diff --git a/apps/emqx_gateway_exproto/src/emqx_exproto_channel.erl b/apps/emqx_gateway_exproto/src/emqx_exproto_channel.erl
index 80d3282c5..a1d598923 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_gateway_exproto/src/emqx_exproto_channel.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_gateway_exproto/src/emqx_exproto_channel.erl
@@ -74,12 +74,6 @@
 
 -type replies() :: emqx_types:packet() | reply() | [reply()].
 
--define(TIMER_TABLE, #{
-    alive_timer => keepalive,
-    force_timer => force_close,
-    idle_timer => force_close_idle
-}).
-
 -define(INFO_KEYS, [conninfo, conn_state, clientinfo, session, will_msg]).
 
 %%--------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -224,7 +218,7 @@ address({Host, Port}) ->
 
 %% avoid udp connection process leak
 start_idle_checking_timer(Channel = #channel{conninfo = #{socktype := udp}}) ->
-    ensure_timer(idle_timer, Channel);
+    ensure_timer(force_close_idle, Channel);
 start_idle_checking_timer(Channel) ->
     Channel.
 
@@ -293,10 +287,10 @@ handle_timeout(
     case emqx_keepalive:check(StatVal, Keepalive) of
         {ok, NKeepalive} ->
             NChannel = Channel#channel{keepalive = NKeepalive},
-            {ok, reset_timer(alive_timer, NChannel)};
+            {ok, reset_timer(keepalive, NChannel)};
         {error, timeout} ->
             Req = #{type => 'KEEPALIVE'},
-            NChannel = remove_timer_ref(alive_timer, Channel),
+            NChannel = remove_timer_ref(keepalive, Channel),
             %% close connection if keepalive timeout
             Replies = [{event, disconnected}, {close, keepalive_timeout}],
             NChannel1 = dispatch(on_timer_timeout, Req, NChannel#channel{
@@ -419,7 +413,7 @@ handle_call(
     NConnInfo = ConnInfo#{keepalive => Interval},
     NClientInfo = ClientInfo#{keepalive => Interval},
     NChannel = Channel#channel{conninfo = NConnInfo, clientinfo = NClientInfo},
-    {reply, ok, [{event, updated}], ensure_keepalive(cancel_timer(idle_timer, NChannel))};
+    {reply, ok, [{event, updated}], ensure_keepalive(cancel_timer(force_close_idle, NChannel))};
 handle_call(
     {subscribe_from_client, TopicFilter, Qos},
     _From,
@@ -529,7 +523,7 @@ handle_info(
                     _ ->
                         Channel
                 end,
-            Channel2 = ensure_timer(force_timer, Channel1),
+            Channel2 = ensure_timer(force_close, Channel1),
             {ok, ensure_disconnected(Reason, Channel2)}
     end;
 handle_info(
@@ -547,13 +541,13 @@ handle_info(
 
     ShutdownNow =
         emqx_exproto_gcli:is_empty(GClient) andalso
-            maps:get(force_timer, Timers, undefined) =/= undefined,
+            maps:get(force_close, Timers, undefined) =/= undefined,
     case Result of
         ok when not ShutdownNow ->
             GClient1 = emqx_exproto_gcli:maybe_shoot(GClient),
             {ok, Channel#channel{gcli = GClient1}};
         ok when ShutdownNow ->
-            Channel1 = cancel_timer(force_timer, Channel),
+            Channel1 = cancel_timer(force_close, Channel),
             {shutdown, Channel1#channel.closed_reason, Channel1};
         {error, Reason} ->
             {shutdown, {error, {FunName, Reason}}, Channel}
@@ -711,7 +705,7 @@ ensure_keepalive_timer(Interval, Channel) when Interval =< 0 ->
 ensure_keepalive_timer(Interval, Channel) ->
     StatVal = emqx_gateway_conn:keepalive_stats(recv),
     Keepalive = emqx_keepalive:init(StatVal, timer:seconds(Interval)),
-    ensure_timer(alive_timer, Channel#channel{keepalive = Keepalive}).
+    ensure_timer(keepalive, Channel#channel{keepalive = Keepalive}).
 
 ensure_timer(Name, Channel = #channel{timers = Timers}) ->
     TRef = maps:get(Name, Timers, undefined),
@@ -723,8 +717,7 @@ ensure_timer(Name, Channel = #channel{timers = Timers}) ->
     end.
 
 ensure_timer(Name, Time, Channel = #channel{timers = Timers}) ->
-    Msg = maps:get(Name, ?TIMER_TABLE),
-    TRef = emqx_utils:start_timer(Time, Msg),
+    TRef = emqx_utils:start_timer(Time, Name),
     Channel#channel{timers = Timers#{Name => TRef}}.
 
 reset_timer(Name, Channel) ->
@@ -737,11 +730,11 @@ cancel_timer(Name, Channel = #channel{timers = Timers}) ->
 remove_timer_ref(Name, Channel = #channel{timers = Timers}) ->
     Channel#channel{timers = maps:remove(Name, Timers)}.
 
-interval(idle_timer, #channel{conninfo = #{idle_timeout := IdleTimeout}}) ->
+interval(force_close_idle, #channel{conninfo = #{idle_timeout := IdleTimeout}}) ->
     IdleTimeout;
-interval(force_timer, _) ->
+interval(force_close, _) ->
     15000;
-interval(alive_timer, #channel{keepalive = Keepalive}) ->
+interval(keepalive, #channel{keepalive = Keepalive}) ->
     emqx_keepalive:info(interval, Keepalive).
 
 %%--------------------------------------------------------------------