diff --git a/src/emqx_cm.erl b/src/emqx_cm.erl
index 397b3b7af..12043346e 100644
--- a/src/emqx_cm.erl
+++ b/src/emqx_cm.erl
@@ -534,4 +534,11 @@ decrement_connected_client_count() ->
 
 get_connected_client_count() ->
     CRef = persistent_term:get({?MODULE, ?CONN_CLIENT_CTR}),
-    max(0, counters:get(CRef, ?CONN_CLIENT_CTR_IDX)).
+    %% check if inconsistent; if so, reset to 0
+    case counters:get(CRef, ?CONN_CLIENT_CTR_IDX) of
+        N when N < 0 ->
+            counters:put(CRef, ?CONN_CLIENT_CTR_IDX, 0),
+            0;
+        N ->
+            N
+    end.
diff --git a/test/emqx_broker_SUITE.erl b/test/emqx_broker_SUITE.erl
index b6531a4c0..66ed608f9 100644
--- a/test/emqx_broker_SUITE.erl
+++ b/test/emqx_broker_SUITE.erl
@@ -422,6 +422,20 @@ t_connected_client_stats({'end', _Config}) ->
     {ok, _} = supervisor:restart_child(emqx_kernel_sup, emqx_stats),
     ok.
 
+%% alwayseven if
+t_connect_client_never_negative({init, Config}) ->
+    Config;
+t_connect_client_never_negative(Config) when is_list(Config) ->
+    ?assertEqual(0, emqx_cm:get_connected_client_count()),
+    %% would go to -1
+    emqx_cm:decrement_connected_client_count(),
+    ?assertEqual(0, emqx_cm:get_connected_client_count()),
+    %% would be 0, if really went to -1
+    emqx_cm:increment_connected_client_count(),
+    ?assertEqual(1, emqx_cm:get_connected_client_count()),
+    ok;
+t_connect_client_never_negative({'end', _Config}) ->
+    ok.
 
 wait_for_events(Action, Kinds) ->
     wait_for_events(Action, Kinds, 100).