diff --git a/apps/emqx_management/src/emqx_mgmt_cli.erl b/apps/emqx_management/src/emqx_mgmt_cli.erl
index 15f05da04..866efb267 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_management/src/emqx_mgmt_cli.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_management/src/emqx_mgmt_cli.erl
@@ -157,7 +157,10 @@ sort_map_list_field(Field, Map) ->
 %% @doc Query clients
 
 clients(["list"]) ->
-    dump(?CHAN_TAB, client);
+    case ets:info(?CHAN_TAB, size) of
+        0 -> emqx_ctl:print("No clients.~n");
+        _ -> dump(?CHAN_TAB, client)
+    end;
 clients(["show", ClientId]) ->
     if_client(ClientId, fun print/1);
 clients(["kick", ClientId]) ->
@@ -180,10 +183,15 @@ if_client(ClientId, Fun) ->
 %% @doc Topics Command
 
 topics(["list"]) ->
-    emqx_router:foldr_routes(
-        fun(Route, Acc) -> [print({emqx_topic, Route}) | Acc] end,
-        []
-    );
+    Res =
+        emqx_router:foldr_routes(
+            fun(Route, Acc) -> [print({emqx_topic, Route}) | Acc] end,
+            []
+        ),
+    case Res of
+        [] -> emqx_ctl:print("No topics.~n");
+        _ -> ok
+    end;
 topics(["show", Topic]) ->
     Routes = emqx_router:lookup_routes(Topic),
     [print({emqx_topic, Route}) || Route <- Routes];
@@ -194,12 +202,17 @@ topics(_) ->
     ]).
 
 subscriptions(["list"]) ->
-    lists:foreach(
-        fun(Suboption) ->
-            print({?SUBOPTION, Suboption})
-        end,
-        ets:tab2list(?SUBOPTION)
-    );
+    case ets:info(?SUBOPTION, size) of
+        0 ->
+            emqx_ctl:print("No subscriptions.~n");
+        _ ->
+            lists:foreach(
+                fun(SubOption) ->
+                    print({?SUBOPTION, SubOption})
+                end,
+                ets:tab2list(?SUBOPTION)
+            )
+    end;
 subscriptions(["show", ClientId]) ->
     case ets:lookup(emqx_subid, bin(ClientId)) of
         [] ->
@@ -207,7 +220,7 @@ subscriptions(["show", ClientId]) ->
         [{_, Pid}] ->
             case ets:match_object(?SUBOPTION, {{'_', Pid}, '_'}) of
                 [] -> emqx_ctl:print("Not Found.~n");
-                Suboption -> [print({?SUBOPTION, Sub}) || Sub <- Suboption]
+                SubOption -> [print({?SUBOPTION, Sub}) || Sub <- SubOption]
             end
     end;
 subscriptions(["add", ClientId, Topic, QoS]) ->
@@ -446,13 +459,20 @@ log(_) ->
 %% @doc Trace Command
 
