diff --git a/mix.exs b/mix.exs
index aa0aa9d31..d03b270f1 100644
--- a/mix.exs
+++ b/mix.exs
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ defmodule EMQXUmbrella.MixProject do
     )
 
     vars_rendered =
-      File.read!("data/emqx_vars")
+      File.read!("rel/emqx_vars")
       |> from_rebar_to_eex_template()
       |> EEx.eval_string(assigns)
 
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ defmodule EMQXUmbrella.MixProject do
     end
 
     built_on_rendered =
-      File.read!("data/BUILT_ON")
+      File.read!("rel/BUILT_ON")
       |> from_rebar_to_eex_template()
       |> EEx.eval_string(assigns)
 
diff --git a/rebar.config.erl b/rebar.config.erl
index 95e16835b..e0f5c38a5 100644
--- a/rebar.config.erl
+++ b/rebar.config.erl
@@ -326,8 +326,8 @@ relx_overlay(ReleaseType, Edition) ->
     , {mkdir, "data/configs"}
     , {mkdir, "data/patches"}
     , {mkdir, "data/scripts"}
-    , {template, "data/emqx_vars", "releases/emqx_vars"}
-    , {template, "data/BUILT_ON", "releases/{{release_version}}/BUILT_ON"}
+    , {template, "rel/emqx_vars", "releases/emqx_vars"}
+    , {template, "rel/BUILT_ON", "releases/{{release_version}}/BUILT_ON"}
     , {copy, "bin/emqx", "bin/emqx"}
     , {copy, "bin/emqx_ctl", "bin/emqx_ctl"}
     , {copy, "bin/node_dump", "bin/node_dump"}
diff --git a/data/BUILT_ON b/rel/BUILT_ON
similarity index 100%
rename from data/BUILT_ON
rename to rel/BUILT_ON
diff --git a/data/emqx_vars b/rel/emqx_vars
similarity index 100%
rename from data/emqx_vars
rename to rel/emqx_vars