diff --git a/rebar.config.erl b/rebar.config.erl
index 3e3173c99..9965273c3 100644
--- a/rebar.config.erl
+++ b/rebar.config.erl
@@ -138,21 +138,67 @@ relx(Vsn, RelType, PkgType) ->
     , {overlay, relx_overlay(RelType)}
     , {overlay_vars, [ {built_on_arch, rebar_utils:get_arch()}
                      , {emqx_description, emqx_description(RelType, IsEnterprise)}
-                     , overlay_vars_rel(RelType, IsEnterprise)
-                     , overlay_vars_pkg(PkgType)
-                     ]}
+                     | overlay_vars(RelType, PkgType, IsEnterprise)]}
     ].
 
 emqx_description(cloud, true) -> "EMQ X Enterprise";
 emqx_description(cloud, false) -> "EMQ X Broker";
 emqx_description(edge, _) -> "EMQ X Edge".
 
-overlay_vars_rel(cloud, true) -> "vars/vars-enterprise.config";
-overlay_vars_rel(cloud, false) -> "vars/vars-cloud.config";
-overlay_vars_rel(edge, _) -> "vars/vars-edge.config".
 
-overlay_vars_pkg(bin) -> "vars/vars-bin.config";
-overlay_vars_pkg(pkg) -> "vars/vars-pkg.config".
+overlay_vars(_RelType, PkgType, true) ->
+    ee_overlay_vars(PkgType);
+overlay_vars(RelType, PkgType, false) ->
+    overlay_vars_rel(RelType) ++ overlay_vars_pkg(PkgType).
+
+%% vars per release type, cloud or edge
+overlay_vars_rel(RelType) ->
+    VmArgs = case RelType of
+                 cloud -> "vm.args";
+                 edge -> "vm.args.edge"
+             end,
+    [ {enable_plugin_emqx_rule_engine, RelType =:= cloud}
+    , {enable_plugin_emqx_bridge_mqtt, RelType =:= edge}
+    , {enable_plugin_emqx_modules, false} %% modules is not a plugin in ce
+    , {enable_plugin_emqx_recon, true}
+    , {enable_plugin_emqx_retainer, true}
+    , {enable_plugin_emqx_telemetry, true}
+    , {vm_args_file, VmArgs}
+    ].
+
+%% vars per packaging type, bin(zip/tar.gz/docker) or pkg(rpm/deb)
+overlay_vars_pkg(bin) ->
+    [ {platform_bin_dir, "bin"}
+    , {platform_data_dir, "data"}
+    , {platform_etc_dir, "etc"}
+    , {platform_lib_dir, "lib"}
+    , {platform_log_dir, "log"}
+    , {platform_plugins_dir,  "plugins"}
+    , {runner_root_dir, "$(cd $(dirname $(readlink $0 || echo $0))/..; pwd -P)"}
+    , {runner_bin_dir, "$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/bin"}
+    , {runner_etc_dir, "$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/etc"}
+    , {runner_lib_dir, "$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/lib"}
+    , {runner_log_dir, "$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/log"}
+    , {runner_data_dir, "$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/data"}
+    , {pipe_dir, "/tmp/$RUNNER_SCRIPT/"}
+    , {runner_user, ""}
+    ];
+overlay_vars_pkg(pkg) ->
+    [ {platform_bin_dir, ""}
+    , {platform_data_dir, "/var/lib/emqx"}
+    , {platform_etc_dir, "/etc/emqx"}
+    , {platform_lib_dir, ""}
+    , {platform_log_dir, "/var/log/emqx"}
+    , {platform_plugins_dir, "/var/lib/emqx/plugins"}
+    , {runner_root_dir, "/usr/lib/emqx"}
+    , {runner_bin_dir, "/usr/bin"}
+    , {runner_etc_dir, "/etc/emqx"}
+    , {runner_lib_dir, "$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/lib"}
+    , {runner_log_dir, "/var/log/emqx"}
+    , {runner_data_dir, "/var/lib/emqx"}
+    , {pipe_dir, "/tmp/$RUNNER_SCRIPT/"}
+    , {runner_user, "emqx"}
+    ].
 
