diff --git a/apps/emqx/include/logger.hrl b/apps/emqx/include/logger.hrl
index 496675005..2d039c4e1 100644
--- a/apps/emqx/include/logger.hrl
+++ b/apps/emqx/include/logger.hrl
@@ -17,46 +17,6 @@
 -ifndef(EMQX_LOGGER_HRL).
 -define(EMQX_LOGGER_HRL, true).
 
-%% debug | info | notice | warning | error | critical | alert | emergency
--define(DEBUG(Format), ?LOG(debug, Format, [])).
--define(DEBUG(Format, Args), ?LOG(debug, Format, Args)).
-
--define(INFO(Format), ?LOG(info, Format, [])).
--define(INFO(Format, Args), ?LOG(info, Format, Args)).
-
--define(NOTICE(Format), ?LOG(notice, Format, [])).
--define(NOTICE(Format, Args), ?LOG(notice, Format, Args)).
-
--define(WARN(Format), ?LOG(warning, Format, [])).
--define(WARN(Format, Args), ?LOG(warning, Format, Args)).
-
--define(ERROR(Format), ?LOG(error, Format, [])).
--define(ERROR(Format, Args), ?LOG(error, Format, Args)).
-
--define(CRITICAL(Format), ?LOG(critical, Format, [])).
--define(CRITICAL(Format, Args), ?LOG(critical, Format, Args)).
-
--define(ALERT(Format), ?LOG(alert, Format, [])).
--define(ALERT(Format, Args), ?LOG(alert, Format, Args)).
-
--define(LOG(Level, Format), ?LOG(Level, Format, [])).
-
-%% deprecated
--define(LOG(Level, Format, Args, Meta),
-        %% check 'allow' here so we do not have to pass an anonymous function
-        %% down to logger which may cause `badfun` exception during upgrade
-        case logger:allow(Level, ?MODULE) of
-            true ->
-                logger:log(Level, (Format), (Args),
-                           (Meta)#{ mfa => {?MODULE, ?FUNCTION_NAME, ?FUNCTION_ARITY}
-                                  , line => ?LINE
-                                  });
-            false ->
-                ok
-        end).
-
--define(LOG(Level, Format, Args), ?LOG(Level, Format, Args, #{})).
-
 %% structured logging
 -define(SLOG(Level, Data),
         ?SLOG(Level, Data, #{})).
diff --git a/apps/emqx/src/emqx_ctl.erl b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_ctl.erl
index 5ad4f3827..74b72c193 100644
--- a/apps/emqx/src/emqx_ctl.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_ctl.erl
@@ -105,7 +105,10 @@ run_command(Cmd, Args) when is_atom(Cmd) ->
                 _ -> ok
             catch
                 _:Reason:Stacktrace ->
-                    ?ERROR("CMD Error:~0p, Stacktrace:~0p", [Reason, Stacktrace]),
+                    ?SLOG(error, #{msg => "ctl_command_crashed",
+                                   stacktrace => Stacktrace,
+                                   reason => Reason
+                                  }),
                     {error, Reason}
             end;
         [] ->
diff --git a/apps/emqx/src/emqx_hocon.erl b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_hocon.erl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6b2cdfb55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_hocon.erl
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+%%--------------------------------------------------------------------
+%% Copyright (c) 2022 EMQ Technologies Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
+%%
+%% Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+%% you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+%% You may obtain a copy of the License at
+%%
+%%     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+%%
+%% Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+%% distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+%% WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+%% See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+%% limitations under the License.
+%%--------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+%% @doc HOCON schema help module
+-module(emqx_hocon).
+
+-export([format_path/1]).
+
+format_path([]) -> "";
+format_path([Name]) -> iol(Name);
+format_path([Name | Rest]) ->
+    [iol(Name) , "." | format_path(Rest)].
+
+%% Ensure iolist()
+iol(B) when is_binary(B) -> B;
+iol(A) when is_atom(A) -> atom_to_binary(A, utf8);
+iol(L) when is_list(L) -> L.
diff --git a/apps/emqx_gateway/src/exproto/emqx_exproto_channel.erl b/apps/emqx_gateway/src/exproto/emqx_exproto_channel.erl
index 843cf39d5..64d4cb962 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_gateway/src/exproto/emqx_exproto_channel.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_gateway/src/exproto/emqx_exproto_channel.erl
@@ -245,7 +245,8 @@ handle_timeout(_TRef, force_close, Channel = #channel{closed_reason = Reason}) -
     {shutdown, {error, {force_close, Reason}}, Channel};
 
 handle_timeout(_TRef, Msg, Channel) ->
-    ?WARN("Unexpected timeout: ~p", [Msg]),
+    ?SLOG(warning, #{msg => "unexpected_timeout_signal",
+                     signal => Msg}),
     {ok, Channel}.
 
 -spec handle_call(Req :: any(), From :: any(), channel())
diff --git a/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer.erl b/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer.erl
index 3f43c1597..edc51d174 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer.erl
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
 
 -define(DEF_MAX_PAYLOAD_SIZE, (1024 * 1024)).
 -define(DEF_EXPIRY_INTERVAL, 0).
+-define(MAX_PAYLOAD_SIZE_CONFIG_PATH, [retainer, max_payload_size]).
 
 -define(CAST(Msg), gen_server:cast(?MODULE, Msg)).
 
@@ -293,9 +294,9 @@ new_state() ->
 new_context(Id) ->
     #{context_id => Id}.
 
-is_too_big(Size) ->
-    Limit = emqx_conf:get([retainer, max_payload_size], ?DEF_MAX_PAYLOAD_SIZE),
-    Limit > 0 andalso (Size > Limit).
+
+payload_size_limit() ->
+    emqx_conf:get(?MAX_PAYLOAD_SIZE_CONFIG_PATH, ?DEF_MAX_PAYLOAD_SIZE).
 
 %% @private
 dispatch(Context, Topic) ->
@@ -309,13 +310,17 @@ delete_message(Context, Topic) ->
 
 -spec store_retained(context(), message()) -> ok.
 store_retained(Context, #message{topic = Topic, payload = Payload} = Msg) ->
-    case is_too_big(erlang:byte_size(Payload)) of
-        false ->
-            Mod = get_backend_module(),
-            Mod:store_retained(Context, Msg);
+    Size = iolist_size(Payload),
+    case payload_size_limit() of
+        Limit when Limit > 0 andalso Limit < Size ->
+            ?SLOG(error, #{msg => "retain_failed_for_payload_size_exceeded_limit",
+                           topic => Topic,
+                           config => emqx_hocon:format_path(?MAX_PAYLOAD_SIZE_CONFIG_PATH),
+                           size => Size,
+                           limit => Limit});
         _ ->
-            ?ERROR("Cannot retain message(topic=~ts, payload_size=~p) for payload is too big!",
-                   [Topic, iolist_size(Payload)])
+            Mod = get_backend_module(),
+            Mod:store_retained(Context, Msg)
     end.
 
 -spec clean(context()) -> ok.