diff --git a/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_conf_schema.erl b/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_conf_schema.erl
index 051e6885d..481eb59f2 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_conf_schema.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_conf_schema.erl
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ fields("cluster") ->
             )},
         {"proto_dist",
             sc(
-                hoconsc:enum([inet_tcp, inet6_tcp, inet_tls]),
+                hoconsc:enum([inet_tcp, inet6_tcp, inet_tls, inet6_tls]),
                 #{
                     mapping => "ekka.proto_dist",
                     default => inet_tcp,
@@ -948,7 +948,16 @@ fields("rpc") ->
                 }
             )},
         {"ciphers", emqx_schema:ciphers_schema(tls_all_available)},
-        {"tls_versions", emqx_schema:tls_versions_schema(tls_all_available)}
+        {"tls_versions", emqx_schema:tls_versions_schema(tls_all_available)},
+        {"listen_address",
+            sc(
+                string(),
+                #{
+                    default => "0.0.0.0",
+                    desc => ?DESC(rpc_listen_address),
+                    importance => ?IMPORTANCE_MEDIUM
+                }
+            )}
     ];
 fields("log") ->
     [
@@ -1133,7 +1142,16 @@ translation("gen_rpc") ->
     [
         {"default_client_driver", fun tr_default_config_driver/1},
         {"ssl_client_options", fun tr_gen_rpc_ssl_options/1},
-        {"ssl_server_options", fun tr_gen_rpc_ssl_options/1}
+        {"ssl_server_options", fun tr_gen_rpc_ssl_options/1},
+        {"socket_ip", fun(Conf) ->
+            Addr = conf_get("rpc.listen_address", Conf),
+            case inet:parse_address(Addr) of
+                {ok, Tuple} ->
+                    Tuple;
+                {error, _Reason} ->
+                    throw(#{bad_ip_address => Addr})
+            end
+        end}
     ];
 translation("prometheus") ->
     [
diff --git a/bin/emqx b/bin/emqx
index 5484a82e5..f24210cdf 100755
--- a/bin/emqx
+++ b/bin/emqx
@@ -522,17 +522,13 @@ else
         ## only one emqx node is running, get running args from 'ps -ef' output
         tmp_nodename=$(echo -e "$PS_LINE" | $GREP -oE "\s-s?name.*" | awk '{print $2}' || true)
         tmp_cookie=$(echo -e "$PS_LINE" | $GREP -oE "\s-setcookie.*" | awk '{print $2}' || true)
+        tmp_proto_dist=$(echo -e "$PS_LINE" | $GREP -oE '\s-ekka_proto_dist.*' | awk '{print $2}' || echo 'inet_tcp')
         SSL_DIST_OPTFILE="$(echo -e "$PS_LINE" | $GREP -oE '\-ssl_dist_optfile\s.+\s' | awk '{print $2}' || true)"
         tmp_ticktime="$(echo -e "$PS_LINE" | $GREP -oE '\s-kernel\snet_ticktime\s.+\s' | awk '{print $3}' || true)"
         # data_dir is actually not needed, but kept anyway
         tmp_datadir="$(echo -e "$PS_LINE" | $GREP -oE "\-emqx_data_dir.*" | sed -E 's#.+emqx_data_dir[[:blank:]]##g' | sed -E 's#[[:blank:]]--$##g' || true)"
-        if [ -z "$SSL_DIST_OPTFILE" ]; then
-            tmp_proto='inet_tcp'
-        else
-            tmp_proto='inet_tls'
-        fi
         ## Make the format like what call_hocon multi_get prints out, but only need 4 args
-        EMQX_BOOT_CONFIGS="node.name=${tmp_nodename}\nnode.cookie=${tmp_cookie}\ncluster.proto_dist=${tmp_proto}\nnode.dist_net_ticktime=$tmp_ticktime\nnode.data_dir=${tmp_datadir}"
+        EMQX_BOOT_CONFIGS="node.name=${tmp_nodename}\nnode.cookie=${tmp_cookie}\ncluster.proto_dist=${tmp_proto_dist}\nnode.dist_net_ticktime=$tmp_ticktime\nnode.data_dir=${tmp_datadir}"
     else
         if [ "$RUNNING_NODES_COUNT" -gt 1 ]; then
             if [ -z "${EMQX_NODE__NAME:-}" ]; then
@@ -567,7 +563,7 @@ TICKTIME="$(get_boot_config 'node.dist_net_ticktime' || echo '120')"
 # this environment variable is required by ekka_dist module
 # because proto_dist is overriden to ekka, and there is a lack of ekka_tls module
 export EKKA_PROTO_DIST_MOD="${PROTO_DIST:-inet_tcp}"
-if [ "$EKKA_PROTO_DIST_MOD" = 'inet_tls' ]; then
+if [ "$EKKA_PROTO_DIST_MOD" = 'inet_tls' ] || [ "$EKKA_PROTO_DIST_MOD" = 'inet6_tls' ]; then
     if [ "$IS_BOOT_COMMAND" = 'yes' ]; then
         SSL_DIST_OPTFILE=${EMQX_SSL_DIST_OPTFILE:-"$EMQX_ETC_DIR/ssl_dist.conf"}
         case "$SSL_DIST_OPTFILE" in
@@ -1216,7 +1212,6 @@ case "${COMMAND}" in
         export PROGNAME
 
