diff --git a/apps/emqx/src/emqx_listeners.erl b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_listeners.erl
index 2a809f88d..a0f2b1e7d 100644
--- a/apps/emqx/src/emqx_listeners.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_listeners.erl
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@
 -export([
     listener_id/2,
     parse_listener_id/1,
-    ensure_override_limiter_conf/2
+    ensure_override_limiter_conf/2,
+    esockd_access_rules/1
 ]).
 
 -export([pre_config_update/3, post_config_update/5]).
@@ -497,17 +498,28 @@ ip_port({Addr, Port}) ->
     [{ip, Addr}, {port, Port}].
 
 esockd_access_rules(StrRules) ->
-    Access = fun(S) ->
+    Access = fun(S, Acc) ->
         [A, CIDR] = string:tokens(S, " "),
-        {
-            list_to_atom(A),
-            case CIDR of
-                "all" -> all;
-                _ -> CIDR
-            end
-        }
+        %% esockd rules only use words 'allow' and 'deny', both are existing
+        %% comparison of strings may be better, but there is a loss of backward compatibility
+        case emqx_misc:safe_to_existing_atom(A) of
+            {ok, Action} ->
+                [
+                    {
+                        Action,
+                        case CIDR of
+                            "all" -> all;
+                            _ -> CIDR
+                        end
+                    }
+                    | Acc
+                ];
+            _ ->
+                ?SLOG(warning, #{msg => "invalid esockd access rule", rule => S}),
+                Acc
+        end
     end,
-    [Access(R) || R <- StrRules].
+    lists:foldr(Access, [], StrRules).
 
 merge_default(Options) ->
     case lists:keytake(tcp_options, 1, Options) of
diff --git a/apps/emqx/src/emqx_misc.erl b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_misc.erl
index 54157da78..674465e6a 100644
--- a/apps/emqx/src/emqx_misc.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_misc.erl
@@ -469,9 +469,9 @@ safe_to_existing_atom(In) ->
     safe_to_existing_atom(In, utf8).
 
 safe_to_existing_atom(Bin, Encoding) when is_binary(Bin) ->
-    try_to_existing_atom(fun erlang:binary_to_existing_atom/2, [Bin, Encoding]);
-safe_to_existing_atom(List, _Encoding) when is_list(List) ->
-    try_to_existing_atom(fun erlang:list_to_existing_atom/1, [List]);
+    try_to_existing_atom(fun erlang:binary_to_existing_atom/2, Bin, Encoding);
+safe_to_existing_atom(List, Encoding) when is_list(List) ->
+    try_to_existing_atom(fun(In, _) -> erlang:list_to_existing_atom(In) end, List, Encoding);
 safe_to_existing_atom(Atom, _Encoding) when is_atom(Atom) ->
     {ok, Atom};
 safe_to_existing_atom(_Any, _Encoding) ->
@@ -547,8 +547,8 @@ readable_error_msg(Error) ->
             end
     end.
 
-try_to_existing_atom(Fun, Args) ->
-    try erlang:apply(Fun, Args) of
+try_to_existing_atom(Convert, Data, Encoding) ->
+    try Convert(Data, Encoding) of
         Atom ->
             {ok, Atom}
     catch
diff --git a/apps/emqx_gateway/src/coap/handler/emqx_coap_pubsub_handler.erl b/apps/emqx_gateway/src/coap/handler/emqx_coap_pubsub_handler.erl
index 9c12e3343..8587dc1dc 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_gateway/src/coap/handler/emqx_coap_pubsub_handler.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_gateway/src/coap/handler/emqx_coap_pubsub_handler.erl
@@ -121,13 +121,7 @@ apply_publish_opts(Msg, MQTTMsg) ->
             maps:fold(
                 fun
                     (<<"retain">>, V, Acc) ->
-                        Val =
-                            case emqx_misc:safe_to_existing_atom(V) of
-                                {ok, true} ->
-                                    true;
-                                _ ->
-                                    false
-                            end,
+                        Val = V =:= <<"true">>,
                         emqx_message:set_flag(retain, Val, Acc);
                     (<<"expiry">>, V, Acc) ->
                         Val = erlang:binary_to_integer(V),
diff --git a/apps/emqx_gateway/src/emqx_gateway_utils.erl b/apps/emqx_gateway/src/emqx_gateway_utils.erl
index 8df7d84c0..68fce7589 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_gateway/src/emqx_gateway_utils.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_gateway/src/emqx_gateway_utils.erl
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@
     default_subopts/0
 ]).
 
+-import(emqx_listeners, [esockd_access_rules/1]).
+
 -define(ACTIVE_N, 100).
 -define(DEFAULT_IDLE_TIMEOUT, 30000).
 -define(DEFAULT_GC_OPTS, #{count => 1000, bytes => 1024 * 1024}).
@@ -443,19 +445,6 @@ esockd_opts(Type, Opts0) ->
         end
     ).
 
-esockd_access_rules(StrRules) ->
-    Access = fun(S) ->
-        [A, CIDR] = string:tokens(S, " "),
-        {
-            list_to_atom(A),
-            case CIDR of
-                "all" -> all;
-                _ -> CIDR
-            end
-        }
-    end,
-    [Access(R) || R <- StrRules].
-
 ssl_opts(Name, Opts) ->
     Type =
         case Name of