diff --git a/apps/emqx/src/emqx_authentication_config.erl b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_authentication_config.erl
index a2d8cada2..d817e22d6 100644
--- a/apps/emqx/src/emqx_authentication_config.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_authentication_config.erl
@@ -107,29 +107,25 @@ do_pre_config_update({move_authenticator, _ChainName, AuthenticatorID, Position}
 post_config_update(_, UpdateReq, NewConfig, OldConfig, AppEnvs) ->
     do_post_config_update(UpdateReq, check_configs(to_list(NewConfig)), OldConfig, AppEnvs).
 
-do_post_config_update({create_authenticator, ChainName, Config}, _NewConfig, _OldConfig, _AppEnvs) ->
-    NConfig = check_config(Config),
+do_post_config_update({create_authenticator, ChainName, Config}, NewConfig, _OldConfig, _AppEnvs) ->
+    NConfig = get_authenticator_config(authenticator_id(Config), NewConfig),
     _ = emqx_authentication:create_chain(ChainName),
     emqx_authentication:create_authenticator(ChainName, NConfig);
 do_post_config_update({delete_authenticator, ChainName, AuthenticatorID}, _NewConfig, OldConfig, _AppEnvs) ->
     case emqx_authentication:delete_authenticator(ChainName, AuthenticatorID) of
         ok ->
-            [Config] = [Config0 || Config0 <- to_list(OldConfig), AuthenticatorID == authenticator_id(Config0)],
+            Config = get_authenticator_config(AuthenticatorID, to_list(OldConfig)),
             CertsDir = certs_dir(ChainName, AuthenticatorID),
             ok = clear_certs(CertsDir, Config);
         {error, Reason} ->
             {error, Reason}
     end;
-do_post_config_update({update_authenticator, ChainName, AuthenticatorID, Config}, _NewConfig, _OldConfig, _AppEnvs) ->
-    NConfig = check_config(Config),
+do_post_config_update({update_authenticator, ChainName, AuthenticatorID, Config}, NewConfig, _OldConfig, _AppEnvs) ->
+    NConfig = get_authenticator_config(authenticator_id(Config), NewConfig),
     emqx_authentication:update_authenticator(ChainName, AuthenticatorID, NConfig);
 do_post_config_update({move_authenticator, ChainName, AuthenticatorID, Position}, _NewConfig, _OldConfig, _AppEnvs) ->
     emqx_authentication:move_authenticator(ChainName, AuthenticatorID, Position).
 
-check_config(Config) ->
-    [Checked] = check_configs([Config]),
-    Checked.
-
 check_configs(Configs) ->
     Providers = emqx_authentication:get_providers(),
     lists:map(fun(C) -> do_check_conifg(C, Providers) end, Configs).
@@ -208,6 +204,10 @@ clear_certs(CertsDir, Config) ->
     OldSSL = maps:get(<<"ssl">>, Config, undefined),
     ok = emqx_tls_lib:delete_ssl_files(CertsDir, undefined, OldSSL).
 
+get_authenticator_config(AuthenticatorID, AuthenticatorsConfig) ->
+    [C] = [C0 || C0 <- AuthenticatorsConfig, AuthenticatorID == authenticator_id(C0)],
+    C.
+
 split_by_id(ID, AuthenticatorsConfig) ->
     case lists:foldl(
              fun(C, {P1, P2, F0}) ->