diff --git a/apps/emqx/src/emqx_trace/emqx_trace.erl b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_trace/emqx_trace.erl
index 47e1d01b1..3e8f36890 100644
--- a/apps/emqx/src/emqx_trace/emqx_trace.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_trace/emqx_trace.erl
@@ -405,7 +405,14 @@ code_change(_, State, _Extra) ->
     {ok, State}.
 
 insert_new_trace(Trace) ->
-    transaction(fun emqx_trace_dl:insert_new_trace/1, [Trace]).
+    case transaction(fun emqx_trace_dl:insert_new_trace/1, [Trace]) of
+        {error, _} = Error ->
+            Error;
+        Res ->
+            %% We call this to ensure the trace is active when we return
+            check(),
+            Res
+    end.
 
 update_trace(Traces) ->
     Now = now_second(),
diff --git a/apps/emqx_rule_engine/test/emqx_rule_engine_api_rule_apply_SUITE.erl b/apps/emqx_rule_engine/test/emqx_rule_engine_api_rule_apply_SUITE.erl
index 52fa1a2e5..6a2547697 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_rule_engine/test/emqx_rule_engine_api_rule_apply_SUITE.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_rule_engine/test/emqx_rule_engine_api_rule_apply_SUITE.erl
@@ -117,10 +117,7 @@ basic_apply_rule_test_helper(Config, TraceType, StopAfterRender) ->
         <<"context">> => Context,
         <<"stop_action_after_template_rendering">> => StopAfterRender
     },
-    emqx_trace:check(),
-    ok = emqx_trace_handler_SUITE:filesync(TraceName, TraceType),
     Now = erlang:system_time(second) - 10,
-    {ok, _} = file:read_file(emqx_trace:log_file(TraceName, Now)),
     ?assertMatch({ok, _}, call_apply_rule_api(RuleId, Params)),
     ?retry(
         _Interval0 = 200,
@@ -239,8 +236,6 @@ t_apply_rule_test_batch_separation_stop_after_render(_Config) ->
         SQL
     ),
     create_trace(Name, ruleid, RuleID),
-    emqx_trace:check(),
-    ok = emqx_trace_handler_SUITE:filesync(Name, ruleid),
     Now = erlang:system_time(second) - 10,
     %% Stop
     ParmsStopAfterRender = apply_rule_parms(true, Name),