diff --git a/bin/emqx b/bin/emqx
index f921c4187..849045231 100755
--- a/bin/emqx
+++ b/bin/emqx
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ export ERTS_DIR="$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/erts-$ERTS_VSN"
 export BINDIR="$ERTS_DIR/bin"
 export EMU="beam"
 export PROGNAME="erl"
-export ERTS_LIB_DIR="$ERTS_DIR/../lib"
+export ERTS_LIB_DIR="$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/lib"
 DYNLIBS_DIR="$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/dynlibs"
 
 # Echo to stderr on errors
@@ -272,9 +272,8 @@ if [ "$ES" -ne 0 ]; then
     exit $ES
 fi
 
-# EPMD_ARG="-start_epmd true $PROTO_DIST_ARG"
 NO_EPMD="-start_epmd false -epmd_module ekka_epmd -proto_dist ekka"
-EPMD_ARG="${EPMD_ARG:-${NO_EPMD}}"
+EPMD_ARGS="${EPMD_ARGS:-${NO_EPMD}}"
 
 # Warn the user if ulimit -n is less than 1024
 ULIMIT_F=$(ulimit -n)
@@ -312,26 +311,27 @@ relx_rem_sh() {
     # Get the node's ticktime so that we use the same thing.
     TICKTIME="$(relx_nodetool rpcterms net_kernel get_net_ticktime)"
 
-    # shellcheck disable=SC2086 # $EPMD_ARG is supposed to be split by whitespace
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2086
     # Setup remote shell command to control node
     if [ "$IS_ELIXIR" = "yes" ]
     then
-      exec "$REL_DIR/iex" \
+      set -- "$REL_DIR/iex" \
            --remsh "$NAME" \
            --boot-var RELEASE_LIB "$ERTS_LIB_DIR" \
            --cookie "$COOKIE" \
            --hidden \
            --erl "-kernel net_ticktime $TICKTIME" \
-           --erl "$EPMD_ARG" \
+           --erl "$EPMD_ARGS" \
            --erl "$NAME_TYPE $id" \
            --boot "$REL_DIR/start_clean"
     else
-      exec "$BINDIR/erl" "$NAME_TYPE" "$id" \
+      set -- "$BINDIR/erl" "$NAME_TYPE" "$id" \
            -remsh "$NAME" -boot "$REL_DIR/start_clean" \
            -boot_var ERTS_LIB_DIR "$ERTS_LIB_DIR" \
            -setcookie "$COOKIE" -hidden -kernel net_ticktime "$TICKTIME" \
-           $EPMD_ARG
+           $EPMD_ARGS
     fi
+    exec "$@"
 }
 
 # Generate a random id
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ call_nodetool() {
 # Control a node
 relx_nodetool() {
     command="$1"; shift
-    ERL_FLAGS="${ERL_FLAGS:-} $EPMD_ARG" \
+    ERL_FLAGS="${ERL_FLAGS:-} $EPMD_ARGS" \
     call_nodetool "$NAME_TYPE" "$NAME" \
                                 -setcookie "$COOKIE" "$command" "$@"
 }
@@ -406,6 +406,7 @@ CONFIGS_DIR="$DATA_DIR/configs"
 mkdir -p "$CONFIGS_DIR"
 
 # Function to generate app.config and vm.args
+# sets two environment variables CONF_FILE and ARGS_FILE
 generate_config() {
     local name_type="$1"
     local node_name="$2"
@@ -424,16 +425,14 @@ generate_config() {
     call_hocon -v -t "$NOW_TIME" -s "$SCHEMA_MOD" -c "$EMQX_ETC_DIR"/emqx.conf -d "$DATA_DIR"/configs generate
 
     ## filenames are per-hocon convention
-    local CONF_FILE="$CONFIGS_DIR/app.$NOW_TIME.config"
-    local HOCON_GEN_ARG_FILE="$CONFIGS_DIR/vm.$NOW_TIME.args"
+    CONF_FILE="$CONFIGS_DIR/app.$NOW_TIME.config"
+    ARGS_FILE="$CONFIGS_DIR/vm.$NOW_TIME.args"
 
     # This is needed by the Elixir scripts.
     # Do NOT append `.config`.
     RELEASE_SYS_CONFIG="$CONFIGS_DIR/app.$NOW_TIME"
     export RELEASE_SYS_CONFIG
 
