diff --git a/apps/emqx_bridge/src/emqx_bridge_api.erl b/apps/emqx_bridge/src/emqx_bridge_api.erl
index 69b17a843..5a862c492 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_bridge/src/emqx_bridge_api.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_bridge/src/emqx_bridge_api.erl
@@ -764,7 +764,7 @@ is_bridge_enabled_v1(BridgeType, BridgeName) ->
     %% we read from the translated config because the defaults are populated here.
     try emqx:get_config([bridges, BridgeType, binary_to_existing_atom(BridgeName)]) of
         ConfMap ->
-            maps:get(enable, ConfMap, false)
+            maps:get(enable, ConfMap, true)
     catch
         error:{config_not_found, _} ->
             throw(not_found);
diff --git a/apps/emqx_bridge/src/emqx_bridge_v2_api.erl b/apps/emqx_bridge/src/emqx_bridge_v2_api.erl
index 92c0b43a0..b54bd21e5 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_bridge/src/emqx_bridge_v2_api.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_bridge/src/emqx_bridge_v2_api.erl
@@ -990,7 +990,7 @@ call_operation_if_enabled(NodeOrAll, OperFunc, [Nodes, ConfRootKey, BridgeType,
 is_enabled_bridge(ConfRootKey, BridgeType, BridgeName) ->
     try emqx_bridge_v2:lookup(ConfRootKey, BridgeType, binary_to_existing_atom(BridgeName)) of
         {ok, #{raw_config := ConfMap}} ->
-            maps:get(<<"enable">>, ConfMap, false);
+            maps:get(<<"enable">>, ConfMap, true);
         {error, not_found} ->
             throw(not_found)
     catch
diff --git a/apps/emqx_connector/src/emqx_connector_api.erl b/apps/emqx_connector/src/emqx_connector_api.erl
index e3aa6abf5..97f68b7ef 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_connector/src/emqx_connector_api.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_connector/src/emqx_connector_api.erl
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ call_operation_if_enabled(NodeOrAll, OperFunc, [Nodes, BridgeType, BridgeName])
 is_enabled_connector(ConnectorType, ConnectorName) ->
     try emqx:get_config([connectors, ConnectorType, binary_to_existing_atom(ConnectorName)]) of
         ConfMap ->
-            maps:get(enable, ConfMap, false)
+            maps:get(enable, ConfMap, true)
     catch
         error:{config_not_found, _} ->
             throw(not_found);
diff --git a/changes/ce/fix-12696.en.md b/changes/ce/fix-12696.en.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0adffcf99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/ce/fix-12696.en.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fixed an issue where attempting to reconnect an action or source could lead to the wrong error message being returned in the HTTP API.