diff --git a/scripts/update_appup.escript b/scripts/update_appup.escript
index 09ea114b3..6a78012d2 100755
--- a/scripts/update_appup.escript
+++ b/scripts/update_appup.escript
@@ -3,7 +3,10 @@
 
 main(_Args) ->
     ChangedFiles = string:lexemes(os:cmd("git diff --name-only origin/master..HEAD"), "\n"),
-    AppModules = group_modules(lists:filtermap(fun filter_erlang_modules/1, ChangedFiles)),
+    AppModules0 = lists:filtermap(fun filter_erlang_modules/1, ChangedFiles),
+    %% emqx_app must always be included as we bump version number in emqx_release.hrl for each release
+    AppModules1 = [{emqx, emqx_app} | AppModules0],
+    AppModules = group_modules(AppModules1),
     io:format("Changed modules: ~p~n", [AppModules]),
     _ = maps:map(fun process_app/2, AppModules),
     ok.
diff --git a/src/emqx.appup.src b/src/emqx.appup.src
index bc225729f..d6bc88868 100644
--- a/src/emqx.appup.src
+++ b/src/emqx.appup.src
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
 {VSN,
   [{"4.3.2",
     [{load_module,emqx_http_lib,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]},
-     {load_module,emqx_channel,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]}]},
+     {load_module,emqx_channel,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]},
+     {load_module,emqx_app,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]}]},
    {"4.3.1",
     [{load_module,emqx_ws_connection,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]},
      {load_module,emqx_connection,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]},
@@ -34,7 +35,8 @@
    {<<".*">>,[]}],
   [{"4.3.2",
     [{load_module,emqx_http_lib,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]},
-     {load_module,emqx_channel,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]}]},
+     {load_module,emqx_channel,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]},
+     {load_module,emqx_app,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]}]},
    {"4.3.1",
     [{load_module,emqx_ws_connection,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]},
      {load_module,emqx_connection,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]},