diff --git a/src/emqx_access_control.erl b/src/emqx_access_control.erl
index 1b9d76937..2b9cb4211 100644
--- a/src/emqx_access_control.erl
+++ b/src/emqx_access_control.erl
@@ -156,16 +156,19 @@ handle_call({register_mod, Type, Mod, Opts, Seq}, _From, State) ->
     reply(case lists:keymember(Mod, 1, Mods) of
               true  -> {error, already_exists};
               false ->
-                  case catch Mod:init(Opts) of
-                      {ok, ModState} ->
-                          NewMods = lists:sort(fun({_, _, Seq1}, {_, _, Seq2}) ->
-                                                       Seq1 >= Seq2
-                                               end, [{Mod, ModState, Seq} | Mods]),
-                          ets:insert(?TAB, {tab_key(Type), NewMods}), ok;
-                      {error, Error} ->
-                          {error, Error};
-                      {'EXIT', Reason} ->
-                          {error, Reason}
+                    try
+                        case Mod:init(Opts) of
+                            {ok, ModState} ->
+                                NewMods = lists:sort(fun({_, _, Seq1}, {_, _, Seq2}) ->
+                                                            Seq1 >= Seq2
+                                                    end, [{Mod, ModState, Seq} | Mods]),
+                                ets:insert(?TAB, {tab_key(Type), NewMods}),
+                                ok
+                        end
+                    catch
+                        _:Error ->
+                            emqx_logger:error("[AccessControl] Failed to init ~s: ~p", [Mod, Error]),
+                            {error, Error}
                     end
           end, State);
 
diff --git a/src/emqx_access_rule.erl b/src/emqx_access_rule.erl
index 47b20676b..72a3d09b2 100644
--- a/src/emqx_access_rule.erl
+++ b/src/emqx_access_rule.erl
@@ -44,11 +44,7 @@ compile({A, Who, Access, Topic}) when ?ALLOW_DENY(A), ?PUBSUB(Access), is_binary
     {A, compile(who, Who), Access, [compile(topic, Topic)]};
 
 compile({A, Who, Access, TopicFilters}) when ?ALLOW_DENY(A), ?PUBSUB(Access) ->
-    {A, compile(who, Who), Access, [compile(topic, Topic) || Topic <- TopicFilters]};
-
-compile(Rule) ->
-    emqx_logger:error("[ACCESS_RULE] Malformed rule: ~p", [Rule]),
-    {error, bad_rule}.
+    {A, compile(who, Who), Access, [compile(topic, Topic) || Topic <- TopicFilters]}.
 
 compile(who, all) ->
     all;
diff --git a/src/emqx_acl_internal.erl b/src/emqx_acl_internal.erl
index 328993a78..1effd1709 100644
--- a/src/emqx_acl_internal.erl
+++ b/src/emqx_acl_internal.erl
@@ -63,9 +63,7 @@ load_rules_from_file(AclFile) ->
             emqx_logger:error("[ACL_INTERNAL] Failed to read ~s: ~p", [AclFile, Reason]),
             {error, Reason}
     end.
-
-filter(_PubSub, {error, _}) ->
-    false;   
+  
 filter(_PubSub, {allow, all}) ->
     true;
 filter(_PubSub, {deny, all}) ->
diff --git a/test/emqx_access_SUITE.erl b/test/emqx_access_SUITE.erl
index 5d0bcf049..b49c90d80 100644
--- a/test/emqx_access_SUITE.erl
+++ b/test/emqx_access_SUITE.erl
@@ -355,8 +355,7 @@ compile_rule(_) ->
     {deny, all, subscribe, [ [<<"$SYS">>, '#'], ['#'] ]} =
         compile({deny, all, subscribe, ["$SYS/#", "#"]}),
     {allow, all} = compile({allow, all}),
-    {deny, all} = compile({deny, all}),
-    {error, bad_rule} = compile({test, malformed}).
+    {deny, all} = compile({deny, all}).
 
 match_rule(_) ->
     User = #{client_id => <<"testClient">>, username => <<"TestUser">>, peername => {{127,0,0,1}, 2948}},