         # Store passed arguments since they will be erased by `set`
-        # add emqx_data_dir to boot command so it is visible from 'ps -ef'
         ARGS="$*"
 
         # shellcheck disable=SC2086
@@ -1247,10 +1242,13 @@ case "${COMMAND}" in
         fi
 
         # Log the startup
-        logger -t "${REL_NAME}[$$]" "EXEC: $* -- ${1+$ARGS} -emqx_data_dir ${DATA_DIR}"
+        logger -t "${REL_NAME}[$$]" "EXEC: $* -- ${1+$ARGS} -ekka_proto_dist ${EKKA_PROTO_DIST_MOD} -emqx_data_dir ${DATA_DIR}"
 
         # Start the VM
-        exec "$@" -- ${1+$ARGS} -emqx_data_dir "${DATA_DIR}"
+        # add ekka_proto_dist emqx_data_dir to boot command so it is visible from 'ps -ef'
+        # NTOE: order matters! emqx_data_dir has to be positioned at the end of the line to simplify the
+        # line parsing when file path contains spaces
+        exec "$@" -- ${1+$ARGS} -ekka_proto_dist "${EKKA_PROTO_DIST_MOD}" -emqx_data_dir "${DATA_DIR}"
         ;;
 
     ctl)
diff --git a/rel/i18n/emqx_conf_schema.hocon b/rel/i18n/emqx_conf_schema.hocon
index e1f2120ca..13f852b3f 100644
--- a/rel/i18n/emqx_conf_schema.hocon
+++ b/rel/i18n/emqx_conf_schema.hocon
@@ -60,7 +60,9 @@ node_etc_dir.label:
 cluster_proto_dist.desc:
 """The Erlang distribution protocol for the cluster.<br/>
 - inet_tcp: IPv4 TCP <br/>
-- inet_tls: IPv4 TLS, works together with <code>etc/ssl_dist.conf</code>"""
+- inet_tls: IPv4 TLS, works together with <code>etc/ssl_dist.conf</code> <br/>
+- inet6_tcp: IPv6 TCP <br/>
+- inet6_tls: IPv6 TLS, works together with <code>etc/ssl_dist.conf</code>"""
 
 cluster_proto_dist.label:
 """Cluster Protocol Distribution"""
@@ -192,6 +194,13 @@ rpc_insecure_fallback.desc:
 rpc_insecure_fallback.label:
 """RPC insecure fallback"""
 
+rpc_listen_address.desc:
+"""Specify which IP address the RPC server should listen on.
+For example <code>"0.0.0.0"</code> (default) for IPv4 and <code>"::"</code> for IPv6"""
+
+rpc_listen_address.label:
+"""RPC Listen Address"""
+
 cluster_mcast_buffer.desc:
 """Size of the user-level buffer."""