diff --git a/apps/emqx_exproto/src/emqx_exproto_channel.erl b/apps/emqx_exproto/src/emqx_exproto_channel.erl
index 44b8b64d3..130ad155a 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_exproto/src/emqx_exproto_channel.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_exproto/src/emqx_exproto_channel.erl
@@ -94,9 +94,6 @@
          awaiting_rel_max
         ]).
 
--define(CHANMOCK(P), {exproto_anonymous_client, P}).
--define(CHAN_CONN_TAB, emqx_channel_conn).
-
 %%--------------------------------------------------------------------
 %% Info, Attrs and Caps
 %%--------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -155,15 +152,14 @@ init(ConnInfo = #{socktype := Socktype,
     Channel = #channel{gcli = #{channel => GRpcChann},
                        conninfo = NConnInfo,
                        clientinfo = ClientInfo,
-                       conn_state = connecting,
+                       conn_state = accepted,
                        timers = #{}
                       },
     case emqx_hooks:run_fold('client.connect', [NConnInfo], #{}) of
         {error, _Reason} ->
             throw(nopermission);
         _ ->
-            ConnMod = maps:get(conn_mod, NConnInfo),
-            true = ets:insert(?CHAN_CONN_TAB, {?CHANMOCK(self()), ConnMod}),
+            ok = register_the_anonymous_client(ClientInfo, NConnInfo),
             Req = #{conninfo =>
                     peercert(Peercert,
                              #{socktype => socktype(Socktype),
@@ -172,6 +168,22 @@ init(ConnInfo = #{socktype := Socktype,
             try_dispatch(on_socket_created, wrap(Req), Channel)
     end.
 
+register_the_anonymous_client(ClientInfo, ConnInfo) ->
+    ClientId = maps:get(clientid, ClientInfo),
+    case emqx_cm:open_session(true, ClientInfo, ConnInfo) of
+        {ok, _} ->
+            ?LOG(debug, "Registered an anonymous connection, "
+                        "temporary clientid: ~s", [ClientId]),
+            emqx_logger:set_metadata_clientid(ClientId),
+            _ = self() ! {event, accepted},
+            ok;
+        {error, Reason} ->
+            throw({register_anonymous_error, Reason})
+    end.
+
+unregister_the_anonymous_client(ClientId) ->
+    emqx_cm:unregister_channel(ClientId).
+
 %% @private
 peercert(NoSsl, ConnInfo) when NoSsl == nossl;
                                NoSsl == undefined ->
@@ -274,15 +286,14 @@ handle_call(close, Channel) ->
 handle_call({auth, ClientInfo, _Password}, Channel = #channel{conn_state = connected}) ->
     ?LOG(warning, "Duplicated authorized command, dropped ~p", [ClientInfo]),
     {reply, {error, ?RESP_PERMISSION_DENY, <<"Duplicated authenticate command">>}, Channel};
-handle_call({auth, ClientInfo0, Password},
+handle_call({auth, RequestedClientInfo, Password},
             Channel = #channel{conninfo = ConnInfo,
-                               clientinfo = ClientInfo}) ->
-    ClientInfo1 = enrich_clientinfo(ClientInfo0, ClientInfo),
-    NConnInfo = enrich_conninfo(ClientInfo0, ConnInfo),
+                               clientinfo = ClientInfo0}) ->
+    ClientInfo1 = enrich_clientinfo(RequestedClientInfo, ClientInfo0),
+    NConnInfo = enrich_conninfo(RequestedClientInfo, ConnInfo),
 
     Channel1 = Channel#channel{conninfo = NConnInfo,
                                clientinfo = ClientInfo1},
-
     #{clientid := ClientId, username := Username} = ClientInfo1,
 
     case emqx_access_control:authenticate(ClientInfo1#{password => Password}) of
@@ -292,9 +303,10 @@ handle_call({auth, ClientInfo0, Password},
                 emqx_metrics:inc('client.auth.anonymous'),
             NClientInfo = maps:merge(ClientInfo1, AuthResult),
             NChannel = Channel1#channel{clientinfo = NClientInfo},
-            clean_anonymous_clients(),
             case emqx_cm:open_session(true, NClientInfo, NConnInfo) of
                 {ok, _Session} ->
+                    AnonymousClientId = maps:get(clientid, ClientInfo0),
+                    unregister_the_anonymous_client(AnonymousClientId),
                     ?LOG(debug, "Client ~s (Username: '~s') authorized successfully!",
                                 [ClientId, Username]),
                     {reply, ok, [{event, connected}], ensure_connected(NChannel)};
@@ -406,16 +418,12 @@ handle_info(Info, Channel) ->
 
 -spec(terminate(any(), channel()) -> channel()).
 terminate(Reason, Channel) ->
-    clean_anonymous_clients(),
     Req = #{reason => stringfy(Reason)},
     try_dispatch(on_socket_closed, wrap(Req), Channel).
 
 is_anonymous(#{anonymous := true}) -> true;
 is_anonymous(_AuthResult)          -> false.
 
