diff --git a/src/emqx_channel.erl b/src/emqx_channel.erl
index 7bfef472d..fa64f3528 100644
--- a/src/emqx_channel.erl
+++ b/src/emqx_channel.erl
@@ -1536,6 +1536,7 @@ ensure_connected(Channel = #channel{conninfo = ConnInfo,
                                     clientinfo = ClientInfo}) ->
     NConnInfo = ConnInfo#{connected_at => erlang:system_time(millisecond)},
     ok = run_hooks('client.connected', [ClientInfo, NConnInfo]),
+    emqx_cm:increment_connected_client_count(),
     Channel#channel{conninfo   = NConnInfo,
                     conn_state = connected
                    }.
@@ -1624,6 +1625,7 @@ ensure_disconnected(Reason, Channel = #channel{conninfo = ConnInfo,
                                                clientinfo = ClientInfo}) ->
     NConnInfo = ConnInfo#{disconnected_at => erlang:system_time(millisecond)},
     ok = run_hooks('client.disconnected', [ClientInfo, Reason, NConnInfo]),
+    emqx_cm:decrement_connected_client_count(),
     Channel#channel{conninfo = NConnInfo, conn_state = disconnected}.
 
 %%--------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -1725,4 +1727,3 @@ flag(false) -> 0.
 set_field(Name, Value, Channel) ->
     Pos = emqx_misc:index_of(Name, record_info(fields, channel)),
     setelement(Pos+1, Channel, Value).
-
diff --git a/src/emqx_cm.erl b/src/emqx_cm.erl
index 23f078568..2ecacabc2 100644
--- a/src/emqx_cm.erl
+++ b/src/emqx_cm.erl
@@ -72,7 +72,12 @@
         ]).
 
 %% Internal export
--export([stats_fun/0, clean_down/1]).
+-export([ stats_fun/0
+        , clean_down/1
+        , increment_connected_client_count/0
+        , decrement_connected_client_count/0
+        , get_connected_client_count/0
+        ]).
 
 -type(chan_pid() :: pid()).
 
@@ -141,6 +146,12 @@ unregister_channel(ClientId) when is_binary(ClientId) ->
 do_unregister_channel(Chan) ->
     ok = emqx_cm_registry:unregister_channel(Chan),
     true = ets:delete(?CHAN_CONN_TAB, Chan),
+    case ets:lookup(?CHAN_INFO_TAB, Chan) of
+        [{_, #{conn_state := connected}, _}] ->
+            decrement_connected_client_count();
+        _ ->
+            skip
+    end,
     true = ets:delete(?CHAN_INFO_TAB, Chan),
     ets:delete_object(?CHAN_TAB, Chan).
 
@@ -427,6 +438,7 @@ rpc_call(Node, Fun, Args, Timeout) ->
 
 %% @private
 cast(Msg) -> gen_server:cast(?CM, Msg).
+call(Msg) -> gen_server:call(?CM, Msg).
 
 %%--------------------------------------------------------------------
 %% gen_server callbacks
@@ -438,8 +450,14 @@ init([]) ->
     ok = emqx_tables:new(?CHAN_CONN_TAB, [bag | TabOpts]),
     ok = emqx_tables:new(?CHAN_INFO_TAB, [set, compressed | TabOpts]),
     ok = emqx_stats:update_interval(chan_stats, fun ?MODULE:stats_fun/0),
-    {ok, #{chan_pmon => emqx_pmon:new()}}.
+    State = #{ chan_pmon => emqx_pmon:new()
+             , connected_client_count => 0
+             },
+    {ok, State}.
 
+handle_call({connected_client_count, get}, _From,
+            State = #{connected_client_count := CCCount}) ->
+    {reply, CCCount, State};
 handle_call(Req, _From, State) ->
     ?LOG(error, "Unexpected call: ~p", [Req]),
     {reply, ignored, State}.
@@ -447,7 +465,18 @@ handle_call(Req, _From, State) ->
 handle_cast({registered, {ClientId, ChanPid}}, State = #{chan_pmon := PMon}) ->
     PMon1 = emqx_pmon:monitor(ChanPid, ClientId, PMon),
     {noreply, State#{chan_pmon := PMon1}};
-
+handle_cast({connected_client_count, inc},
+            State0 = #{connected_client_count := CCCount0}) ->
+    ?tp(emqx_cm_connected_client_count_inc, #{count_before => CCCount0}),
+    CCCount = CCCount0 + 1,
+    State = State0#{connected_client_count := CCCount},
+    {noreply, State};
+handle_cast({connected_client_count, dec},
+            State0 = #{connected_client_count := CCCount0}) ->
+    ?tp(emqx_cm_connected_client_count_dec, #{count_before => CCCount0}),
+    CCCount = max(0, CCCount0 - 1),
+    State = State0#{connected_client_count := CCCount},
+    {noreply, State};
 handle_cast(Msg, State) ->
     ?LOG(error, "Unexpected cast: ~p", [Msg]),
     {noreply, State}.
@@ -493,3 +522,11 @@ get_chann_conn_mod(ClientId, ChanPid) when node(ChanPid) == node() ->
 get_chann_conn_mod(ClientId, ChanPid) ->
     rpc_call(node(ChanPid), get_chann_conn_mod, [ClientId, ChanPid], ?T_GET_INFO).
 
