diff --git a/apps/emqx/include/emqx.hrl b/apps/emqx/include/emqx.hrl
index 63ab13256..550e650a2 100644
--- a/apps/emqx/include/emqx.hrl
+++ b/apps/emqx/include/emqx.hrl
@@ -147,6 +147,6 @@
         }).
 
 -record(chain,
-        { name :: binary()
+        { name :: atom()
         , authenticators :: [#authenticator{}]
         }).
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/apps/emqx/src/emqx_authentication.erl b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_authentication.erl
index 2b561d298..8dcca50eb 100644
--- a/apps/emqx/src/emqx_authentication.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_authentication.erl
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ handle_call({update_authenticator, ChainName, AuthenticatorID, Config}, _From, S
                                state    = #{version := Version} = ST} = Authenticator ->
                     case AuthenticatorID =:= generate_id(Config) of
                         true ->
-                            Unique = <<ChainName/binary, "/", AuthenticatorID/binary, ":", Version/binary>>,
+                            Unique = unique(ChainName, AuthenticatorID, Version),
                             case Provider:update(Config#{'_unique' => Unique}, ST) of
                                 {ok, NewST} ->
                                     NewAuthenticator = Authenticator#authenticator{state = switch_version(NewST)},
@@ -575,17 +575,17 @@ split_by_id(ID, AuthenticatorsConfig) ->
     end.
 
 global_chain(mqtt) ->
-    <<"mqtt:global">>;
+    'mqtt:global';
 global_chain('mqtt-sn') ->
-    <<"mqtt-sn:global">>;
+    'mqtt-sn:global';
 global_chain(coap) ->
-    <<"coap:global">>;
+    'coap:global';
 global_chain(lwm2m) ->
-    <<"lwm2m:global">>;
+    'lwm2m:global';
 global_chain(stomp) ->
-    <<"stomp:global">>;
+    'stomp:global';
 global_chain(_) ->
-    <<"unknown:global">>.
+    'unknown:global'.
 
 may_hook(#{hooked := false} = State) ->
     case lists:any(fun(#chain{authenticators = []}) -> false;
@@ -618,7 +618,7 @@ do_create_authenticator(ChainName, AuthenticatorID, #{enable := Enable} = Config
         undefined ->
             {error, no_available_provider};
         Provider ->
-            Unique = <<ChainName/binary, "/", AuthenticatorID/binary, ":", ?VER_1/binary>>,
+            Unique = unique(ChainName, AuthenticatorID, ?VER_1),
             case Provider:create(Config#{'_unique' => Unique}) of
                 {ok, State} ->
                     Authenticator = #authenticator{id = AuthenticatorID,
@@ -704,6 +704,10 @@ serialize_authenticator(#authenticator{id = ID,
      , state => State
      }.
 
+unique(ChainName, AuthenticatorID, Version) ->
+    NChainName = atom_to_binary(ChainName),
+    <<NChainName/binary, "/", AuthenticatorID/binary, ":", Version/binary>>.
+
 switch_version(State = #{version := ?VER_1}) ->
     State#{version := ?VER_2};
 switch_version(State = #{version := ?VER_2}) ->
diff --git a/apps/emqx/src/emqx_channel.erl b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_channel.erl
index e25a9c8d6..5e978669d 100644
--- a/apps/emqx/src/emqx_channel.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx/src/emqx_channel.erl
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ init(ConnInfo = #{peername := {PeerHost, _Port},
     ClientInfo = set_peercert_infos(
                    Peercert,
                    #{zone         => Zone,
-                     listener     => Listener,
+                     listener     => emqx_listeners:listener_id(Type, Listener),
                      protocol     => Protocol,
                      peerhost     => PeerHost,
                      sockport     => SockPort,
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ init(ConnInfo = #{peername := {PeerHost, _Port},
                      mountpoint   => MountPoint,
                      is_bridge    => false,
                      is_superuser => false
-                    }, Zone, Listener),
+                    }, Zone),
     {NClientInfo, NConnInfo} = take_ws_cookie(ClientInfo, ConnInfo),
     #channel{conninfo   = NConnInfo,
              clientinfo = NClientInfo,
@@ -244,12 +244,12 @@ quota_policy(RawPolicy) ->
              erlang:trunc(hocon_postprocess:duration(StrWind) / 1000)}}
      || {Name, [StrCount, StrWind]} <- maps:to_list(RawPolicy)].
 
