diff --git a/bin/emqx b/bin/emqx
index 1f2e21350..53b906d32 100755
--- a/bin/emqx
+++ b/bin/emqx
@@ -278,18 +278,20 @@ if [ -z "$NAME_ARG" ]; then
     NODENAME="${EMQX_NODE_NAME:-}"
     # compatible with docker entrypoint
     [ -z "$NODENAME" ] && [ -n "$EMQX_NAME" ] && [ -n "$EMQX_HOST" ] && NODENAME="${EMQX_NAME}@${EMQX_HOST}"
-    if [ -z "$NODENAME" ] && [ "$IS_BOOT_COMMAND" = 'no' ]; then
-        # for non-boot commands, inspect vm.<time>.args for node name
-        # shellcheck disable=SC2012,SC2086
-        LATEST_VM_ARGS="$(ls -t $RUNNER_DATA_DIR/configs/vm.*.args | head -1)"
-        if [ -z "$LATEST_VM_ARGS" ]; then
-            echo "For command $1, there is no vm.*.args config file found in $RUNNER_DATA_DIR/configs/"
-            exit 1
+    if [ -z "$NODENAME" ]; then
+        if [ "$IS_BOOT_COMMAND" = 'no' ]; then
+            # for non-boot commands, inspect vm.<time>.args for node name
+            # shellcheck disable=SC2012,SC2086
+            LATEST_VM_ARGS="$(ls -t $RUNNER_DATA_DIR/configs/vm.*.args | head -1)"
+            if [ -z "$LATEST_VM_ARGS" ]; then
+                echo "For command $1, there is no vm.*.args config file found in $RUNNER_DATA_DIR/configs/"
+                exit 1
+            fi
+            NODENAME="$(grep -E '^-name' "$LATEST_VM_ARGS" | awk '{print $2}')"
+        else
+            # for boot commands, inspect emqx.conf for node name
+            NODENAME=$(grep -E '^[ \t]*node.name[ \t]*=[ \t]*' "$RUNNER_ETC_DIR/emqx.conf" 2> /dev/null | tail -1 | cut -d = -f 2-)
         fi
-        NODENAME="$(grep -E '^-name' "$LATEST_VM_ARGS" | awk '{print $2}')"
-    else
-        # for boot commands, inspect emqx.conf for node name
-        NODENAME=$(grep -E '^[ \t]*node.name[ \t]*=[ \t]*' "$RUNNER_ETC_DIR/emqx.conf" 2> /dev/null | tail -1 | cut -d = -f 2-)
     fi
     if [ -z "$NODENAME" ]; then
         echoerr "Failed to resolve emqx node name"
@@ -299,9 +301,8 @@ if [ -z "$NAME_ARG" ]; then
         echoerr "Maybe set environment variable ENQX_NODE_NAME='name@host.name'"
         echoerr "or set EMQX_NAME='name' EMQX_HOST='host.name'"
         exit 1
-    else
-        NAME_ARG="-name ${NODENAME# *}"
     fi
+    NAME_ARG="-name ${NODENAME# *}"
 fi
 
 # Extract the name type and name from the NAME_ARG for REMSH
@@ -312,24 +313,26 @@ export ESCRIPT_NAME="$NODENAME"
 
 PIPE_DIR="${PIPE_DIR:-/$RUNNER_DATA_DIR/${WHOAMI}_erl_pipes/$NAME/}"
 
-# COOKIE is only needed for non-boot commands
-# so, either read environment variable override
-# or inspect vm.<time>.args
 COOKIE="${EMQX_NODE_COOKIE:-}"
-if [ -z "$COOKIE" ] && [ "$IS_BOOT_COMMAND" = 'no' ]; then
-    # shellcheck disable=SC2012,SC2086
-    LATEST_VM_ARGS="$(ls -t $RUNNER_DATA_DIR/configs/vm.*.args | head -1)"
-    if [ -z "$LATEST_VM_ARGS" ]; then
-        echo "For command $1, there is no vm.*.args config file found in $RUNNER_DATA_DIR/configs/"
-        exit 1
-    fi
-    COOKIE="$(grep -E '^-setcookie' "$LATEST_VM_ARGS" | awk '{print $2}')"
-    if [ -z "$COOKIE" ]; then
-        echoerr "Please set node.cookie in $RUNNER_ETC_DIR/emqx.conf or override from environment variable EMQX_NODE_COOKIE"
-        exit 1
+if [ -z "$COOKIE" ]; then
+    if [ "$IS_BOOT_COMMAND" = 'yes' ]; then
+        COOKIE=$(grep -E '^[ \t]*node.cookie[ \t]*=[ \t]*' "$RUNNER_ETC_DIR/emqx.conf" 2> /dev/null | tail -1 | cut -d = -f 2-)
+    else
+        # shellcheck disable=SC2012,SC2086
+        LATEST_VM_ARGS="$(ls -t $RUNNER_DATA_DIR/configs/vm.*.args | head -1)"
+        if [ -z "$LATEST_VM_ARGS" ]; then
+            echo "For command $1, there is no vm.*.args config file found in $RUNNER_DATA_DIR/configs/"
+            exit 1
+        fi
+        COOKIE="$(grep -E '^-setcookie' "$LATEST_VM_ARGS" | awk '{print $2}')"
     fi
 fi
 
+if [ -z "$COOKIE" ]; then
+    echoerr "Please set node.cookie in $RUNNER_ETC_DIR/emqx.conf or override from environment variable EMQX_NODE_COOKIE"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 # Support for IPv6 Dist. See: https://github.com/emqtt/emqttd/issues/1460
 PROTO_DIST=$(grep -E '^[ \t]*cluster.proto_dist[ \t]*=[ \t]*' "$RUNNER_ETC_DIR/emqx.conf" 2> /dev/null | tail -1 | cut -d = -f 2-)
 if [ -z "$PROTO_DIST" ]; then