diff --git a/executor/simple.go b/executor/simple.go
index 2e9f8c89ea4be..0eadfd5f85dd2 100644
--- a/executor/simple.go
+++ b/executor/simple.go
@@ -574,6 +574,10 @@ func (e *SimpleExec) executeBegin(ctx context.Context, s *ast.BeginStmt) error {
 			return expression.ErrFunctionsNoopImpl.GenWithStackByArgs("READ ONLY")
 		}
 		if s.AsOf != nil {
+			// start transaction read only as of failed due to we set tx_read_ts before
+			if e.ctx.GetSessionVars().TxnReadTS > 0 {
+				return errors.New("start transaction read only as of is forbidden after set transaction read only as of")
+			}
 			if err := e.ctx.NewTxnWithStartTS(ctx, e.staleTxnStartTS); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -584,6 +588,17 @@ func (e *SimpleExec) executeBegin(ctx context.Context, s *ast.BeginStmt) error {
 			return nil
 		}
 	}
+	// When TxnReadTS is not 0, it indicates the transaction is staleness transaction
+	if e.ctx.GetSessionVars().TxnReadTS > 0 {
+		startTS := e.ctx.GetSessionVars().TxnReadTS
+		// clear TxnReadTS after we used it.
+		e.ctx.GetSessionVars().TxnReadTS = 0
+		if err := e.ctx.NewTxnWithStartTS(ctx, startTS); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		e.ctx.GetSessionVars().SetInTxn(true)
+		return nil
+	}
 
 	// If BEGIN is the first statement in TxnCtx, we can reuse the existing transaction, without the
 	// need to call NewTxn, which commits the existing transaction and begins a new one.
diff --git a/executor/stale_txn_test.go b/executor/stale_txn_test.go
index 1f4f24a7f9f37..db4705f428d14 100644
--- a/executor/stale_txn_test.go
+++ b/executor/stale_txn_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pingcap/failpoint"
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb/ddl/placement"
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb/store/tikv/oracle"
+	"github.com/pingcap/tidb/types"
 	"github.com/pingcap/tidb/util/testkit"
 )
 
@@ -242,3 +243,50 @@ func (s *testStaleTxnSerialSuite) TestStalenessTransactionSchemaVer(c *C) {
 	c.Assert(tk.Se.GetInfoSchema().SchemaMetaVersion(), Equals, schemaVer1)
 	tk.MustExec("commit")
 }
+
+func (s *testStaleTxnSerialSuite) TestSetTransactionReadOnlyAsOf(c *C) {
+	t1, err := time.Parse(types.TimeFormat, "2016-09-21 09:53:04")
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+	tk := testkit.NewTestKit(c, s.store)
+	testcases := []struct {
+		sql          string
+		expectedTS   uint64
+		injectSafeTS uint64
+	}{
+		{
+			sql:          `SET TRANSACTION READ ONLY as of timestamp '2021-04-21 00:42:12'`,
+			expectedTS:   424394603102208000,
+			injectSafeTS: 0,
+		},
+		{
+			sql:          `SET TRANSACTION READ ONLY as of timestamp tidb_bounded_staleness('2015-09-21 00:07:01', '2021-04-27 11:26:13')`,
+			expectedTS:   oracle.GoTimeToTS(t1),
+			injectSafeTS: oracle.GoTimeToTS(t1),
+		},
+	}
+	for _, testcase := range testcases {
+		if testcase.injectSafeTS > 0 {
+			c.Assert(failpoint.Enable("github.com/pingcap/tidb/expression/injectSafeTS",
+				fmt.Sprintf("return(%v)", testcase.injectSafeTS)), IsNil)
+		}
+		tk.MustExec(testcase.sql)
+		c.Assert(tk.Se.GetSessionVars().TxnReadTS, Equals, testcase.expectedTS)
+		tk.MustExec("begin")
+		c.Assert(tk.Se.GetSessionVars().TxnReadTS, Equals, uint64(0))
+		c.Assert(tk.Se.GetSessionVars().TxnCtx.StartTS, Equals, testcase.expectedTS)
+		tk.MustExec("commit")
+		tk.MustExec("begin")
+		c.Assert(tk.Se.GetSessionVars().TxnCtx.StartTS, Not(Equals), testcase.expectedTS)
+
+		failpoint.Disable("github.com/pingcap/tidb/expression/injectSafeTS")
+	}
+
+	err = tk.ExecToErr(`SET TRANSACTION READ ONLY as of timestamp tidb_bounded_staleness(invalid1, invalid2')`)
+	c.Assert(err, NotNil)
+	c.Assert(tk.Se.GetSessionVars().TxnReadTS, Equals, uint64(0))
+
+	tk.MustExec(`SET TRANSACTION READ ONLY as of timestamp '2021-04-21 00:42:12'`)
+	err = tk.ExecToErr(`START TRANSACTION READ ONLY AS OF TIMESTAMP '2020-09-06 00:00:00'`)
+	c.Assert(err, NotNil)
+	c.Assert(err.Error(), Equals, "start transaction read only as of is forbidden after set transaction read only as of")
+}
diff --git a/sessionctx/variable/session.go b/sessionctx/variable/session.go
index f2536e4edcb16..8bd2d6940306e 100644
--- a/sessionctx/variable/session.go
+++ b/sessionctx/variable/session.go
@@ -462,6 +462,9 @@ type SessionVars struct {
 	// SnapshotTS is used for reading history data. For simplicity, SnapshotTS only supports distsql request.
 	SnapshotTS uint64
 