+increment_connected_client_count() ->
+    cast({connected_client_count, inc}).
+
+decrement_connected_client_count() ->
+    cast({connected_client_count, dec}).
+
+get_connected_client_count() ->
+    call({connected_client_count, get}).
diff --git a/src/emqx_connection.erl b/src/emqx_connection.erl
index ab91c02b4..84086015d 100644
--- a/src/emqx_connection.erl
+++ b/src/emqx_connection.erl
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@ terminate(Reason, State = #state{channel = Channel, transport = Transport,
             ?tp(warning, unclean_terminate, #{exception => E, context => C, stacktrace => S})
     end,
     ?tp(info, terminate, #{reason => Reason}),
-    maybe_raise_excption(Reason).
+    maybe_raise_exception(Reason).
 
 %% close socket, discard new state, always return ok.
 close_socket_ok(State) ->
@@ -526,12 +526,12 @@ close_socket_ok(State) ->
     ok.
 
 %% tell truth about the original exception
-maybe_raise_excption(#{exception := Exception,
+maybe_raise_exception(#{exception := Exception,
                        context := Context,
                        stacktrace := Stacktrace
                       }) ->
     erlang:raise(Exception, Context, Stacktrace);
-maybe_raise_excption(Reason) ->
+maybe_raise_exception(Reason) ->
     exit(Reason).
 
 %%--------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/test/emqx_broker_SUITE.erl b/test/emqx_broker_SUITE.erl
index 4cef68660..ff1a30fe2 100644
--- a/test/emqx_broker_SUITE.erl
+++ b/test/emqx_broker_SUITE.erl
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 
 -include_lib("eunit/include/eunit.hrl").
 -include_lib("common_test/include/ct.hrl").
+-include_lib("snabbkaffe/include/snabbkaffe.hrl").
 
 -include_lib("emqx/include/emqx.hrl").
 -include_lib("emqx/include/emqx_mqtt.hrl").
@@ -277,6 +278,68 @@ t_stats_fun({'end', _Config}) ->
     ok = emqx_broker:unsubscribe(<<"topic">>),
     ok = emqx_broker:unsubscribe(<<"topic2">>).
 
+%% persistent sessions, when gone, do not contribute to connect client
+%% count
+t_connected_client_count_persistent({init, Config}) ->
+    ok = snabbkaffe:start_trace(),
+    process_flag(trap_exit, true),
+    Config;
+t_connected_client_count_persistent(Config) when is_list(Config) ->
+    ?assertEqual(0, emqx_cm:get_connected_client_count()),
+    {ok, ConnPid0} = emqtt:start_link([{clean_start, false}, {clientid, <<"clientid">>}]),
+    {{ok, _}, _} = wait_for_events(
+                     fun() -> emqtt:connect(ConnPid0) end,
+                     [emqx_cm_connected_client_count_inc]
+                    ),
+    ?assertEqual(1, emqx_cm:get_connected_client_count()),
+    {ok, _} = wait_for_events(
+                fun() -> emqtt:disconnect(ConnPid0) end,
+                [emqx_cm_connected_client_count_dec]
+               ),
+    ?assertEqual(0, emqx_cm:get_connected_client_count()),
+    %% reconnecting
+    {ok, ConnPid1} = emqtt:start_link([{clean_start, false}, {clientid, <<"clientid">>}]),
+    {{ok, _}, _} = wait_for_events(
+                fun() -> emqtt:connect(ConnPid1) end,
+                [emqx_cm_connected_client_count_inc]
+               ),
+    ?assertEqual(1, emqx_cm:get_connected_client_count()),
+    %% taking over
+    {ok, ConnPid2} = emqtt:start_link([{clean_start, false}, {clientid, <<"clientid">>}]),
+    {{ok, _}, _} = wait_for_events(
+                     fun() -> emqtt:connect(ConnPid2) end,
+                     [ emqx_cm_connected_client_count_dec
+                     , emqx_cm_connected_client_count_inc
+                     ]
+                    ),
+    ?assertEqual(1, emqx_cm:get_connected_client_count()),
+    %% abnormal exit of channel process
+    [ChanPid] = emqx_cm:all_channels(),
+    {true, _} = wait_for_events(
+                  fun() -> exit(ChanPid, kill) end,
+                  [emqx_cm_connected_client_count_dec]
+                 ),
+    ?assertEqual(0, emqx_cm:get_connected_client_count()),
+    ok;
+t_connected_client_count_persistent({'end', _Config}) ->
+    snabbkaffe:stop(),
+    ok.
+
+wait_for_events(Action, Kinds) ->
+    Predicate = fun(#{?snk_kind := K}) ->
+                        lists:member(K, Kinds)
+                end,
+    N = length(Kinds),
+    Timeout = 100,
+    {ok, Sub} = snabbkaffe_collector:subscribe(Predicate, N, Timeout, 0),
+    Res = Action(),
+    case snabbkaffe_collector:receive_events(Sub) of
+        {timeout, []} ->
+            {Res, timeout};
+        {ok, Events} ->
+            {Res, {ok, Events}}
+    end.
+
 recv_msgs(Count) ->
     recv_msgs(Count, []).