diff --git a/src/emqx.appup.src b/src/emqx.appup.src
index 68ca21a3b..4678aca89 100644
--- a/src/emqx.appup.src
+++ b/src/emqx.appup.src
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 {VSN,
   [{"4.4.1",
     [{load_module,emqx_plugins,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]},
+     {load_module,emqx_session,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]},
      {load_module,emqx_app,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]},
      {add_module,emqx_relup},
      {load_module,emqx_os_mon,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]},
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@
    {<<".*">>,[]}],
   [{"4.4.1",
     [{load_module,emqx_plugins,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]},
+     {load_module,emqx_session,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]},
      {load_module,emqx_app,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]},
      {delete_module,emqx_relup},
      {load_module,emqx_os_mon,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]},
diff --git a/src/emqx_cm.erl b/src/emqx_cm.erl
index 4aa953caa..4b06f35a8 100644
--- a/src/emqx_cm.erl
+++ b/src/emqx_cm.erl
@@ -242,7 +242,8 @@ open_session(false, ClientInfo = #{clientid := ClientId}, ConnInfo) ->
                               {ok, #{session => Session, present => false}}
                           end,
                       case takeover_session(ClientId) of
-                          {ok, ConnMod, ChanPid, Session} ->
+                          {ok, ConnMod, ChanPid, Session0} ->
+                              Session = emqx_session:upgrade(ClientInfo, Session0),
                               ok = emqx_session:resume(ClientInfo, Session),
                               case request_stepdown({takeover, 'end'}, ConnMod, ChanPid) of
                                   {ok, Pendings} ->
@@ -289,7 +290,7 @@ takeover_session(ClientId, ChanPid) when node(ChanPid) == node() ->
         ConnMod when is_atom(ConnMod) ->
             case request_stepdown({takeover, 'begin'}, ConnMod, ChanPid) of
                 {ok, Session} ->
-                    {ok, ConnMod, ChanPid, Session};
+                    {ok, ConnMod, ChanPid, emqx_session:downgrade(Session)};
                 {error, Reason} ->
                     {error, Reason}
             end
diff --git a/src/emqx_session.erl b/src/emqx_session.erl
index bb5e84ac4..0364bde61 100644
--- a/src/emqx_session.erl
+++ b/src/emqx_session.erl
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@
 -export([ takeover/1
         , resume/2
         , replay/2
+        , upgrade/2
+        , downgrade/1
         ]).
 
 -export([expire/2]).
@@ -163,6 +165,7 @@
 
 -ifdef(TEST).
 -define(GET_CLIENT_ID(C), maps:get(clientid, C, <<>>)).
+-export([dummy/0]).
 -else.
 -define(GET_CLIENT_ID(C), maps:get(clientid, C)).
 -endif.
@@ -196,6 +199,22 @@ init_mqueue(Zone) ->
                        default_priority => get_env(Zone, mqueue_default_priority, lowest)
                       }).
 
+%% @doc uprade from 4.3
+upgrade(CInfo, S) ->
+    ?LOG(warning, "upgrading from 4.3", []),
+    [session | Fields] = tuple_to_list(S),
+    #session{} = list_to_tuple([session, ?GET_CLIENT_ID(CInfo) | Fields] ++ [#{}]).
+
+%% @doc Downgrade to 4.3
+downgrade(#session{} = S) ->
+    ?LOG(warning, "downgrading to 4.3", []),
+    [session, _ClientID | Fields] = tuple_to_list(S),
+    list_to_tuple([session | lists:reverse(tl(lists:reverse(Fields)))]).
+
+-ifdef(TEST).
+dummy() ->
+    #session{}.
+-endif.
 %%--------------------------------------------------------------------
 %% Info, Stats
 %%--------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/test/emqx_cm_SUITE.erl b/test/emqx_cm_SUITE.erl
index 4fcaaf473..84b362c0a 100644
--- a/test/emqx_cm_SUITE.erl
+++ b/test/emqx_cm_SUITE.erl
@@ -332,15 +332,17 @@ t_discard_session_race(_) ->
 t_takeover_session(_) ->
     #{conninfo := ConnInfo} = ?ChanInfo,
     {error, not_found} = emqx_cm:takeover_session(<<"clientid">>),
+    Dummy = emqx_session:dummy(),
+    Downgraded = emqx_session:downgrade(Dummy),
     erlang:spawn_link(fun() ->
         ok = emqx_cm:register_channel(<<"clientid">>, self(), ConnInfo),
         receive
             {'$gen_call', From, {takeover, 'begin'}} ->
-                gen_server:reply(From, test), ok
+                gen_server:reply(From, Dummy), ok
         end
     end),
     timer:sleep(100),
-    {ok, emqx_connection, _, test} = emqx_cm:takeover_session(<<"clientid">>),
+    {ok, emqx_connection, _, Downgraded} = emqx_cm:takeover_session(<<"clientid">>),
     emqx_cm:unregister_channel(<<"clientid">>).
 
 t_all_channels(_) ->