diff --git a/src/emqx_logger.erl b/src/emqx_logger.erl
index 5c6808840..d53256fba 100644
--- a/src/emqx_logger.erl
+++ b/src/emqx_logger.erl
@@ -138,7 +138,15 @@ critical(Metadata, Format, Args) when is_map(Metadata) ->
 set_metadata_clientid(<<>>) ->
     ok;
 set_metadata_clientid(ClientId) ->
-    set_proc_metadata(#{clientid => ClientId}).
+    try
+        %% try put string format client-id metadata so
+        %% so the log is not like <<"...">>
+        Id = unicode:characters_to_list(ClientId, utf8),
+        set_proc_metadata(#{clientid => Id})
+    catch
+        _: _->
+            ok
+    end.
 
 -spec(set_metadata_peername(peername_str()) -> ok).
 set_metadata_peername(Peername) ->
diff --git a/src/emqx_tracer.erl b/src/emqx_tracer.erl
index 02f735a75..f135c6f3d 100644
--- a/src/emqx_tracer.erl
+++ b/src/emqx_tracer.erl
@@ -145,17 +145,19 @@ handler_id(?TOPIC_TRACE(Topic)) ->
 handler_id(?CLIENT_TRACE(ClientId)) ->
     list_to_atom(?CLIENT_TRACE_ID(handler_name(ClientId))).
 
-filter_by_meta_key(#{meta:=Meta}=LogEvent, {MetaKey, MetaValue}) ->
-    case maps:find(MetaKey, Meta) of
-        {ok, MetaValue} -> LogEvent;
-        {ok, Topic} when MetaKey =:= topic ->
-            case emqx_topic:match(Topic, MetaValue) of
-                true -> LogEvent;
-                false -> ignore
-            end;
-        _ -> ignore
+filter_by_meta_key(#{meta := Meta} = Log, {Key, Value}) ->
+    case is_meta_match(Key, Value, Meta) of
+        true -> Log;
+        false -> ignore
     end.
 
+is_meta_match(clientid, ClientId, #{clientid := ClientIdStr}) ->
+    ClientId =:= iolist_to_binary(ClientIdStr);
+is_meta_match(topic, TopicFilter, #{topic := TopicMeta}) ->
+    emqx_topic:match(TopicMeta, TopicFilter);
+is_meta_match(_, _, _) ->
+    false.
+
 handler_name(Bin) ->
     case byte_size(Bin) of
         Size when Size =< 200 -> binary_to_list(Bin);
diff --git a/test/emqx_tracer_SUITE.erl b/test/emqx_tracer_SUITE.erl
index 94bac7e3d..f30f911eb 100644
--- a/test/emqx_tracer_SUITE.erl
+++ b/test/emqx_tracer_SUITE.erl
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ init_per_suite(Config) ->
 
 end_per_suite(_Config) ->
     emqx_ct_helpers:stop_apps([]).
-    
 
 t_start_traces(_Config) ->
     {ok, T} = emqtt:start_link([{host, "localhost"},
@@ -89,4 +88,4 @@ t_start_traces(_Config) ->
     emqtt:disconnect(T),
 
     emqx_logger:set_log_level(warning).
-    
\ No newline at end of file
+