 relx_apps(ReleaseType) ->
     [ kernel
@@ -402,3 +448,4 @@ list_dir(Dir) ->
 
 ee_profiles(_Vsn) -> [].
 ee_etc_overlay() -> [].
+ee_overlay_vars(_PkgType) -> [].
diff --git a/vars/vars-bin.config b/vars/vars-bin.config
deleted file mode 100644
index 3d56fb4f4..000000000
--- a/vars/vars-bin.config
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-%% -*- mode: erlang;erlang-indent-level: 4;indent-tabs-mode: nil -*-
-%% ex: ft=erlang ts=4 sw=4 et
-
-%% Platform-specific installation paths
-{platform_bin_dir,  "bin"}.
-{platform_data_dir, "data"}.
-{platform_etc_dir,  "etc"}.
-{platform_lib_dir,  "lib"}.
-{platform_log_dir,  "log"}.
-{platform_plugins_dir,  "plugins"}.
-
-%%
-%% bin/emqx
-%%
-{runner_root_dir,    "$(cd $(dirname $(readlink $0 || echo $0))/..; pwd -P)"}.
-{runner_bin_dir,     "$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/bin"}.
-{runner_etc_dir,     "$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/etc"}.
-{runner_lib_dir,     "$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/lib"}.
-{runner_log_dir,     "$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/log"}.
-{runner_data_dir,    "$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/data"}.
-{pipe_dir,           "/tmp/$RUNNER_SCRIPT/"}.
-{runner_user,        ""}.
-
diff --git a/vars/vars-cloud.config b/vars/vars-cloud.config
deleted file mode 100644
index a898927d7..000000000
--- a/vars/vars-cloud.config
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-{enable_plugin_emqx_rule_engine, true}.
-{enable_plugin_emqx_bridge_mqtt, false}.
-{enable_plugin_emqx_modules, false}.
-{enable_plugin_emqx_recon, true}.
-{enable_plugin_emqx_retainer, true}.
-{enable_plugin_emqx_telemetry, true}.
-{vm_args_file, "vm.args"}.
diff --git a/vars/vars-edge.config b/vars/vars-edge.config
deleted file mode 100644
index 2df294838..000000000
--- a/vars/vars-edge.config
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-{enable_plugin_emqx_rule_engine, false}.
-{enable_plugin_emqx_bridge_mqtt, true}.
-{enable_plugin_emqx_modules, false}.
-{enable_plugin_emqx_recon, true}.
-{enable_plugin_emqx_retainer, true}.
-{enable_plugin_emqx_telemetry, true}.
-{vm_args_file, "vm.args.edge"}.
diff --git a/vars/vars-pkg.config b/vars/vars-pkg.config
deleted file mode 100644
index a48227a75..000000000
--- a/vars/vars-pkg.config
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-%% -*- mode: erlang;erlang-indent-level: 4;indent-tabs-mode: nil -*-
-%% ex: ft=erlang ts=4 sw=4 et
-
-%% Platform-specific installation paths
-{platform_bin_dir,  ""}.
-{platform_data_dir, "/var/lib/emqx"}.
-{platform_etc_dir,  "/etc/emqx"}.
-{platform_lib_dir,  ""}.
-{platform_log_dir,  "/var/log/emqx"}.
-{platform_plugins_dir,  "/var/lib/emqx/plugins"}.
-
-%%
-%% bin/emqx
-%%
-{runner_root_dir, "/usr/lib/emqx"}.
-{runner_bin_dir,  "/usr/bin"}.
-{runner_etc_dir,  "/etc/emqx"}.
-{runner_lib_dir,  "$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/lib"}.
-{runner_log_dir,  "/var/log/emqx"}.
-{runner_data_dir, "/var/lib/emqx"}.
-{pipe_dir,        "/tmp/$RUNNER_SCRIPT/"}.
-{runner_user,     "emqx"}.