diff --git a/apps/emqx_auth_ldap/src/emqx_auth_ldap.app.src b/apps/emqx_auth_ldap/src/emqx_auth_ldap.app.src
index 8635c4834..1b76c32c8 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_auth_ldap/src/emqx_auth_ldap.app.src
+++ b/apps/emqx_auth_ldap/src/emqx_auth_ldap.app.src
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {application, emqx_auth_ldap,
  [{description, "EMQ X Authentication/ACL with LDAP"},
-  {vsn, "4.3.0"}, % strict semver, bump manually!
+  {vsn, "4.4.0"}, % strict semver, bump manually!
   {modules, []},
   {registered, [emqx_auth_ldap_sup]},
   {applications, [kernel,stdlib,eldap2,ecpool]},
diff --git a/apps/emqx_auth_mongo/src/emqx_auth_mongo.app.src b/apps/emqx_auth_mongo/src/emqx_auth_mongo.app.src
index cc4e72ef3..ab0b4ff56 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_auth_mongo/src/emqx_auth_mongo.app.src
+++ b/apps/emqx_auth_mongo/src/emqx_auth_mongo.app.src
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {application, emqx_auth_mongo,
  [{description, "EMQ X Authentication/ACL with MongoDB"},
-  {vsn, "4.3.0"}, % strict semver, bump manually!
+  {vsn, "4.4.0"}, % strict semver, bump manually!
   {modules, []},
   {registered, [emqx_auth_mongo_sup]},
   {applications, [kernel,stdlib,mongodb,ecpool]},
diff --git a/apps/emqx_auth_mysql/src/emqx_auth_mysql.app.src b/apps/emqx_auth_mysql/src/emqx_auth_mysql.app.src
index 221061f03..8a0d116cc 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_auth_mysql/src/emqx_auth_mysql.app.src
+++ b/apps/emqx_auth_mysql/src/emqx_auth_mysql.app.src
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {application, emqx_auth_mysql,
  [{description, "EMQ X Authentication/ACL with MySQL"},
-  {vsn, "4.3.0"}, % strict semver, bump manually!
+  {vsn, "4.4.0"}, % strict semver, bump manually!
   {modules, []},
   {registered, [emqx_auth_mysql_sup]},
   {applications, [kernel,stdlib,mysql,ecpool]},
diff --git a/apps/emqx_auth_pgsql/src/emqx_auth_pgsql.app.src b/apps/emqx_auth_pgsql/src/emqx_auth_pgsql.app.src
index f70612262..e97487e21 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_auth_pgsql/src/emqx_auth_pgsql.app.src
+++ b/apps/emqx_auth_pgsql/src/emqx_auth_pgsql.app.src
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {application, emqx_auth_pgsql,
  [{description, "EMQ X Authentication/ACL with PostgreSQL"},
-  {vsn, "4.3.0"}, % strict semver, bump manually!
+  {vsn, "4.4.0"}, % strict semver, bump manually!
   {modules, []},
   {registered, [emqx_auth_pgsql_sup]},
   {applications, [kernel,stdlib,epgsql,ecpool]},
diff --git a/apps/emqx_auth_redis/src/emqx_auth_redis.app.src b/apps/emqx_auth_redis/src/emqx_auth_redis.app.src
index 6a38af2ce..419131566 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_auth_redis/src/emqx_auth_redis.app.src
+++ b/apps/emqx_auth_redis/src/emqx_auth_redis.app.src
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {application, emqx_auth_redis,
  [{description, "EMQ X Authentication/ACL with Redis"},
-  {vsn, "4.3.0"}, % strict semver, bump manually!
+  {vsn, "4.4.0"}, % strict semver, bump manually!
   {modules, []},
   {registered, [emqx_auth_redis_sup]},
   {applications, [kernel,stdlib,eredis,eredis_cluster,ecpool]},
diff --git a/apps/emqx_exproto/src/emqx_exproto.app.src b/apps/emqx_exproto/src/emqx_exproto.app.src
index 52ce96a54..9841f5bcb 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_exproto/src/emqx_exproto.app.src
+++ b/apps/emqx_exproto/src/emqx_exproto.app.src
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {application, emqx_exproto,
  [{description, "EMQ X Extension for Protocol"},
-  {vsn, "4.3.0"}, %% strict semver
+  {vsn, "4.4.0"}, %% strict semver
   {modules, []},
   {registered, []},
   {mod, {emqx_exproto_app, []}},
diff --git a/apps/emqx_management/src/emqx_management.app.src b/apps/emqx_management/src/emqx_management.app.src
index 43fb5ba53..fe68fef44 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_management/src/emqx_management.app.src
+++ b/apps/emqx_management/src/emqx_management.app.src
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {application, emqx_management,
  [{description, "EMQ X Management API and CLI"},
-  {vsn, "4.3.3"}, % strict semver, bump manually!
+  {vsn, "4.4.0"}, % strict semver, bump manually!
