diff --git a/apps/emqx/i18n/emqx_limiter_i18n.conf b/apps/emqx/i18n/emqx_limiter_i18n.conf
index b75435225..99ecc9e1e 100644
--- a/apps/emqx/i18n/emqx_limiter_i18n.conf
+++ b/apps/emqx/i18n/emqx_limiter_i18n.conf
@@ -89,10 +89,10 @@ the check/consume will succeed, but it will be forced to wait for a short period
     }
   }
 
-  per_client {
+  client {
     desc {
-      en: """The rate limit for each user of the bucket, this field is not required"""
-      zh: """对桶的每个使用者的速率控制设置，这个不是必须的"""
+      en: """The rate limit for each user of the bucket"""
+      zh: """对桶的每个使用者的速率控制设置"""
     }
     label: {
       en: """Per Client"""
diff --git a/apps/emqx/src/emqx_limiter/src/emqx_limiter_schema.erl b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_limiter/src/emqx_limiter_schema.erl
index 61dc95bc7..f5e90a7e8 100644
--- a/apps/emqx/src/emqx_limiter/src/emqx_limiter_schema.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_limiter/src/emqx_limiter_schema.erl
@@ -32,8 +32,7 @@
     desc/1,
     types/0,
     infinity_value/0,
-    bucket_opts/0,
-    bucket_opts_meta/0
+    bucket_fields/1
 ]).
 
 -define(KILOBYTE, 1024).
@@ -96,7 +95,17 @@ fields(limiter) ->
                 default => make_limiter_default(Type)
             })}
      || Type <- types()
-    ];
+    ] ++
+        [
+            {client,
+                ?HOCON(
+                    ?R_REF(client_fields),
+                    #{
+                        desc => ?DESC(client),
+                        default => #{}
+                    }
+                )}
+        ];
 fields(node_opts) ->
     [
         {rate, ?HOCON(rate(), #{desc => ?DESC(rate), default => "infinity"})},
@@ -104,15 +113,22 @@ fields(node_opts) ->
             ?HOCON(burst_rate(), #{
                 desc => ?DESC(burst),
                 default => 0
-            })},
-        {client, ?HOCON(?R_REF(client_opts), #{default => #{}})}
+            })}
+    ];
+fields(client_fields) ->
+    [
+        {Type,
+            ?HOCON(?R_REF(client_opts), #{
+                desc => ?DESC(Type),
+                default => #{}
+            })}
+     || Type <- types()
     ];
 fields(bucket_opts) ->
     [
         {rate, ?HOCON(rate(), #{desc => ?DESC(rate), default => "infinity"})},
         {capacity, ?HOCON(capacity(), #{desc => ?DESC(capacity), default => "infinity"})},
-        {initial, ?HOCON(initial(), #{default => "0", desc => ?DESC(initial)})},
-        {client, ?HOCON(?R_REF(client_opts), #{required => false})}
+        {initial, ?HOCON(initial(), #{default => "0", desc => ?DESC(initial)})}
     ];
 fields(client_opts) ->
     [
@@ -159,14 +175,23 @@ fields(client_opts) ->
                     default => force
                 }
             )}
-    ].
+    ];
+fields({client_fields, Types}) ->
+    [
+        {Type,
+            ?HOCON(?R_REF(client_opts), #{
+                desc => ?DESC(Type),
+                required => false
+            })}
+     || Type <- Types
+    ];
+fields({bucket_fields, Types}) ->
+    bucket_fields(Types).
 
 desc(limiter) ->
     "Settings for the rate limiter.";
 desc(node_opts) ->
     "Settings for the limiter of the node level.";
-desc(node_client_opts) ->
-    "Settings for the client in the node level.";
 desc(bucket_opts) ->
     "Settings for the bucket.";
 desc(client_opts) ->
@@ -174,23 +199,37 @@ desc(client_opts) ->
 desc(_) ->
     undefined.
 
-bucket_opts() ->
-    ?HOCON(
-        ?MAP("bucket_name", ?R_REF(bucket_opts)),
-        bucket_opts_meta()
-    ).
-
-bucket_opts_meta() ->
-    #{
-        default => #{},
-        example =>
-            #{
-                <<"rate">> => <<"infinity">>,
-                <<"capcity">> => <<"infinity">>,
-                <<"initial">> => <<"100">>,
-                <<"client">> => #{<<"rate">> => <<"infinity">>}
-            }
-    }.
+bucket_fields(Type) when is_atom(Type) ->
+    fields(bucket_opts) ++
+        [
+            {client,
+                ?HOCON(
+                    ?R_REF(?MODULE, client_opts),
+                    #{
+                        desc => ?DESC(client),
+                        required => false
+                    }
+                )}
+        ];
+bucket_fields(Types) ->
+    [
+        {Type,
+            ?HOCON(?R_REF(?MODULE, bucket_opts), #{
+                desc => ?DESC(?MODULE, Type),
+                required => false
+            })}
+     || Type <- Types
+    ] ++
+        [
+            {client,
+                ?HOCON(
+                    ?R_REF(?MODULE, {client_fields, Types}),
+                    #{
+                        desc => ?DESC(client),
+                        required => false
+                    }
+                )}
+        ].
 
