diff --git a/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer.app.src b/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer.app.src
index 80ec02c73..dcc48fbae 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer.app.src
+++ b/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer.app.src
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {application, emqx_retainer,
  [{description, "EMQ X Retainer"},
-  {vsn, "4.3.4"}, % strict semver, bump manually!
+  {vsn, "4.3.5"}, % strict semver, bump manually!
   {modules, []},
   {registered, [emqx_retainer_sup]},
   {applications, [kernel,stdlib]},
diff --git a/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer_sup.erl b/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer_sup.erl
index 2028affb6..ca16a98bb 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer_sup.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer_sup.erl
@@ -34,6 +34,23 @@ init([Env]) ->
              type     => worker,
              modules  => [emqx_retainer]} || not is_managed_by_modules()]}}.
 
+-ifdef(EMQX_ENTERPRISE).
+
+is_managed_by_modules() ->
+    try
+        case supervisor:get_childspec(emqx_modules_sup, emqx_retainer) of
+            {ok, _} -> true;
+            _ -> false
+        end
+    catch
+        exit : {noproc, _} ->
+            false
+    end.
+
+-else.
+
 is_managed_by_modules() ->
     %% always false for opensource edition
     false.
+
+-endif.
diff --git a/apps/emqx_retainer/test/emqx_retainer_ct_helper.erl b/apps/emqx_retainer/test/emqx_retainer_ct_helper.erl
index fd12a4e01..67f58ec26 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_retainer/test/emqx_retainer_ct_helper.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_retainer/test/emqx_retainer_ct_helper.erl
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@
 -export([ensure_start/0, ensure_stop/0]).
 -ifdef(EMQX_ENTERPRISE).
 ensure_start() ->
+    %% for enterprise edition, retainer is started by modules
     application:stop(emqx_modules),
+    ensure_stop(),
     init_conf(),
     emqx_ct_helpers:start_apps([emqx_retainer]),
     ok.
@@ -29,6 +31,7 @@ ensure_start() ->
 
 ensure_start() ->
     init_conf(),
+    ensure_stop(),
     emqx_ct_helpers:start_apps([emqx_retainer]),
     ok.