-clean_anonymous_clients() ->
-    ets:delete(?CHAN_CONN_TAB, ?CHANMOCK(self())).
-
 packet_to_message(Topic, Qos, Payload,
                   #channel{
                      conninfo = #{proto_ver := ProtoVer},
@@ -608,23 +616,32 @@ default_conninfo(ConnInfo) ->
               username => undefined,
               conn_props => #{},
               connected => true,
+              proto_name => <<"exproto">>,
+              proto_ver => <<"1.0">>,
               connected_at => erlang:system_time(millisecond),
               keepalive => 0,
               receive_maximum => 0,
               expiry_interval => 0}.
 
-default_clientinfo(#{peername := {PeerHost, _},
+default_clientinfo(#{peername := {PeerHost, PeerPort},
                      sockname := {_, SockPort}}) ->
     #{zone         => external,
-      protocol     => undefined,
+      protocol     => exproto,
       peerhost     => PeerHost,
       sockport     => SockPort,
-      clientid     => undefined,
+      clientid     => anonymous_clientid(PeerHost, PeerPort),
       username     => undefined,
       is_bridge    => false,
       is_superuser => false,
       mountpoint   => undefined}.
 
+anonymous_clientid(PeerHost, PeerPort) ->
+    iolist_to_binary(
+      ["exproto-anonymous-",
+       inet:ntoa(PeerHost), "-", integer_to_list(PeerPort),
+       "-", emqx_rule_id:gen()
+      ]).
+
 stringfy(Reason) ->
     unicode:characters_to_binary((io_lib:format("~0p", [Reason]))).
 
diff --git a/apps/emqx_exproto/src/emqx_exproto_conn.erl b/apps/emqx_exproto/src/emqx_exproto_conn.erl
index 02c0b31d6..f0cca7bec 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_exproto/src/emqx_exproto_conn.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_exproto/src/emqx_exproto_conn.erl
@@ -439,7 +439,8 @@ handle_msg({close, Reason}, State) ->
     ?LOG(debug, "Force to close the socket due to ~p", [Reason]),
     handle_info({sock_closed, Reason}, close_socket(State));
 
-handle_msg({event, connected}, State = #state{channel = Channel}) ->
+handle_msg({event, Event}, State = #state{channel = Channel})
+  when Event == connected; Event == accepted ->
     ClientId = emqx_exproto_channel:info(clientid, Channel),
     emqx_cm:insert_channel_info(ClientId, info(State), stats(State));
 
diff --git a/apps/emqx_management/src/emqx_mgmt_api_clients.erl b/apps/emqx_management/src/emqx_mgmt_api_clients.erl
index 7d3dbddc8..f47fea6eb 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_management/src/emqx_mgmt_api_clients.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_management/src/emqx_mgmt_api_clients.erl
@@ -271,6 +271,7 @@ format_channel_info({_Key, Info, Stats0}) ->
     SessCreated = maps:get(created_at, Session, maps:get(connected_at, ConnInfo)),
     Connected = case maps:get(conn_state, Info, connected) of
                     connected -> true;
+                    accepted -> true;  %% for exproto anonymous clients
                     _ -> false
                 end,
     NStats = Stats#{max_subscriptions => maps:get(subscriptions_max, Stats, 0),
diff --git a/src/emqx_pmon.erl b/src/emqx_pmon.erl
index 1f9ba7af6..cfa366027 100644
--- a/src/emqx_pmon.erl
+++ b/src/emqx_pmon.erl
@@ -50,9 +50,11 @@ monitor(Pid, PMon) ->
     ?MODULE:monitor(Pid, undefined, PMon).
 
 -spec(monitor(pid(), term(), pmon()) -> pmon()).
-monitor(Pid, Val, PMon = ?PMON(Map)) ->
+monitor(Pid, Val, ?PMON(Map)) ->
     case maps:is_key(Pid, Map) of
-        true  -> PMon;
+        true  ->
+            {Ref, _Val} = maps:get(Pid, Map),
+            ?PMON(maps:put(Pid, {Ref, Val}, Map));
         false ->
             Ref = erlang:monitor(process, Pid),
             ?PMON(maps:put(Pid, {Ref, Val}, Map))