 %% default period is 100ms
 default_period() ->
diff --git a/apps/emqx/src/emqx_limiter/src/emqx_limiter_server.erl b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_limiter/src/emqx_limiter_server.erl
index 997f6b788..66cafa7dc 100644
--- a/apps/emqx/src/emqx_limiter/src/emqx_limiter_server.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_limiter/src/emqx_limiter_server.erl
@@ -116,35 +116,28 @@
 %% If no bucket path is set in config, there will be no limit
 connect(_Id, _Type, undefined) ->
     {ok, emqx_htb_limiter:make_infinity_limiter()};
-connect(
-    Id,
-    Type,
-    #{
-        rate := BucketRate,
-        capacity := BucketSize
-    } = BucketCfg
-) ->
-    case emqx_limiter_manager:find_bucket(Id, Type) of
-        {ok, Bucket} ->
-            case find_client_cfg(Type, BucketCfg) of
-                #{rate := CliRate, capacity := CliSize} = ClientCfg ->
-                    {ok,
-                        if
-                            CliRate < BucketRate orelse CliSize < BucketSize ->
-                                emqx_htb_limiter:make_token_bucket_limiter(ClientCfg, Bucket);
-                            true ->
-                                emqx_htb_limiter:make_ref_limiter(ClientCfg, Bucket)
-                        end};
-                {error, invalid_node_cfg} = Error ->
-                    ?SLOG(error, #{msg => "invalid_node_cfg", type => Type, id => Id}),
-                    Error
-            end;
+connect(Id, Type, Cfg) ->
+    case find_limiter_cfg(Type, Cfg) of
+        {undefined, _} ->
+            {ok, emqx_htb_limiter:make_infinity_limiter()};
+        {
+            #{
+                rate := BucketRate,
+                capacity := BucketSize
+            } = BucketCfg,
+            #{rate := CliRate, capacity := CliSize} = ClientCfg
+        } ->
+            {ok,
+                if
+                    CliRate < BucketRate orelse CliSize < BucketSize ->
+                        emqx_htb_limiter:make_token_bucket_limiter(ClientCfg, BucketCfg);
+                    true ->
+                        emqx_htb_limiter:make_ref_limiter(ClientCfg, BucketCfg)
+                end};
         undefined ->
             ?SLOG(error, #{msg => "bucket_not_found", type => Type, id => Id}),
             {error, invalid_bucket}
-    end;
-connect(Id, Type, Paths) ->
-    connect(Id, Type, maps:get(Type, Paths, undefined)).
+    end.
 
 -spec add_bucket(limiter_id(), limiter_type(), hocons:config() | undefined) -> ok.
 add_bucket(_Id, _Type, undefine) ->
@@ -571,9 +564,16 @@ call(Type, Msg) ->
             gen_server:call(Pid, Msg)
     end.
 
-find_client_cfg(Type, Cfg) ->
-    NodeCfg = emqx:get_config([limiter, Type, client], undefined),
-    BucketCfg = maps:get(client, Cfg, undefined),
+find_limiter_cfg(Type, #{rate := _} = Cfg) ->
+    {Cfg, find_client_cfg(Type, maps:get(client, Cfg, undefined))};
+find_limiter_cfg(Type, Cfg) ->
+    {
+        maps:get(Type, Cfg),
+        find_client_cfg(Type, emqx_map_lib:deep_get([client, Type], Cfg, undefined))
+    }.
+
+find_client_cfg(Type, BucketCfg) ->
+    NodeCfg = emqx:get_config([limiter, client, Type], undefined),
     merge_client_cfg(NodeCfg, BucketCfg).
 
 merge_client_cfg(undefined, BucketCfg) ->
diff --git a/apps/emqx/src/emqx_schema.erl b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_schema.erl
index 0c8a073a0..81f5c922a 100644
--- a/apps/emqx/src/emqx_schema.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_schema.erl
@@ -1619,10 +1619,13 @@ base_listener(Bind) ->
             )},
         {"limiter",
             sc(
-                map("ratelimit_name", ?R_REF(emqx_limiter_schema, bucket_opts)),
+                ?R_REF(
+                    emqx_limiter_schema,
+                    {bucket_fields, [bytes_in, message_in, connection, message_routing]}
+                ),
                 #{
-                    desc => ?DESC(base_listener_limiter)
-                    %% TODO                    default => #{<<"connection">> => <<"default">>}
+                    desc => ?DESC(base_listener_limiter),
+                    default => #{}
                 }
             )},
         {"enable_authn",
diff --git a/apps/emqx_dashboard/src/emqx_dashboard_swagger.erl b/apps/emqx_dashboard/src/emqx_dashboard_swagger.erl
index 80b4e9624..b9c1e5c61 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_dashboard/src/emqx_dashboard_swagger.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_dashboard/src/emqx_dashboard_swagger.erl
@@ -755,6 +755,8 @@ to_bin(List) when is_list(List) ->
     end;
 to_bin(Boolean) when is_boolean(Boolean) -> Boolean;
 to_bin(Atom) when is_atom(Atom) -> atom_to_binary(Atom, utf8);
+to_bin({Type, Args}) ->
+    unicode:characters_to_binary(io_lib:format("~p(~p)", [Type, Args]));
 to_bin(X) ->
     X.
 
diff --git a/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer_schema.erl b/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer_schema.erl
index 22083ba2c..986eb4105 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer_schema.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer_schema.erl
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ fields(flow_control) ->
             )},
         {batch_deliver_limiter,
             sc(
-                ?R_REF(emqx_limiter_schema, bucket_opts),
+                ?R_REF(emqx_limiter_schema, {bucket_fields, internal}),
                 batch_deliver_limiter,
                 undefined
             )}