677,6 +684,59 @@ func TestReleaseLeaseLeases(t *testing.T) {
 	testReleaseLease(t, "leases")
 }
 
+// TestReleaseMethodCallsGet test release method calls Get
+func TestReleaseMethodCallsGet(t *testing.T) {
+	objectType := "leases"
+	getCalled := false
+
+	lockMeta := metav1.ObjectMeta{Namespace: "foo", Name: "bar"}
+	recorder := record.NewFakeRecorder(100)
+	resourceLockConfig := rl.ResourceLockConfig{
+		Identity:      "baz",
+		EventRecorder: recorder,
+	}
+	c := &fake.Clientset{}
+	c.AddReactor("get", objectType, func(action fakeclient.Action) (bool, runtime.Object, error) {
+		// flag to check if Get is called
+		getCalled = true
+		return true, createLockObject(t, objectType, action.GetNamespace(), action.(fakeclient.GetAction).GetName(), &rl.LeaderElectionRecord{
+			HolderIdentity:       "baz",
+			LeaseDurationSeconds: 10,
+		}), nil
+	})
+	c.AddReactor("update", objectType, func(action fakeclient.Action) (bool, runtime.Object, error) {
+		return true, action.(fakeclient.UpdateAction).GetObject(), nil
+	})
+
+	lock := &rl.LeaseLock{
+		LeaseMeta:  lockMeta,
+		LockConfig: resourceLockConfig,
+		Client:     c.CoordinationV1(),
+	}
+	lec := LeaderElectionConfig{
+		Lock:          lock,
+		LeaseDuration: 10 * time.Second,
+		Callbacks: LeaderCallbacks{
+			OnNewLeader: func(l string) {},
+		},
+	}
+	observedRawRecord := GetRawRecordOrDie(t, objectType, rl.LeaderElectionRecord{HolderIdentity: "baz"})
+	le := &LeaderElector{
+		config:            lec,
+		observedRecord:    rl.LeaderElectionRecord{HolderIdentity: "baz"},
+		observedRawRecord: observedRawRecord,
+		observedTime:      time.Now(),
+		clock:             clock.RealClock{},
+		metrics:           globalMetricsFactory.newLeaderMetrics(),
+	}
+
+	le.release()
+
+	if !getCalled {
+		t.Errorf("release method does not call Get")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestReleaseOnCancellation_Leases(t *testing.T) {
 	testReleaseOnCancellation(t, "leases")
 }
@@ -791,9 +851,11 @@ func testReleaseOnCancellation(t *testing.T, objectType string) {
 						if lockObj != nil {
 							// Third and more get (first create, second renew) should return our canceled error
 							// FakeClient doesn't do anything with the context so we're doing this ourselves
-							if gets >= 3 {
-								close(onRenewCalled)
-								<-onRenewResume
+							if gets >= 4 {
+								if gets == 4 {
+									close(onRenewCalled)
+									<-onRenewResume
+								}
 								return true, nil, context.Canceled
 							}
 							return true, lockObj, nil