 trace(["list"]) ->
-    lists:foreach(
-        fun(Trace) ->
-            #{type := Type, filter := Filter, level := Level, dst := Dst} = Trace,
-            emqx_ctl:print("Trace(~s=~s, level=~s, destination=~0p)~n", [Type, Filter, Level, Dst])
-        end,
-        emqx_trace_handler:running()
-    );
+    case emqx_trace_handler:running() of
+        [] ->
+            emqx_ctl:print("Trace is empty~n", []);
+        Traces ->
+            lists:foreach(
+                fun(Trace) ->
+                    #{type := Type, filter := Filter, level := Level, dst := Dst} = Trace,
+                    emqx_ctl:print("Trace(~s=~s, level=~s, destination=~0p)~n", [
+                        Type, Filter, Level, Dst
+                    ])
+                end,
+                Traces
+            )
+    end;
 trace(["stop", Operation, Filter0]) ->
     case trace_type(Operation, Filter0) of
         {ok, Type, Filter} -> trace_off(Type, Filter);
diff --git a/apps/emqx_modules/src/emqx_modules.app.src b/apps/emqx_modules/src/emqx_modules.app.src
index 09a404a44..e986a3fe1 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_modules/src/emqx_modules.app.src
+++ b/apps/emqx_modules/src/emqx_modules.app.src
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 %% -*- mode: erlang -*-
 {application, emqx_modules, [
     {description, "EMQX Modules"},
-    {vsn, "5.0.22"},
+    {vsn, "5.0.23"},
     {modules, []},
     {applications, [kernel, stdlib, emqx, emqx_ctl]},
     {mod, {emqx_modules_app, []}},
diff --git a/apps/emqx_modules/src/emqx_observer_cli.erl b/apps/emqx_modules/src/emqx_observer_cli.erl
index abed31edc..0be17decb 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_modules/src/emqx_observer_cli.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_modules/src/emqx_observer_cli.erl
@@ -40,10 +40,18 @@ cmd(["bin_leak"]) ->
         recon:bin_leak(100)
     );
 cmd(["load", Mod]) ->
-    Module = list_to_existing_atom(Mod),
-    Nodes = nodes(),
-    Res = remote_load(Nodes, Module),
-    emqx_ctl:print("Loaded ~p module on ~p: ~p~n", [Module, Nodes, Res]);
+    case nodes() of
+        [] ->
+            emqx_ctl:print("No other nodes in the cluster~n");
+        Nodes ->
+            case emqx_utils:safe_to_existing_atom(Mod) of
+                {ok, Module} ->
+                    Res = recon:remote_load(Nodes, Module),
+                    emqx_ctl:print("Loaded ~p module on ~p: ~p~n", [Module, Nodes, Res]);
+                {error, Reason} ->
+                    emqx_ctl:print("Module(~s) not found: ~p~n", [Mod, Reason])
+            end
+    end;
 cmd(_) ->
     emqx_ctl:usage([
         {"observer status", "Start observer in the current console"},
@@ -51,12 +59,5 @@ cmd(_) ->
             "Force all processes to perform garbage collection "
             "and prints the top-100 processes that freed the "
             "biggest amount of binaries, potentially highlighting leaks."},
-        {"observer load Mod", "Ensure a module is loaded in all EMQX nodes in the cluster"}
+        {"observer load Mod", "Enhanced module synchronization across all cluster nodes"}
     ]).
-
-%% recon:remote_load/1 has a bug, when nodes() returns [], it is
-%% taken by recon as a node name.
-%% before OTP 23, the call returns a 'badrpc' tuple
-%% after OTP 23, it crashes with 'badarg' error
-remote_load([], _Module) -> ok;
-remote_load(Nodes, Module) -> recon:remote_load(Nodes, Module).
diff --git a/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer.app.src b/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer.app.src
index 8f7c9aa17..cab070826 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer.app.src
+++ b/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer.app.src
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 {application, emqx_retainer, [
     {description, "EMQX Retainer"},
     % strict semver, bump manually!
-    {vsn, "5.0.17"},
+    {vsn, "5.0.18"},
     {modules, []},
     {registered, [emqx_retainer_sup]},
     {applications, [kernel, stdlib, emqx, emqx_ctl]},
diff --git a/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer_mnesia_cli.erl b/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer_mnesia_cli.erl
index 5710e4df3..3fef4c8b0 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer_mnesia_cli.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer_mnesia_cli.erl
@@ -32,10 +32,11 @@ load() ->
     ok = emqx_ctl:register_command(retainer, {?MODULE, retainer}, []).
 
 retainer(["info"]) ->
-    ?PRINT("Number of retained messages: ~p~n", [emqx_retainer:retained_count()]);
+    count();
 retainer(["topics"]) ->
-    [?PRINT("~ts~n", [I]) || I <- emqx_retainer_mnesia:topics()],
-    ok;
+    topic(1, 1000);
+retainer(["topics", Start, Len]) ->
+    topic(list_to_integer(Start), list_to_integer(Len));
 retainer(["clean", Topic]) ->
     emqx_retainer:delete(list_to_binary(Topic));
 retainer(["clean"]) ->
@@ -65,7 +66,9 @@ retainer(_) ->
     emqx_ctl:usage(
         [
             {"retainer info", "Show the count of retained messages"},
-            {"retainer topics", "Show all topics of retained messages"},
+            {"retainer topics", "Same as retainer topic 1 1000"},
+            {"retainer topics <Start> <Limit>",
+                "Show topics of retained messages by the specified range"},
             {"retainer clean", "Clean all retained messages"},
             {"retainer clean <Topic>", "Clean retained messages by the specified topic filter"},
             {"retainer reindex status", "Show reindex status"},
@@ -98,3 +101,12 @@ do_reindex(Force) ->
         end
     ),
     ?PRINT_MSG("Reindexing finished~n").
+
+count() ->
+    ?PRINT("Number of retained messages: ~p~n", [emqx_retainer:retained_count()]).
+
+topic(Start, Len) ->
+    count(),
+    Topics = lists:sublist(emqx_retainer_mnesia:topics(), Start, Len),
+    [?PRINT("~ts~n", [I]) || I <- Topics],
+    ok.
diff --git a/apps/emqx_retainer/test/emqx_retainer_cli_SUITE.erl b/apps/emqx_retainer/test/emqx_retainer_cli_SUITE.erl
index bddad5fb3..c04f7a6de 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_retainer/test/emqx_retainer_cli_SUITE.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_retainer/test/emqx_retainer_cli_SUITE.erl
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ t_info(_Config) ->
 t_topics(_Config) ->
     ok = emqx_retainer_mnesia_cli:retainer(["topics"]).
 
+t_topics_with_len(_Config) ->
+    ok = emqx_retainer_mnesia_cli:retainer(["topics", "100", "200"]).
+
 t_clean(_Config) ->
     ok = emqx_retainer_mnesia_cli:retainer(["clean"]).