diff --git a/apps/emqx/test/emqx_cth_cluster.erl b/apps/emqx/test/emqx_cth_cluster.erl
index 6513516d4..029907f57 100644
--- a/apps/emqx/test/emqx_cth_cluster.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx/test/emqx_cth_cluster.erl
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
 -define(APPS_CLUSTERING, [gen_rpc, mria, ekka]).
 
 -define(TIMEOUT_NODE_START_MS, 15000).
--define(TIMEOUT_APPS_START_MS, 60000).
+-define(TIMEOUT_APPS_START_MS, 30000).
 -define(TIMEOUT_NODE_STOP_S, 15).
 
 %%
diff --git a/apps/emqx_bridge/test/emqx_bridge_api_SUITE.erl b/apps/emqx_bridge/test/emqx_bridge_api_SUITE.erl
index 7b5208f06..e88206ccd 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_bridge/test/emqx_bridge_api_SUITE.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_bridge/test/emqx_bridge_api_SUITE.erl
@@ -73,16 +73,15 @@
 -define(HTTP_BRIDGE(URL), ?HTTP_BRIDGE(URL, ?BRIDGE_NAME)).
 
 -define(APPSPECS, [
-    emqx_conf,
     emqx,
+    emqx_conf,
     emqx_auth,
     emqx_auth_mnesia,
     emqx_management,
     emqx_connector,
     emqx_bridge_http,
-    emqx_bridge,
-    {emqx_rule_engine, "rule_engine { rules {} }"},
-    {emqx_bridge, "bridges {}"}
+    {emqx_bridge, "actions {}\n bridges {}"},
+    {emqx_rule_engine, "rule_engine { rules {} }"}
 ]).
 
 -define(APPSPEC_DASHBOARD,
@@ -120,10 +119,10 @@ end_per_suite(_Config) ->
     ok.
 
 init_per_group(cluster = Name, Config) ->
-    Nodes = [NodePrimary | _] = mk_cluster(Config),
+    Nodes = [NodePrimary | _] = mk_cluster(Name, Config),
     init_api([{group, Name}, {cluster_nodes, Nodes}, {node, NodePrimary} | Config]);
 init_per_group(cluster_later_join = Name, Config) ->
-    Nodes = [NodePrimary | _] = mk_cluster(Config, #{join_to => undefined}),
+    Nodes = [NodePrimary | _] = mk_cluster(Name, Config, #{join_to => undefined}),
     init_api([{group, Name}, {cluster_nodes, Nodes}, {node, NodePrimary} | Config]);
 init_per_group(_Name, Config) ->
     WorkDir = emqx_cth_suite:work_dir(Config),
@@ -135,10 +134,10 @@ init_api(Config) ->
     {ok, App} = erpc:call(APINode, emqx_common_test_http, create_default_app, []),
     [{api, App} | Config].
 
-mk_cluster(Config) ->
-    mk_cluster(Config, #{}).
+mk_cluster(Name, Config) ->
+    mk_cluster(Name, Config, #{}).
 
-mk_cluster(Config, Opts) ->
+mk_cluster(Name, Config, Opts) ->
     Node1Apps = ?APPSPECS ++ [?APPSPEC_DASHBOARD],
     Node2Apps = ?APPSPECS,
     emqx_cth_cluster:start(
@@ -146,7 +145,7 @@ mk_cluster(Config, Opts) ->
             {emqx_bridge_api_SUITE1, Opts#{role => core, apps => Node1Apps}},
             {emqx_bridge_api_SUITE2, Opts#{role => core, apps => Node2Apps}}
         ],
-        #{work_dir => emqx_cth_suite:work_dir(Config)}
+        #{work_dir => emqx_cth_suite:work_dir(Name, Config)}
     ).
 
 end_per_group(Group, Config) when
@@ -162,7 +161,7 @@ init_per_testcase(t_broken_bpapi_vsn, Config) ->
     meck:new(emqx_bpapi, [passthrough]),
     meck:expect(emqx_bpapi, supported_version, 1, -1),
     meck:expect(emqx_bpapi, supported_version, 2, -1),
-    init_per_testcase(commong, Config);
+    init_per_testcase(common, Config);
 init_per_testcase(t_old_bpapi_vsn, Config) ->
     meck:new(emqx_bpapi, [passthrough]),
     meck:expect(emqx_bpapi, supported_version, 1, 1),
@@ -188,6 +187,18 @@ end_per_testcase(_, Config) ->
     ok.
 