-    CONFIG_ARGS="-config $CONF_FILE -args_file $HOCON_GEN_ARG_FILE"
-
     ## Merge hocon generated *.args into the vm.args
     TMP_ARG_FILE="$CONFIGS_DIR/vm.args.tmp"
     cp "$EMQX_ETC_DIR/vm.args" "$TMP_ARG_FILE"
@@ -442,7 +441,7 @@ generate_config() {
     ## read lines from generated vm.<time>.args file
     ## drop comment lines, and empty lines using sed
     ## pipe the lines to a while loop
-    sed '/^#/d' "$HOCON_GEN_ARG_FILE" | sed '/^$/d' | while IFS='' read -r ARG_LINE || [ -n "$ARG_LINE" ]; do
+    sed '/^#/d' "$ARGS_FILE" | sed '/^$/d' | while IFS='' read -r ARG_LINE || [ -n "$ARG_LINE" ]; do
         ## in the loop, split the 'key[:space:]value' pair
         ARG_KEY=$(echo "$ARG_LINE" | awk '{$NF="";print}')
         ARG_VALUE=$(echo "$ARG_LINE" | awk '{print $NF}')
@@ -453,7 +452,7 @@ generate_config() {
             ## if they are different
             if [ -n "$TMP_ARG_VALUE" ]; then
                 ## if the old value is present, replace it with generated value
-                sh -c "$SED_REPLACE 's|^$ARG_KEY.*$|$ARG_LINE|' $TMP_ARG_FILE"
+                sh -c "$SED_REPLACE 's|^$ARG_KEY.*$|$ARG_LINE|' \"$TMP_ARG_FILE\""
             else
                 ## otherwise append generated value to the end
                 echo "$ARG_LINE" >> "$TMP_ARG_FILE"
@@ -462,12 +461,7 @@ generate_config() {
     done
     echo "$name_type $node_name" >> "$TMP_ARG_FILE"
     ## rename the generated vm.<time>.args file
-    mv -f "$TMP_ARG_FILE" "$HOCON_GEN_ARG_FILE"
-
-    # shellcheck disable=SC2086
-    if ! relx_nodetool chkconfig $CONFIG_ARGS; then
-        die "failed_to_check_config $CONFIG_ARGS"
-    fi
+    mv -f "$TMP_ARG_FILE" "$ARGS_FILE"
 }
 
 # check if a PID is down
@@ -588,7 +582,11 @@ maybe_log_to_console() {
 # check if using an OTP version that has the mnesia_hook patch for use
 # in mria.
 is_otp_compatible() {
-  "$ERTS_DIR"/bin/erl -noshell -eval 'try mnesia_hook:module_info() of _ -> init:stop() catch _:_ -> init:stop(1) end.' 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null
+  "$BINDIR/$PROGNAME" \
+    -noshell \
+    -boot_var RELEASE_LIB "$ERTS_LIB_DIR/lib" \
+    -boot "$REL_DIR/start_clean" \
+    -eval 'try mnesia_hook:module_info() of _ -> init:stop() catch _:_ -> halt(1) end.' >/dev/null 2>&1
 }
 
 ## IS_BOOT_COMMAND is set for later to inspect node name and cookie from hocon config (or env variable)
@@ -725,7 +723,7 @@ case "${COMMAND}" in
         else
             echo "$EMQX_DESCRIPTION $REL_VSN failed to start in ${WAIT_TIME} seconds."
             echo "Please find more information in erlang.log.N"
-            echo "Or run 'DEBUG=1 $0 console' to have logs printed to console."
+            echo "Or run 'env DEBUG=1 $0 console' to have logs printed to console."
             exit 1
         fi
         ;;
@@ -796,7 +794,7 @@ case "${COMMAND}" in
 
         assert_node_alive
 
-        ERL_FLAGS="${ERL_FLAGS:-} $EPMD_ARG" \
+        ERL_FLAGS="${ERL_FLAGS:-} $EPMD_ARGS" \
         exec "$BINDIR/escript" "$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/bin/install_upgrade.escript" \
              "$COMMAND" "{'$REL_NAME', \"$NAME_TYPE\", '$NAME', '$COOKIE'}" "$@"
         ;;
@@ -806,17 +804,17 @@ case "${COMMAND}" in
 
         shift
 
-        ERL_FLAGS="${ERL_FLAGS:-} $EPMD_ARG" \
+        ERL_FLAGS="${ERL_FLAGS:-} $EPMD_ARGS" \
         exec "$BINDIR/escript" "$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/bin/install_upgrade.escript" \
              "versions" "{'$REL_NAME', \"$NAME_TYPE\", '$NAME', '$COOKIE'}" "$@"
         ;;
 
-    console|console_clean)
+    console|console_clean|foreground)
         # .boot file typically just $REL_NAME (ie, the app name)
         # however, for debugging, sometimes start_clean.boot is useful.
         # For e.g. 'setup', one may even want to name another boot script.
         case "$COMMAND" in
-            console)
+            console|foreground)
                 if [ -f "$REL_DIR/$REL_NAME.boot" ]; then
                   BOOTFILE="$REL_DIR/$REL_NAME"
                 else
@@ -827,6 +825,14 @@ case "${COMMAND}" in
                 BOOTFILE="$REL_DIR/start_clean"
                 ;;
         esac
+        case "$COMMAND" in
+            foreground)
+                FOREGROUNDOPTIONS="-noshell -noinput +Bd"
+                ;;
+            *)
+                FOREGROUNDOPTIONS=''
+                ;;
+        esac
 
