diff --git a/src/emqx_trace_handler.erl b/src/emqx_trace_handler.erl
index ffe581300..49f3157cc 100644
--- a/src/emqx_trace_handler.erl
+++ b/src/emqx_trace_handler.erl
@@ -59,6 +59,22 @@
     }}
 ).
 
+-define(CLIENT_FORMAT,
+    {logger_formatter, #{
+        template => [
+            time, " [", level, "] ",
+            {clientid,
+                [{peername, [clientid, "@", peername, " "], [clientid, " "]}],
+                [{peername, [peername, " "], []}]
+            },
+            msg, "\n"
+        ],
+        single_line => false,
+        max_size => unlimited,
+        depth => unlimited
+    }}
+).
+
 -define(CONFIG(_LogFile_), #{
     type => halt,
     file => _LogFile_,
@@ -160,7 +176,7 @@ filter_ip_address(_Log, _ExpectId) -> ignore.
 install_handler(Who = #{name := Name, type := Type}, Level, LogFile) ->
     HandlerId = handler_id(Name, Type),
     Config = #{ level => Level,
-                formatter => ?FORMAT,
+                formatter => formatter(Who),
                 filter_default => stop,
                 filters => filters(Who),
                 config => ?CONFIG(LogFile)
@@ -176,6 +192,31 @@ filters(#{type := topic, filter := Filter, name := Name}) ->
 filters(#{type := ip_address, filter := Filter, name := Name}) ->
     [{ip_address, {fun ?MODULE:filter_ip_address/2, {ensure_list(Filter), Name}}}].
 
+formatter(#{type := Type}) ->
+    {logger_formatter,
+        #{
+            template => template(Type),
+            single_line => false,
+            max_size => unlimited,
+            depth => unlimited
+        }
+    }.
+
+%% Don't log clientid since clientid only supports exact match, all client ids are the same.
+%% if clientid is not latin characters. the logger_formatter restricts the output must be `~tp`
+%% (actually should use `~ts`), the utf8 characters clientid will become very difficult to read.
+template(clientid) ->
+    [time, " [", level, "] ", {peername, [peername, " "], []}, msg, "\n"];
+%% TODO better format when clientid is utf8.
+template(_) ->
+    [ time, " [", level, "] ",
+        {clientid,
+            [{peername, [clientid, "@", peername, " "], [clientid, " "]}],
+            [{peername, [peername, " "], []}]
+        },
+        msg, "\n"
+    ].
+
 filter_traces(#{id := Id, level := Level, dst := Dst, filters := Filters}, Acc) ->
     Init = #{id => Id, level => Level, dst => Dst},
     case Filters of
@@ -209,7 +250,7 @@ do_handler_id(Name, Type) ->
 ensure_bin(List) when is_list(List) -> iolist_to_binary(List);
 ensure_bin(Bin) when is_binary(Bin) -> Bin.
 
-ensure_list(Bin) when is_binary(Bin) -> binary_to_list(Bin);
+ensure_list(Bin) when is_binary(Bin) -> unicode:characters_to_list(Bin, utf8);
 ensure_list(List) when is_list(List) -> List.
 
 show_prompts(ok, Who, Msg) ->
diff --git a/test/emqx_trace_handler_SUITE.erl b/test/emqx_trace_handler_SUITE.erl
index cbf455d2d..d46c18a70 100644
--- a/test/emqx_trace_handler_SUITE.erl
+++ b/test/emqx_trace_handler_SUITE.erl
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
                  {password, <<"pass">>}
                 ]).
 
-all() -> [t_trace_clientid, t_trace_topic, t_trace_ip_address].
+all() -> [t_trace_clientid, t_trace_topic, t_trace_ip_address, t_trace_clientid_utf8].
 
 init_per_suite(Config) ->
     emqx_ct_helpers:boot_modules(all),
@@ -105,6 +105,22 @@ t_trace_clientid(_Config) ->
     emqtt:disconnect(T),
     ?assertEqual([], emqx_trace_handler:running()).
 
+t_trace_clientid_utf8(_) ->
+    emqx_logger:set_log_level(debug),
+
+    Utf8Id = <<"client 漢字編碼"/utf8>>,
+    ok = emqx_trace_handler:install(clientid, Utf8Id, debug, "tmp/client-utf8.log"),
+    {ok, T} = emqtt:start_link([{clientid, Utf8Id}]),
+    emqtt:connect(T),
+    [begin emqtt:publish(T, <<"a/b/c">>, <<"hi">>) end|| _ <- lists:seq(1, 10)],
+    emqtt:ping(T),
+
+    ok = filesync(Utf8Id, clientid),
+    ok = emqx_trace_handler:uninstall(clientid, Utf8Id),
+    emqtt:disconnect(T),
+    ?assertEqual([], emqx_trace_handler:running()),
+    ok.
+
 t_trace_topic(_Config) ->
     {ok, T} = emqtt:start_link(?CLIENT),
     emqtt:connect(T),