-set_peercert_infos(NoSSL, ClientInfo, _, _)
+set_peercert_infos(NoSSL, ClientInfo, _)
   when NoSSL =:= nossl;
        NoSSL =:= undefined ->
     ClientInfo#{username => undefined};
 
-set_peercert_infos(Peercert, ClientInfo, Zone, _Listener) ->
+set_peercert_infos(Peercert, ClientInfo, Zone) ->
     {DN, CN} = {esockd_peercert:subject(Peercert),
                 esockd_peercert:common_name(Peercert)},
     PeercetAs = fun(Key) ->
diff --git a/apps/emqx/test/emqx_authentication_SUITE.erl b/apps/emqx/test/emqx_authentication_SUITE.erl
index a940adc88..0b610d2e5 100644
--- a/apps/emqx/test/emqx_authentication_SUITE.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx/test/emqx_authentication_SUITE.erl
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ end_per_suite(_) ->
 
 t_chain(_) ->
     % CRUD of authentication chain
-    ChainName = <<"test">>,
+    ChainName = 'test',
     ?assertMatch({ok, []}, ?AUTHN:list_chains()),
     ?assertMatch({ok, #{name := ChainName, authenticators := []}}, ?AUTHN:create_chain(ChainName)),
     ?assertEqual({error, {already_exists, {chain, ChainName}}}, ?AUTHN:create_chain(ChainName)),
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ t_chain(_) ->
     ok.
 
 t_authenticator(_) ->
-    ChainName = <<"test">>,
+    ChainName = 'test',
     AuthenticatorConfig1 = #{mechanism => 'password-based',
                              backend => 'built-in-database',
                              enable => true},
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ t_authenticator(_) ->
     ok.
 
 t_authenticate(_) ->
-    ListenerID = <<"tcp:default">>,
+    ListenerID = 'tcp:default',
     ClientInfo = #{zone => default,
                    listener => ListenerID,
                    protocol => mqtt,
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ t_update_config(_) ->
     ?AUTHN:add_provider(AuthNType1, ?MODULE),
     ?AUTHN:add_provider(AuthNType2, ?MODULE),
 
-    Global = <<"mqtt:global">>,
+    Global = 'mqtt:global',
     AuthenticatorConfig1 = #{mechanism => 'password-based',
                              backend => 'built-in-database',
                              enable => true},
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ t_update_config(_) ->
     ?assertMatch({ok, _}, update_config([authentication], {delete_authenticator, Global, ID1})),
     ?assertEqual({error, {not_found, {authenticator, ID1}}}, ?AUTHN:lookup_authenticator(Global, ID1)),
 
-    ListenerID = <<"tcp:default">>,
+    ListenerID = 'tcp:default',
     ConfKeyPath = [listeners, tcp, default, authentication],
     ?assertMatch({ok, _}, update_config(ConfKeyPath, {create_authenticator, ListenerID, AuthenticatorConfig1})),
     ?assertMatch({ok, #{id := ID1, state := #{mark := 1}}}, ?AUTHN:lookup_authenticator(ListenerID, ID1)),
diff --git a/apps/emqx_authn/include/emqx_authn.hrl b/apps/emqx_authn/include/emqx_authn.hrl
index bdf93204a..5eef08012 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_authn/include/emqx_authn.hrl
+++ b/apps/emqx_authn/include/emqx_authn.hrl
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 
 -define(AUTHN, emqx_authentication).
 
--define(GLOBAL, <<"mqtt:global">>).
+-define(GLOBAL, 'mqtt:global').
 
 -define(RE_PLACEHOLDER, "\\$\\{[a-z0-9\\-]+\\}").
 
diff --git a/apps/emqx_authn/src/emqx_authn_api.erl b/apps/emqx_authn/src/emqx_authn_api.erl
index afac57f99..7c3bcbd63 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_authn/src/emqx_authn_api.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_authn/src/emqx_authn_api.erl
@@ -1824,7 +1824,8 @@ find_listener(ListenerID) ->
             {ok, {Type, Name}}
     end.
 
-create_authenticator(ConfKeyPath, ChainName, Config) ->
+create_authenticator(ConfKeyPath, ChainName0, Config) ->
+    ChainName = to_atom(ChainName0),
     case update_config(ConfKeyPath, {create_authenticator, ChainName, Config}) of
         {ok, #{post_config_update := #{?AUTHN := #{id := ID}},
                raw_config := AuthenticatorsConfig}} ->
@@ -1849,7 +1850,8 @@ list_authenticator(ConfKeyPath, AuthenticatorID) ->
             serialize_error(Reason)
     end.
 
-update_authenticator(ConfKeyPath, ChainName, AuthenticatorID, Config) ->
+update_authenticator(ConfKeyPath, ChainName0, AuthenticatorID, Config) ->
+    ChainName = to_atom(ChainName0),
     case update_config(ConfKeyPath,
                                   {update_authenticator, ChainName, AuthenticatorID, Config}) of
         {ok, #{post_config_update := #{?AUTHN := #{id := ID}},
@@ -1860,7 +1862,8 @@ update_authenticator(ConfKeyPath, ChainName, AuthenticatorID, Config) ->
             serialize_error(Reason)
     end.
 