         # set before generate_config
         if [ "${_EMQX_START_DAEMON_MODE:-}" = 1 ]; then
@@ -850,25 +856,31 @@ case "${COMMAND}" in
         # Store passed arguments since they will be erased by `set`
         ARGS="$*"
 
-        # shellcheck disable=SC2086 # $CONFIG_ARGS $EPMD_ARG are supposed to be split by whitespace
+        # shellcheck disable=SC2086
         # Build an array of arguments to pass to exec later on
         # Build it here because this command will be used for logging.
         if [ "$IS_ELIXIR" = yes ]
         then
           set -- "$REL_DIR/iex" \
               --boot "$BOOTFILE" \
-              --erl "-mode $CODE_LOADING_MODE" \
               --boot-var RELEASE_LIB "$ERTS_LIB_DIR" \
+              --erl-config "${CONF_FILE}" \
+              --vm-args "${ARGS_FILE}" \
+              --erl "$FOREGROUNDOPTIONS" \
+              --erl "-mode $CODE_LOADING_MODE" \
               --erl "-mnesia dir \"${MNESIA_DATA_DIR}\"" \
-              --erl "$CONFIG_ARGS" \
-              --erl "$EPMD_ARG" \
+              --erl "$EPMD_ARGS" \
               --werl
         else
           set -- "$BINDIR/erlexec" \
-              -boot "$BOOTFILE" -mode "$CODE_LOADING_MODE" \
+              $FOREGROUNDOPTIONS \
+              -boot "$BOOTFILE" \
               -boot_var ERTS_LIB_DIR "$ERTS_LIB_DIR" \
+              -mode "$CODE_LOADING_MODE" \
               -mnesia dir "\"${MNESIA_DATA_DIR}\"" \
-              $CONFIG_ARGS $EPMD_ARG
+              -config "$CONF_FILE" \
+              -args_file "$ARGS_FILE" \
+              $EPMD_ARGS
         fi
 
         # Log the startup
@@ -878,59 +890,6 @@ case "${COMMAND}" in
         exec "$@" -- ${1+$ARGS}
         ;;
 
-    foreground)
-        # start up the release in the foreground for use by runit
-        # or other supervision services
-
-        maybe_log_to_console
-
-        #generate app.config and vm.args
-        generate_config "$NAME_TYPE" "$NAME"
-
-        check_license
-
-        [ -f "$REL_DIR/$REL_NAME.boot" ] && BOOTFILE="$REL_NAME" || BOOTFILE=start
-        FOREGROUNDOPTIONS="-noshell -noinput +Bd"
-
-        # Setup beam-required vars
-        EMU=beam
-        PROGNAME="${0#*/}"
-
-        export EMU
-        export PROGNAME
-
-        # Store passed arguments since they will be erased by `set`
-        ARGS="$*"
-
-        # shellcheck disable=SC2086 # $CONFIG_ARGS $EPMD_ARG are supposed to be split by whitespace
-        # Build an array of arguments to pass to exec later on
-        # Build it here because this command will be used for logging.
-        if [ "$IS_ELIXIR" = yes ]
-        then
-          set -- "$REL_DIR/elixir" \
-              --boot "$REL_DIR/start" \
-              --erl "$FOREGROUNDOPTIONS" \
-              --erl "-mode $CODE_LOADING_MODE" \
-              --boot-var RELEASE_LIB "$ERTS_LIB_DIR" \
-              --boot-var ERTS_LIB_DIR "$ERTS_LIB_DIR" \
-              --erl "-mnesia dir \"${MNESIA_DATA_DIR}\"" \
-              --erl "$CONFIG_ARGS" \
-              --erl "$EPMD_ARG" \
-              --no-halt
-        else
-          set -- "$BINDIR/erlexec" $FOREGROUNDOPTIONS \
-              -boot "$REL_DIR/$BOOTFILE" -mode "$CODE_LOADING_MODE" \
-              -boot_var ERTS_LIB_DIR "$ERTS_LIB_DIR" \
-              -mnesia dir "\"${MNESIA_DATA_DIR}\"" \
-              $CONFIG_ARGS $EPMD_ARG
-        fi
-
-        # Log the startup
-        logger -t "${REL_NAME}[$$]" "EXEC: $* -- ${1+$ARGS}"
-
-        # Start the VM
-        exec "$@" -- ${1+$ARGS}
-        ;;
     ctl)
         assert_node_alive