diff --git a/apps/emqx_plugins/include/emqx_plugins.hrl b/apps/emqx_plugins/include/emqx_plugins.hrl
index f822b9c8d..d1411884f 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_plugins/include/emqx_plugins.hrl
+++ b/apps/emqx_plugins/include/emqx_plugins.hrl
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 -define(CONFIG_FORMAT_AVRO, config_format_avro).
 -define(CONFIG_FORMAT_MAP, config_format_map).
 
+-define(plugin_conf_not_found, plugin_conf_not_found).
+
 -type schema_name() :: binary().
 -type avsc_path() :: string().
 
diff --git a/apps/emqx_plugins/src/emqx_plugins.appup.src b/apps/emqx_plugins/src/emqx_plugins.appup.src
deleted file mode 100644
index f9474dd33..000000000
--- a/apps/emqx_plugins/src/emqx_plugins.appup.src
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-%% -*- mode: erlang -*-
-{"0.1.0",
- [ {<<".*">>, []}
- ],
- [
-   {<<".*">>, []}
- ]
-}.
diff --git a/apps/emqx_plugins/src/emqx_plugins.erl b/apps/emqx_plugins/src/emqx_plugins.erl
index 1f98b2bd4..156edce0b 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_plugins/src/emqx_plugins.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_plugins/src/emqx_plugins.erl
@@ -80,7 +80,10 @@
 -export([get_tar/1]).
 
 %% Internal export
--export([do_ensure_started/1]).
+-export([
+    ensure_avro_config/1,
+    do_ensure_started/1
+]).
 %% for test cases
 -export([put_config_internal/2]).
 
@@ -150,7 +153,8 @@ ensure_installed(NameVsn) ->
             ok;
         {error, _} ->
             ok = purge(NameVsn),
-            do_ensure_installed(NameVsn)
+            do_ensure_installed(NameVsn),
+            ok = maybe_post_op_after_install(NameVsn)
     end.
 
 %% @doc Ensure files and directories for the given plugin are being deleted.
@@ -288,9 +292,13 @@ get_config(NameVsn, #{format := ?CONFIG_FORMAT_MAP}, Default) ->
 %% @doc Update plugin's config.
 %% RPC call from Management API or CLI.
 %% the avro Json Map and plugin config ALWAYS be valid before calling this function.
+put_config(NameVsn, AvroJsonMap, DecodedPluginConfig) when not is_binary(NameVsn) ->
+    put_config(bin(NameVsn), AvroJsonMap, DecodedPluginConfig);
 put_config(NameVsn, AvroJsonMap, _DecodedPluginConfig) ->
     AvroJsonBin = emqx_utils_json:encode(AvroJsonMap),
     ok = backup_and_write_avro_bin(NameVsn, AvroJsonBin),
+    %% {ok, AppName, AppVsn} = parse_name_vsn(AppNameVsn),
+    %% ok = PluginModule:on_config_changed(NameVsn, AvroJsonMap),
     ok = persistent_term:put(?PLUGIN_PERSIS_CONFIG_KEY(NameVsn), AvroJsonMap),
     ok.
 
@@ -581,8 +589,6 @@ do_ensure_started(NameVsn) ->
             case ensure_exists_and_installed(NameVsn) of
                 ok ->
                     Plugin = do_read_plugin(NameVsn),
-                    %% ok = ensure_avro_config(NameVsn);
-                    ok = maybe_post_op_after_install(NameVsn),
                     ok = load_code_start_apps(NameVsn, Plugin);
                 {error, plugin_not_found} ->
                     ?SLOG(error, #{
@@ -614,7 +620,11 @@ tryit(WhichOp, F) ->
                 exception => Reason,
                 stacktrace => Stacktrace
             }),
-            {error, {failed, WhichOp}}
+            {error, #{
+                which_op => WhichOp,
+                exception => Reason,
+                stacktrace => Stacktrace
+            }}
     end.
 
 %% read plugin info from the JSON file
@@ -708,10 +718,14 @@ get_from_any_node([Node | T], NameVsn, Errors) ->
             get_from_any_node(T, NameVsn, [{Node, Err} | Errors])
     end.
 