-delete_authenticator(ConfKeyPath, ChainName, AuthenticatorID) ->
+delete_authenticator(ConfKeyPath, ChainName0, AuthenticatorID) ->
+    ChainName = to_atom(ChainName0),
     case update_config(ConfKeyPath, {delete_authenticator, ChainName, AuthenticatorID}) of
         {ok, _} ->
             {204};
@@ -1868,7 +1871,8 @@ delete_authenticator(ConfKeyPath, ChainName, AuthenticatorID) ->
             serialize_error(Reason)
     end.
 
-move_authenitcator(ConfKeyPath, ChainName, AuthenticatorID, Position) ->
+move_authenitcator(ConfKeyPath, ChainName0, AuthenticatorID, Position) ->
+    ChainName = to_atom(ChainName0),
     case update_config(ConfKeyPath, {move_authenticator, ChainName, AuthenticatorID, Position}) of
         {ok, _} ->
             {204};
@@ -1876,7 +1880,8 @@ move_authenitcator(ConfKeyPath, ChainName, AuthenticatorID, Position) ->
             serialize_error(Reason)
     end.
 
-add_user(ChainName, AuthenticatorID, #{<<"user_id">> := UserID, <<"password">> := Password} = UserInfo) ->
+add_user(ChainName0, AuthenticatorID, #{<<"user_id">> := UserID, <<"password">> := Password} = UserInfo) ->
+    ChainName = to_atom(ChainName0),
     Superuser = maps:get(<<"superuser">>, UserInfo, false),
     case ?AUTHN:add_user(ChainName, AuthenticatorID, #{ user_id => UserID
                                                       , password => Password
@@ -1891,7 +1896,8 @@ add_user(_, _, #{<<"user_id">> := _}) ->
 add_user(_, _, _) ->
     serialize_error({missing_parameter, user_id}).
 
-update_user(ChainName, AuthenticatorID, UserID, UserInfo) ->
+update_user(ChainName0, AuthenticatorID, UserID, UserInfo) ->
+    ChainName = to_atom(ChainName0),
     case maps:with([<<"password">>, <<"superuser">>], UserInfo) =:= #{} of
         true ->
             serialize_error({missing_parameter, password});
@@ -1904,7 +1910,8 @@ update_user(ChainName, AuthenticatorID, UserID, UserInfo) ->
             end
     end.
 
-find_user(ChainName, AuthenticatorID, UserID) ->
+find_user(ChainName0, AuthenticatorID, UserID) ->
+    ChainName = to_atom(ChainName0),
     case ?AUTHN:lookup_user(ChainName, AuthenticatorID, UserID) of
         {ok, User} ->
             {200, User};
@@ -1912,7 +1919,8 @@ find_user(ChainName, AuthenticatorID, UserID) ->
             serialize_error(Reason)
     end.
 
-delete_user(ChainName, AuthenticatorID, UserID) ->
+delete_user(ChainName0, AuthenticatorID, UserID) ->
+    ChainName = to_atom(ChainName0),
     case ?AUTHN:delete_user(ChainName, AuthenticatorID, UserID) of
         ok ->
             {204};
@@ -1920,7 +1928,8 @@ delete_user(ChainName, AuthenticatorID, UserID) ->
             serialize_error(Reason)
     end.
 
-list_users(ChainName, AuthenticatorID) ->
+list_users(ChainName0, AuthenticatorID) ->
+    ChainName = to_atom(ChainName0),
     case ?AUTHN:list_users(ChainName, AuthenticatorID) of
         {ok, Users} ->
             {200, Users};
@@ -1973,4 +1982,9 @@ serialize_error(Reason) ->
 to_list(M) when is_map(M) ->
     [M];
 to_list(L) when is_list(L) ->
-    L.
\ No newline at end of file
+    L.
+
+to_atom(B) when is_binary(B) ->
+    binary_to_atom(B);
+to_atom(A) when is_atom(A) ->
+    A.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/apps/emqx_authn/src/emqx_authn_app.erl b/apps/emqx_authn/src/emqx_authn_app.erl
index 58470289a..016decdd2 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_authn/src/emqx_authn_app.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_authn/src/emqx_authn_app.erl
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ remove_providers() ->
 initialize() ->
     ?AUTHN:initialize_authentication(?GLOBAL, emqx:get_raw_config([authentication], [])),
     lists:foreach(fun({ListenerID, ListenerConfig}) ->
-                      ?AUTHN:initialize_authentication(atom_to_binary(ListenerID), maps:get(authentication, ListenerConfig, []))
+                      ?AUTHN:initialize_authentication(ListenerID, maps:get(authentication, ListenerConfig, []))
                   end, emqx_listeners:list()),
     ok.