diff --git a/apps/emqx/src/emqx_flapping.erl b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_flapping.erl
index a0eab9c18..b48f43094 100644
--- a/apps/emqx/src/emqx_flapping.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_flapping.erl
@@ -45,9 +45,9 @@
 -define(FLAPPING_DURATION, 60000).
 -define(FLAPPING_BANNED_INTERVAL, 300000).
 -define(DEFAULT_DETECT_POLICY,
-        #{threshold => ?FLAPPING_THRESHOLD,
-          duration => ?FLAPPING_DURATION,
-          banned_interval => ?FLAPPING_BANNED_INTERVAL
+        #{max_count => ?FLAPPING_THRESHOLD,
+          window_time => ?FLAPPING_DURATION,
+          ban_time => ?FLAPPING_BANNED_INTERVAL
          }).
 
 -record(flapping, {
@@ -69,33 +69,28 @@ stop() -> gen_server:stop(?MODULE).
 
 %% @doc Detect flapping when a MQTT client disconnected.
 -spec(detect(emqx_types:clientinfo()) -> boolean()).
-detect(Client) -> detect(Client, get_policy()).
-
-detect(#{clientid := ClientId, peerhost := PeerHost}, Policy = #{threshold := Threshold}) ->
-    try ets:update_counter(?FLAPPING_TAB, ClientId, {#flapping.detect_cnt, 1}) of
+detect(#{clientid := ClientId, peerhost := PeerHost, zone := Zone, listener := Listener}) ->
+    Policy = #{max_count := Threshold} = get_policy(Zone, Listener),
+    %% The initial flapping record sets the detect_cnt to 0.
+    InitVal = #flapping{
+        clientid = ClientId,
+        peerhost = PeerHost,
+        started_at = erlang:system_time(millisecond),
+        detect_cnt = 0
+    },
+    case ets:update_counter(?FLAPPING_TAB, ClientId, {#flapping.detect_cnt, 1}, InitVal) of
         Cnt when Cnt < Threshold -> false;
-        _Cnt -> case ets:take(?FLAPPING_TAB, ClientId) of
-                    [Flapping] ->
-                        ok = gen_server:cast(?MODULE, {detected, Flapping, Policy}),
-                        true;
-                    [] -> false
-                end
-    catch
-        error:badarg ->
-            %% Create a flapping record.
-            Flapping = #flapping{clientid   = ClientId,
-                                 peerhost   = PeerHost,
-                                 started_at = erlang:system_time(millisecond),
-                                 detect_cnt = 1
-                                },
-            true = ets:insert(?FLAPPING_TAB, Flapping),
-            false
+        _Cnt ->
+            case ets:take(?FLAPPING_TAB, ClientId) of
+                [Flapping] ->
+                    ok = gen_server:cast(?MODULE, {detected, Flapping, Policy}),
+                    true;
+                [] -> false
+            end
     end.
 
--compile({inline, [get_policy/0, now_diff/1]}).
-
-get_policy() ->
-    emqx:get_env(flapping_detect_policy, ?DEFAULT_DETECT_POLICY).
+get_policy(Zone, Listener) ->
+    emqx_config:get_listener_conf(Zone, Listener, [flapping_detect]).
 
 now_diff(TS) -> erlang:system_time(millisecond) - TS.
 
@@ -105,11 +100,12 @@ now_diff(TS) -> erlang:system_time(millisecond) - TS.
 
 init([]) ->
     ok = emqx_tables:new(?FLAPPING_TAB, [public, set,
-                                         {keypos, 2},
+                                         {keypos, #flapping.clientid},
                                          {read_concurrency, true},
                                          {write_concurrency, true}
                                         ]),
-    {ok, ensure_timer(#{}), hibernate}.
+    start_timers(),
+    {ok, #{}, hibernate}.
 