+	// TxnReadTS is used for staleness transaction, it provides next staleness transaction startTS.
+	TxnReadTS uint64
+
 	// SnapshotInfoschema is used with SnapshotTS, when the schema version at snapshotTS less than current schema
 	// version, we load an old version schema for query.
 	SnapshotInfoschema interface{}
diff --git a/sessionctx/variable/sysvar.go b/sessionctx/variable/sysvar.go
index ee633e0d1afdf..31ee28de2b5a8 100644
--- a/sessionctx/variable/sysvar.go
+++ b/sessionctx/variable/sysvar.go
@@ -825,6 +825,9 @@ var defaultSysVars = []*SysVar{
 	}, GetSession: func(s *SessionVars) (string, error) {
 		return s.TxnScope.GetVarValue(), nil
 	}},
+	{Scope: ScopeSession, Name: TiDBTxnReadTS, Value: "", SetSession: func(s *SessionVars, val string) error {
+		return setTxnReadTS(s, val)
+	}},
 	{Scope: ScopeGlobal | ScopeSession, Name: TiDBAllowMPPExecution, Value: On, Type: TypeEnum, PossibleValues: []string{"OFF", "ON", "ENFORCE"}, SetSession: func(s *SessionVars, val string) error {
 		s.allowMPPExecution = val
 		return nil
diff --git a/sessionctx/variable/tidb_vars.go b/sessionctx/variable/tidb_vars.go
index 3fb99204ee2ea..5d7897ff9273a 100644
--- a/sessionctx/variable/tidb_vars.go
+++ b/sessionctx/variable/tidb_vars.go
@@ -203,6 +203,9 @@ const (
 
 	// TiDBTxnScope indicates whether using global transactions or local transactions.
 	TiDBTxnScope = "txn_scope"
+
+	// TiDBTxnReadTS indicates the next transaction should be staleness transaction and provide the startTS
+	TiDBTxnReadTS = "tx_read_ts"
 )
 
 // TiDB system variable names that both in session and global scope.
diff --git a/sessionctx/variable/varsutil.go b/sessionctx/variable/varsutil.go
index d42128e73c612..653d6e4bdd8ca 100644
--- a/sessionctx/variable/varsutil.go
+++ b/sessionctx/variable/varsutil.go
@@ -378,6 +378,23 @@ func setSnapshotTS(s *SessionVars, sVal string) error {
 	return err
 }
 
+func setTxnReadTS(s *SessionVars, sVal string) error {
+	if sVal == "" {
+		s.TxnReadTS = 0
+		return nil
+	}
+	t, err := types.ParseTime(s.StmtCtx, sVal, mysql.TypeTimestamp, types.MaxFsp)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	t1, err := t.GoTime(s.TimeZone)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	s.TxnReadTS = oracle.GoTimeToTS(t1)
+	return err
+}
+
 // serverGlobalVariable is used to handle variables that acts in server and global scope.
 type serverGlobalVariable struct {
 	sync.Mutex