 clear_resources() ->
+    lists:foreach(
+        fun(#{type := Type, name := Name}) ->
+            ok = emqx_bridge_v2:remove(Type, Name)
+        end,
+        emqx_bridge_v2:list()
+    ),
+    lists:foreach(
+        fun(#{type := Type, name := Name}) ->
+            ok = emqx_connector:remove(Type, Name)
+        end,
+        emqx_connector:list()
+    ),
     lists:foreach(
         fun(#{type := Type, name := Name}) ->
             ok = emqx_bridge:remove(Type, Name)
@@ -1314,6 +1325,7 @@ t_cluster_later_join_metrics(Config) ->
     BridgeID = emqx_bridge_resource:bridge_id(?BRIDGE_TYPE_HTTP, Name),
 
     ?check_trace(
+        #{timetrap => 15_000},
         begin
             %% Create a bridge on only one of the nodes.
             ?assertMatch({ok, 201, _}, request_json(post, uri(["bridges"]), BridgeParams, Config)),
@@ -1325,24 +1337,28 @@ t_cluster_later_join_metrics(Config) ->
                 }},
                 request_json(get, uri(["bridges", BridgeID, "metrics"]), Config)
             ),
+
+            ct:print("node joining cluster"),
             %% Now join the other node join with the api node.
             ok = erpc:call(OtherNode, ekka, join, [PrimaryNode]),
-            %% Check metrics; shouldn't crash even if the bridge is not
-            %% ready on the node that just joined the cluster.
+            %% Hack / workaround for the fact that `emqx_machine_boot' doesn't restart the
+            %% applications, in particular `emqx_conf' doesn't restart and synchronize the
+            %% transaction id.  It's also unclear at the moment why the equivalent test in
+            %% `emqx_bridge_v2_api_SUITE' doesn't need this hack.
+            ok = erpc:call(OtherNode, application, stop, [emqx_conf]),
+            ok = erpc:call(OtherNode, application, start, [emqx_conf]),
+            ct:print("node joined cluster"),
 
             %% assert: wait for the bridge to be ready on the other node.
-            fun
-                WaitConfSync(0) ->
-                    throw(waiting_config_sync_timeout);
-                WaitConfSync(N) ->
-                    timer:sleep(1000),
-                    case erpc:call(OtherNode, emqx_bridge, list, []) of
-                        [] -> WaitConfSync(N - 1);
-                        [_] -> ok
-                    end
-            end(
-                60
-            ),
+            {_, {ok, _}} =
+                ?wait_async_action(
+                    {emqx_cluster_rpc, OtherNode} ! wake_up,
+                    #{?snk_kind := cluster_rpc_caught_up, ?snk_meta := #{node := OtherNode}},
+                    10_000
+                ),
+
+            %% Check metrics; shouldn't crash even if the bridge is not
+            %% ready on the node that just joined the cluster.
             ?assertMatch(
                 {ok, 200, #{
                     <<"metrics">> := #{<<"success">> := _},
diff --git a/apps/emqx_bridge/test/emqx_bridge_v2_api_SUITE.erl b/apps/emqx_bridge/test/emqx_bridge_v2_api_SUITE.erl
index 8758c325d..83a857b47 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_bridge/test/emqx_bridge_v2_api_SUITE.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_bridge/test/emqx_bridge_v2_api_SUITE.erl
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ mk_cluster(Name, Config, Opts) ->
             {emqx_bridge_v2_api_SUITE_1, Opts#{role => core, apps => Node1Apps}},
             {emqx_bridge_v2_api_SUITE_2, Opts#{role => core, apps => Node2Apps}}
         ],
-        #{work_dir => filename:join(?config(priv_dir, Config), Name)}
+        #{work_dir => emqx_cth_suite:work_dir(Name, Config)}
     ).
 
 end_per_group(Group, Config) when
diff --git a/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_cluster_rpc.erl b/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_cluster_rpc.erl
index 5bc330afa..756a5ec30 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_cluster_rpc.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_cluster_rpc.erl
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@
 -boot_mnesia({mnesia, [boot]}).
 
 -include_lib("emqx/include/logger.hrl").
+-include_lib("snabbkaffe/include/snabbkaffe.hrl").
 -include("emqx_conf.hrl").
 
 -ifdef(TEST).
@@ -384,6 +385,7 @@ catch_up(State) -> catch_up(State, false).
 catch_up(#{node := Node, retry_interval := RetryMs, is_leaving := false} = State, SkipResult) ->
     case transaction(fun ?MODULE:read_next_mfa/1, [Node]) of
         {atomic, caught_up} ->
+            ?tp(cluster_rpc_caught_up, #{}),
             ?TIMEOUT;
         {atomic, {still_lagging, NextId, MFA}} ->
             {Succeed, _} = apply_mfa(NextId, MFA, ?APPLY_KIND_REPLICATE),