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..8612d9f16 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]).
@@ -196,6 +198,16 @@ init_mqueue(Zone) ->
                        default_priority => get_env(Zone, mqueue_default_priority, lowest)
                       }).
 
+%% @doc uprade from 4.3
+upgrade(CInfo, S) ->
+    [session | Fields] = tuple_to_list(S),
+    #session{} = list_to_tuple([session, ?GET_CLIENT_ID(CInfo) | Fields] ++ [#{}]).
+
+%% @doc Downgrade to 4.3
+downgrade(#session{} = S) ->
+    [session, _ClientID | Fields] = tuple_to_list(S),
+    list_to_tuple([session | lists:reverse(tl(lists:reverse(Fields)))]).
+
 %%--------------------------------------------------------------------
 %% Info, Stats
 %%--------------------------------------------------------------------