   {modules, []},
   {registered, [emqx_management_sup]},
   {applications, [kernel,stdlib,minirest]},
diff --git a/apps/emqx_recon/src/emqx_recon.app.src b/apps/emqx_recon/src/emqx_recon.app.src
index 061ed8e93..e25e2bbc5 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_recon/src/emqx_recon.app.src
+++ b/apps/emqx_recon/src/emqx_recon.app.src
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {application, emqx_recon,
  [{description, "EMQ X Recon Plugin"},
-  {vsn, "4.3.0"}, % strict semver, bump manually!
+  {vsn, "4.4.0"}, % strict semver, bump manually!
   {modules, []},
   {registered, []},
   {applications, [kernel,stdlib,recon]},
diff --git a/apps/emqx_stomp/src/emqx_stomp.app.src b/apps/emqx_stomp/src/emqx_stomp.app.src
index b03abdac1..2e66734ec 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_stomp/src/emqx_stomp.app.src
+++ b/apps/emqx_stomp/src/emqx_stomp.app.src
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {application, emqx_stomp,
  [{description, "EMQ X Stomp Protocol Plugin"},
-  {vsn, "4.3.0"}, % strict semver, bump manually!
+  {vsn, "4.4.0"}, % strict semver, bump manually!
   {modules, []},
   {registered, [emqx_stomp_sup]},
   {applications, [kernel,stdlib]},
diff --git a/lib-ce/emqx_dashboard/src/emqx_dashboard.app.src b/lib-ce/emqx_dashboard/src/emqx_dashboard.app.src
index 92bd59a7a..1604198dc 100644
--- a/lib-ce/emqx_dashboard/src/emqx_dashboard.app.src
+++ b/lib-ce/emqx_dashboard/src/emqx_dashboard.app.src
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {application, emqx_dashboard,
  [{description, "EMQ X Web Dashboard"},
-  {vsn, "4.3.0"}, % strict semver, bump manually!
+  {vsn, "4.4.0"}, % strict semver, bump manually!
   {modules, []},
   {registered, [emqx_dashboard_sup]},
   {applications, [kernel,stdlib,mnesia,minirest]},
diff --git a/scripts/apps-version-check.sh b/scripts/apps-version-check.sh
index 8de85cd8c..0134bf187 100755
--- a/scripts/apps-version-check.sh
+++ b/scripts/apps-version-check.sh
@@ -6,22 +6,45 @@ latest_release=$(git describe --tags "$(git rev-list --tags --max-count=1 --remo
 
 bad_app_count=0
 
-while read -r app; do
-    if [ "$app" != "emqx" ]; then
-        app_path="$app"
+get_vsn() {
+    commit="$1"
+    app_src_file="$2"
+    if [ "$commit" = 'HEAD' ]; then
+        if [ -f "$app_src_file" ]; then
+            grep vsn "$app_src_file" | grep -oE '"[0-9]+.[0-9]+.[0-9]+"' | tr -d '"' || true
+        fi
     else
-        app_path="."
+        git show "$commit":"$app_src_file" 2>/dev/null | grep vsn | grep -oE '"[0-9]+.[0-9]+.[0-9]+"' | tr -d '"' || true
     fi
-    src_file="$app_path/src/$(basename "$app").app.src"
-    old_app_version="$(git show "$latest_release":"$src_file" | grep vsn | grep -oE '"[0-9]+.[0-9]+.[0-9]+"' | tr -d '"')"
-    now_app_version=$(grep -E 'vsn' "$src_file" | grep -oE '"[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+"' | tr -d '"')
-    if [ "$old_app_version" = "$now_app_version" ]; then
-        changed="$(git diff --name-only "$latest_release"...HEAD \
+}
+
+while read -r app_path; do
+    app=$(basename "$app_path")
+    src_file="$app_path/src/$app.app.src"
+    old_app_version="$(get_vsn "$latest_release" "$src_file")"
+    ## TODO: delete it after new version is released with emqx app in apps dir
+    if [ "$app" = 'emqx' ] && [ "$old_app_version" = '' ]; then
+        old_app_version="$(get_vsn "$latest_release" 'src/emqx.app.src')"
+    fi
+    now_app_version="$(get_vsn 'HEAD' "$src_file")"
+    ## TODO: delete it after new version is released with emqx app in apps dir
+    if [ "$app" = 'emqx' ] && [ "$now_app_version" = '' ]; then
+        now_app_version="$(get_vsn 'HEAD' 'src/emqx.app.src')"
+    fi
+    if [ -z "$now_app_version" ]; then
+        echo "failed_to_get_new_app_vsn for $app"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+    if [ -z "${old_app_version:-}" ]; then
+        echo "skiped checking new app ${app}"
+    elif [ "$old_app_version" = "$now_app_version" ]; then
+        lines="$(git diff --name-only "$latest_release"...HEAD \
                     -- "$app_path/src" \
                     -- "$app_path/priv" \
-                    -- "$app_path/c_src" | wc -l)"
-        if [ "$changed" -gt 0 ]; then
-            echo "$src_file needs a vsn bump"
+                    -- "$app_path/c_src")"
+        if [ "$lines" != '' ]; then
+            echo "$src_file needs a vsn bump (old=$old_app_version)"
+            echo "changed: $lines"
             bad_app_count=$(( bad_app_count + 1))
         fi
     fi