-get_config_from_any_node([], _NameVsn, Errors) ->
+get_avro_config_from_any_node([], _NameVsn, Errors) ->
     {error, Errors};
-get_config_from_any_node([Node | T], NameVsn, Errors) ->
-    case emqx_plugins_proto_v2:get_config(Node, NameVsn, 5_000) of
+get_avro_config_from_any_node([Node | T], NameVsn, Errors) ->
+    case
+        emqx_plugins_proto_v2:get_config(
+            Node, NameVsn, #{format => ?CONFIG_FORMAT_MAP}, ?plugin_conf_not_found, 5_000
+        )
+    of
         {ok, _} = Res ->
             Res;
         Err ->
@@ -1041,6 +1055,8 @@ for_plugins(ActionFun) ->
     end.
 
 for_plugin(#{name_vsn := NameVsn, enable := true}, Fun) ->
+    %% always ensure the plugin is installed
+    ok = ensure_avro_config(NameVsn),
     case Fun(NameVsn) of
         ok -> [];
         {error, Reason} -> [{NameVsn, Reason}]
@@ -1094,31 +1110,41 @@ do_create_config_dir(NameVsn) ->
 
 maybe_ensure_plugin_config(NameVsn) ->
     Nodes = [N || N <- mria:running_nodes(), N /= node()],
-    case get_config_from_any_node(Nodes, NameVsn, []) of
-        {ok, AvroBin} ->
-            ok = file:write_file(avro_config_file(NameVsn), AvroBin),
+    case get_avro_config_from_any_node(Nodes, NameVsn, []) of
+        {ok, AvroJsonMap} when is_map(AvroJsonMap) ->
+            AvroJsonBin = emqx_utils_json:encode(AvroJsonMap),
+            ok = file:write_file(avro_config_file(NameVsn), AvroJsonBin),
             ensure_avro_config(NameVsn);
+        %% {ok, ?plugin_conf_not_found} ->
         _ ->
-            %% always copy default avro file into config dir
-            %% when can not get config from other nodes
-            Source = default_avro_config_file(NameVsn),
-            Destination = avro_config_file(NameVsn),
-            filelib:is_regular(Source) andalso
-                case file:copy(Source, Destination) of
-                    {ok, _} ->
-                        ok,
-                        ensure_avro_config(NameVsn);
-                    {error, Reason} ->
-                        ?SLOG(warning, #{
-                            msg => "failed_to_copy_plugin_default_avro_config",
-                            source => Source,
-                            destination => Destination,
-                            reason => Reason
-                        })
-                end
+            cp_default_avro_file(NameVsn),
+            ensure_avro_config(NameVsn)
     end.
 
+cp_default_avro_file(NameVsn) ->
+    %% always copy default avro file into config dir
+    %% when can not get config from other nodes
+    Source = default_avro_config_file(NameVsn),
+    Destination = avro_config_file(NameVsn),
+    filelib:is_regular(Source) andalso
+        case file:copy(Source, Destination) of
+            {ok, _} ->
+                ok,
+                ensure_avro_config(NameVsn);
+            {error, Reason} ->
+                ?SLOG(warning, #{
+                    msg => "failed_to_copy_plugin_default_avro_config",
+                    source => Source,
+                    destination => Destination,
+                    reason => Reason
+                })
+        end.
+
 ensure_avro_config(NameVsn) ->
+    with_plugin_avsc(NameVsn) andalso
+        do_ensure_avro_config(NameVsn).
+
+do_ensure_avro_config(NameVsn) ->
     case read_plugin_avro(NameVsn, #{read_mode => ?JSON_MAP}) of
         {ok, AvroJsonMap} ->
             {ok, Config} = decode_plugin_avro_config(
diff --git a/apps/emqx_plugins/src/proto/emqx_plugins_proto_v2.erl b/apps/emqx_plugins/src/proto/emqx_plugins_proto_v2.erl
index 480082e28..01d0a5ce1 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_plugins/src/proto/emqx_plugins_proto_v2.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_plugins/src/proto/emqx_plugins_proto_v2.erl
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 -export([
     introduced_in/0,
     get_tar/3,
-    get_config/3
+    get_config/5
 ]).
 
 -include_lib("emqx/include/bpapi.hrl").
@@ -35,5 +35,5 @@ introduced_in() ->
 get_tar(Node, NameVsn, Timeout) ->
     rpc:call(Node, emqx_plugins, get_tar, [NameVsn], Timeout).
 
-get_config(Node, NameVsn, Timeout) ->
-    rpc:call(Node, emqx_plugins, get_config, [NameVsn], Timeout).
+get_config(Node, NameVsn, Opts, Default, Timeout) ->
+    rpc:call(Node, emqx_plugins, get_config, [NameVsn, Opts, Default], Timeout).