 handle_call(Req, _From, State) ->
     ?LOG(error, "Unexpected call: ~p", [Req]),
@@ -119,11 +115,11 @@ handle_cast({detected, #flapping{clientid   = ClientId,
                                  peerhost   = PeerHost,
                                  started_at = StartedAt,
                                  detect_cnt = DetectCnt},
-             #{duration := Duration, banned_interval := Interval}}, State) ->
-    case now_diff(StartedAt) < Duration of
+             #{window_time := WindTime, ban_time := Interval}}, State) ->
+    case now_diff(StartedAt) < WindTime of
         true -> %% Flapping happened:(
             ?LOG(error, "Flapping detected: ~s(~s) disconnected ~w times in ~wms",
-                 [ClientId, inet:ntoa(PeerHost), DetectCnt, Duration]),
+                 [ClientId, inet:ntoa(PeerHost), DetectCnt, WindTime]),
             Now = erlang:system_time(second),
             Banned = #banned{who    = {clientid, ClientId},
                              by     = <<"flapping detector">>,
@@ -141,11 +137,13 @@ handle_cast(Msg, State) ->
     ?LOG(error, "Unexpected cast: ~p", [Msg]),
     {noreply, State}.
 
-handle_info({timeout, TRef, expired_detecting}, State = #{expired_timer := TRef}) ->
-    Timestamp = erlang:system_time(millisecond) - maps:get(duration, get_policy()),
+handle_info({timeout, _TRef, {garbage_collect, Zone, Listener}}, State) ->
+    Timestamp = erlang:system_time(millisecond)
+                - maps:get(window_time, get_policy(Zone, Listener)),
     MatchSpec = [{{'_', '_', '_', '$1', '_'},[{'<', '$1', Timestamp}], [true]}],
     ets:select_delete(?FLAPPING_TAB, MatchSpec),
-    {noreply, ensure_timer(State), hibernate};
+    start_timer(Zone, Listener),
+    {noreply, State, hibernate};
 
 handle_info(Info, State) ->
     ?LOG(error, "Unexpected info: ~p", [Info]),
@@ -157,7 +155,13 @@ terminate(_Reason, _State) ->
 code_change(_OldVsn, State, _Extra) ->
     {ok, State}.
 
-ensure_timer(State) ->
-    Timeout = maps:get(duration, get_policy()),
-    TRef = emqx_misc:start_timer(Timeout, expired_detecting),
-    State#{expired_timer => TRef}.
\ No newline at end of file
+start_timer(Zone, Listener) ->
+    WindTime = maps:get(window_time, get_policy(Zone, Listener)),
+    emqx_misc:start_timer(WindTime, {garbage_collect, Zone, Listener}).
+
+start_timers() ->
+    lists:foreach(fun({Zone, ZoneConf}) ->
+            lists:foreach(fun({Listener, _}) ->
+                    start_timer(Zone, Listener)
+                end, maps:to_list(maps:get(listeners, ZoneConf, #{})))
+        end, maps:to_list(emqx_config:get([zones], #{}))).
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/apps/emqx/test/emqx_flapping_SUITE.erl b/apps/emqx/test/emqx_flapping_SUITE.erl
index 79eb64b45..e5b12a122 100644
--- a/apps/emqx/test/emqx_flapping_SUITE.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx/test/emqx_flapping_SUITE.erl
@@ -26,7 +26,11 @@ all() -> emqx_ct:all(?MODULE).
 init_per_suite(Config) ->
     emqx_ct_helpers:boot_modules(all),
     emqx_ct_helpers:start_apps([]),
-    emqx_config:put_listener_conf(default, mqtt_tcp, [flapping_detect, enable], true),
+    emqx_config:put_listener_conf(default, mqtt_tcp, [flapping_detect],
+        #{max_count => 3,
+          window_time => 100,
+          ban_time => 2
+        }),
     Config.
 
 end_per_suite(_Config) ->
@@ -35,7 +39,8 @@ end_per_suite(_Config) ->
     ok.
 
 t_detect_check(_) ->
-    ClientInfo = #{zone => external,
+    ClientInfo = #{zone => default,
+                   listener => mqtt_tcp,
                    clientid => <<"clientid">>,
                    peerhost => {127,0,0,1}
                   },
@@ -56,7 +61,8 @@ t_detect_check(_) ->
     ok = emqx_flapping:stop().
 
 t_expired_detecting(_) ->
-    ClientInfo = #{zone => external,
+    ClientInfo = #{zone => default,
+                   listener => mqtt_tcp,
                    clientid => <<"clientid">>,
                    peerhost => {127,0,0,1}},
     false = emqx_flapping:detect(ClientInfo),