diff --git a/apps/emqx_resource/src/emqx_resource.app.src b/apps/emqx_resource/src/emqx_resource.app.src
index 7be1bcb1c..fbfe8c1fa 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_resource/src/emqx_resource.app.src
+++ b/apps/emqx_resource/src/emqx_resource.app.src
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 %% -*- mode: erlang -*-
 {application, emqx_resource, [
     {description, "Manager for all external resources"},
-    {vsn, "0.1.10"},
+    {vsn, "0.1.11"},
     {registered, []},
     {mod, {emqx_resource_app, []}},
     {applications, [
diff --git a/apps/emqx_resource/src/emqx_resource.erl b/apps/emqx_resource/src/emqx_resource.erl
index 1ccb5ca71..a2fd9804b 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_resource/src/emqx_resource.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_resource/src/emqx_resource.erl
@@ -356,7 +356,14 @@ is_buffer_supported(Module) ->
 -spec call_start(manager_id(), module(), resource_config()) ->
     {ok, resource_state()} | {error, Reason :: term()}.
 call_start(MgrId, Mod, Config) ->
-    ?SAFE_CALL(Mod:on_start(MgrId, Config)).
+    try
+        Mod:on_start(MgrId, Config)
+    catch
+        throw:{error, Error} ->
+            {error, Error};
+        Kind:Error:Stacktrace ->
+            {error, {Kind, Error, Stacktrace}}
+    end.
 
 -spec call_health_check(manager_id(), module(), resource_state()) ->
     resource_status()
diff --git a/lib-ee/emqx_ee_bridge/src/kafka/emqx_bridge_impl_kafka_consumer.erl b/lib-ee/emqx_ee_bridge/src/kafka/emqx_bridge_impl_kafka_consumer.erl
index a05f6ec13..44ea95f90 100644
--- a/lib-ee/emqx_ee_bridge/src/kafka/emqx_bridge_impl_kafka_consumer.erl
+++ b/lib-ee/emqx_ee_bridge/src/kafka/emqx_bridge_impl_kafka_consumer.erl
@@ -152,7 +152,11 @@ on_start(InstanceId, Config) ->
                 kafka_hosts => BootstrapHosts,
                 reason => emqx_misc:redact(Reason)
             }),
-            throw(failed_to_start_kafka_client)
+            throw(
+                {error,
+                    "Failed to start Kafka client. Please check the logs for errors and check"
+                    " the connection parameters"}
+            )
     end,
     start_consumer(Config, InstanceId, ClientID).
 
diff --git a/lib-ee/emqx_ee_bridge/src/kafka/emqx_bridge_impl_kafka_producer.erl b/lib-ee/emqx_ee_bridge/src/kafka/emqx_bridge_impl_kafka_producer.erl
index 5703c69f5..8f5988aaf 100644
--- a/lib-ee/emqx_ee_bridge/src/kafka/emqx_bridge_impl_kafka_producer.erl
+++ b/lib-ee/emqx_ee_bridge/src/kafka/emqx_bridge_impl_kafka_producer.erl
@@ -114,7 +114,11 @@ on_start(InstId, Config) ->
                     client_id => ClientId
                 }
             ),
-            throw(failed_to_start_kafka_producer)
+            throw(
+                {error,
+                    "Failed to start Kafka client. Please check the logs for errors and check"
+                    " the connection parameters"}
+            )
     end.
 
 on_stop(_InstanceID, #{client_id := ClientID, producers := Producers, resource_id := ResourceID}) ->
diff --git a/lib-ee/emqx_ee_bridge/test/emqx_bridge_impl_kafka_producer_SUITE.erl b/lib-ee/emqx_ee_bridge/test/emqx_bridge_impl_kafka_producer_SUITE.erl
index 4b9642442..2fb6c6857 100644
--- a/lib-ee/emqx_ee_bridge/test/emqx_bridge_impl_kafka_producer_SUITE.erl
+++ b/lib-ee/emqx_ee_bridge/test/emqx_bridge_impl_kafka_producer_SUITE.erl
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 -include_lib("eunit/include/eunit.hrl").
 -include_lib("common_test/include/ct.hrl").
+-include_lib("snabbkaffe/include/snabbkaffe.hrl").
 -include_lib("brod/include/brod.hrl").
 
 -define(PRODUCER, emqx_bridge_impl_kafka_producer).
@@ -415,9 +416,14 @@ t_failed_creation_then_fix(Config) ->
         Type, erlang:list_to_atom(Name), WrongConf
     ),
     WrongConfigAtom = WrongConfigAtom1#{bridge_name => Name},
-    ?assertThrow(failed_to_start_kafka_producer, ?PRODUCER:on_start(ResourceId, WrongConfigAtom)),
-    %% before throwing, it should cleanup the client process.
-    ?assertEqual([], supervisor:which_children(wolff_client_sup)),
+    ?assertThrow(
+        {error, _},
+        ?PRODUCER:on_start(ResourceId, WrongConfigAtom)
+    ),
+    %% before throwing, it should cleanup the client process.  we
+    %% retry because the supervisor might need some time to really
+    %% remove it from its tree.
+    ?retry(50, 10, ?assertEqual([], supervisor:which_children(wolff_client_sup))),
     %% must succeed with correct config
     {ok, #{config := ValidConfigAtom1}} = emqx_bridge:create(
         Type, erlang:list_to_atom(Name), ValidConf