diff --git a/apps/emqx_dashboard/src/emqx_dashboard.erl b/apps/emqx_dashboard/src/emqx_dashboard.erl
index 2868ae4fd..f1f5ab133 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_dashboard/src/emqx_dashboard.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_dashboard/src/emqx_dashboard.erl
@@ -47,13 +47,17 @@ start_listeners() ->
                     type => apiKey,
                     name => "authorization",
                     in => header}}}},
-    %% TODO: open dashboard after beta 1
-    %% Dispatch = [
-    %%     {"/", cowboy_static, {priv_file, emqx_dashboard, "www/index.html"}},
-    %%     {"/static/[...]", cowboy_static, {priv_dir, emqx_dashboard, "www/static"}},
-    %%     {'_', cowboy_static, {priv_file, emqx_dashboard, "www/index.html"}}
-    %% ],
-    Dispatch = [],
+    %% TODO: make it permanent when it's ready to release
+    Dispatch =
+        case os:getenv("_EMQX_ENABLE_DASHBOARD") of
+            V when V =:= "true" orelse V =:= "1" ->
+                [{"/", cowboy_static, {priv_file, emqx_dashboard, "www/index.html"}},
+                 {"/static/[...]", cowboy_static, {priv_dir, emqx_dashboard, "www/static"}},
+                 {'_', cowboy_static, {priv_file, emqx_dashboard, "www/index.html"}}
+                ];
+            _ ->
+                []
+        end,
     BaseMinirest = #{
         base_path => ?BASE_PATH,
         modules => minirest_api:find_api_modules(apps()),