diff --git a/apps/emqx_conf/README.md b/apps/emqx_conf/README.md
index f1efe7987..d33af7ce2 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_conf/README.md
+++ b/apps/emqx_conf/README.md
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ This application provides configuration management capabilities for EMQX.
 At compile time it reads all configuration schemas and generates the following files:
   * `config-en.md`: documentation for all configuration options.
   * `schema-en.json`: JSON description of all configuration schema options.
-  * `emqx.conf.example`: an example of a complete configuration file.
 
 At runtime, it provides:
 - Cluster configuration synchronization capability.
diff --git a/apps/emqx_conf/etc/emqx_conf.conf b/apps/emqx_conf/etc/emqx_conf.conf
index 2d7b8d910..2f2d1a779 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_conf/etc/emqx_conf.conf
+++ b/apps/emqx_conf/etc/emqx_conf.conf
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 ## To avoid confusion, please do not store the same configs in both files.
 ##
 ## See {{ emqx_configuration_doc }} for more details.
-## Configuration full example can be found in emqx.conf.example
+## Configuration full example can be found in etc/examples
 
 node {
   name = "emqx@127.0.0.1"
diff --git a/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_conf.erl b/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_conf.erl
index 584a10a8d..51c353edf 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_conf.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_conf.erl
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@
 -export([reset/2, reset/3]).
 -export([dump_schema/2]).
 -export([schema_module/0]).
--export([gen_example_conf/2]).
 -export([check_config/2]).
 
 %% TODO: move to emqx_dashboard when we stop building api schema at build time
@@ -161,8 +160,7 @@ dump_schema(Dir, SchemaModule) ->
             ok = gen_schema_json(Dir, SchemaModule, Lang)
         end,
         ["en", "zh"]
-    ),
-    ok = gen_example_conf(Dir, SchemaModule).
+    ).
 
 %% for scripts/spellcheck.
 gen_schema_json(Dir, SchemaModule, Lang) ->
@@ -202,11 +200,6 @@ gen_config_md(Dir, SchemaModule, Lang) ->
     io:format(user, "===< Generating: ~s~n", [SchemaMdFile]),
     ok = gen_doc(SchemaMdFile, SchemaModule, Lang).
 
-gen_example_conf(Dir, SchemaModule) ->
-    SchemaMdFile = filename:join([Dir, "emqx.conf.example"]),
-    io:format(user, "===< Generating: ~s~n", [SchemaMdFile]),
-    ok = gen_example(SchemaMdFile, SchemaModule).
-
 %% @doc return the root schema module.
 -spec schema_module() -> module().
 schema_module() ->
@@ -250,17 +243,6 @@ gen_doc(File, SchemaModule, Lang) ->
     Doc = hocon_schema_md:gen(SchemaModule, Opts),
     file:write_file(File, Doc).
 
-gen_example(File, SchemaModule) ->
-    %% we do not generate description in example files
-    %% so there is no need for a desc_resolver
-    Opts = #{
-        title => <<"EMQX Configuration Example">>,
-        body => <<"">>,
-        include_importance_up_from => ?IMPORTANCE_MEDIUM
-    },
-    Example = hocon_schema_example:gen(SchemaModule, Opts),
-    file:write_file(File, Example).
-
 gen_api_schema_json_iodata(SchemaMod, SchemaInfo) ->
     emqx_dashboard_swagger:gen_api_schema_json_iodata(
         SchemaMod,
diff --git a/mix.exs b/mix.exs
index 1274991ff..5f60a2e34 100644
--- a/mix.exs
+++ b/mix.exs
@@ -541,9 +541,9 @@ defmodule EMQXUmbrella.MixProject do
 
     profile = System.get_env("MIX_ENV")
 
-    Mix.Generator.copy_file(
-      "_build/docgen/#{profile}/emqx.conf.example",
-      Path.join(etc, "emqx.conf.example"),
+    File.cp_r!(
+      "examples",
+      Path.join(etc, "examples"),
       force: overwrite?
     )
 
diff --git a/rebar.config.erl b/rebar.config.erl
index a0bfa8744..fc91878d9 100644
--- a/rebar.config.erl
+++ b/rebar.config.erl
@@ -524,7 +524,7 @@ etc_overlay(ReleaseType, _Edition) ->
     [
         {mkdir, "etc/"},
         {copy, "{{base_dir}}/lib/emqx/etc/certs", "etc/"},
-        {copy, "_build/docgen/" ++ profile() ++ "/emqx.conf.example", "etc/emqx.conf.example"}
+        {copy, "examples", "etc/"}
     ] ++
         lists:map(
             fun