diff --git a/.ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-emqx-cluster-mnesia.override.yaml b/.ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-emqx-cluster-mnesia.override.yaml
index 1a255b2e1..17b008661 100644
--- a/.ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-emqx-cluster-mnesia.override.yaml
+++ b/.ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-emqx-cluster-mnesia.override.yaml
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ services:
     restart: on-failure
     environment:
       - "EMQX_HOST=node1.emqx.io"
-      - "EMQX_DB__BACKEND=mnesia"
-      - "EMQX_DB__ROLE=core"
+      - "EMQX_NODE__DB_BACKEND=mnesia"
+      - "EMQX_NODE__DB_ROLE=core"
 
   emqx2:
     <<: *default-emqx
@@ -25,5 +25,5 @@ services:
     restart: on-failure
     environment:
       - "EMQX_HOST=node2.emqx.io"
-      - "EMQX_DB__BACKEND=mnesia"
-      - "EMQX_DB__ROLE=core"
+      - "EMQX_NODE__DB_BACKEND=mnesia"
+      - "EMQX_NODE__DB_ROLE=core"
diff --git a/.ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-emqx-cluster-rlog.override.yaml b/.ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-emqx-cluster-rlog.override.yaml
index 4c53ec3ae..7dc87a5d2 100644
--- a/.ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-emqx-cluster-rlog.override.yaml
+++ b/.ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-emqx-cluster-rlog.override.yaml
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ services:
     restart: on-failure
     environment:
       - "EMQX_HOST=node1.emqx.io"
-      - "EMQX_DB__BACKEND=rlog"
-      - "EMQX_DB__ROLE=core"
+      - "EMQX_NODE__DB_BACKEND=rlog"
+      - "EMQX_NODE__DB_ROLE=core"
       - "EMQX_CLUSTER__STATIC__SEEDS=[emqx@node1.emqx.io]"
       - "EMQX_LISTENERS__TCP__DEFAULT__PROXY_PROTOCOL=false"
       - "EMQX_LISTENERS__WS__DEFAULT__PROXY_PROTOCOL=false"
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ services:
     restart: on-failure
     environment:
       - "EMQX_HOST=node2.emqx.io"
-      - "EMQX_DB__BACKEND=rlog"
-      - "EMQX_DB__ROLE=replicant"
-      - "EMQX_DB__CORE_NODES=emqx@node1.emqx.io"
+      - "EMQX_NODE__DB_BACKEND=rlog"
+      - "EMQX_NODE__DB_ROLE=replicant"
+      - "EMQX_CLUSTER__CORE_NODES=emqx@node1.emqx.io"
       - "EMQX_CLUSTER__STATIC__SEEDS=[emqx@node1.emqx.io]"
       - "EMQX_LISTENERS__TCP__DEFAULT__PROXY_PROTOCOL=false"
       - "EMQX_LISTENERS__WS__DEFAULT__PROXY_PROTOCOL=false"
diff --git a/apps/emqx_conf/etc/emqx_conf.conf b/apps/emqx_conf/etc/emqx_conf.conf
index 4fd1fb7cc..5e5883dd4 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_conf/etc/emqx_conf.conf
+++ b/apps/emqx_conf/etc/emqx_conf.conf
@@ -100,6 +100,20 @@ node {
     max_history = 100
     cleanup_interval = 5m
   }
+
+  ## Database backend
+  ##
+  ## @doc node.db_backend
+  ## ValueType: mnesia | rlog
+  ## Default: rlog
+  db_backend = rlog
+
+  ## RLOG role
+  ##
+  ## @doc node.db_role
+  ## ValueType: core | replicant
+  ## Default: core
+  db_role = core
 }
 
 ##==================================================================
@@ -142,6 +156,13 @@ cluster {
   ## Default: manual
   discovery_strategy = manual
 
+  ## Replicant core nodes
+  ##
+  ## @doc cluster.core_nodes
+  ## ValueType: comma-separated node list
+  ## Default: ""
+  core_nodes = ""
+
   ##----------------------------------------------------------------
   ## Cluster using static node list
   ##----------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -311,32 +332,6 @@ cluster {
   }
 }
 
-##==================================================================
-## Internal database
-##==================================================================
-db {
-  ## Database backend
-  ##
-  ## @doc db.backend
-  ## ValueType: mnesia | rlog
-  ## Default: rlog
-  backend = rlog
-
-  ## RLOG role
-  ##
-  ## @doc db.role
-  ## ValueType: core | replicant
-  ## Default: core
-  role = core
-
-  ## Replicant core nodes
-  ##
-  ## @doc db.core_nodes
-  ## ValueType: comma-separated node list
-  ## Default: ""
-  core_nodes = ""
-}
-
 ##==================================================================
 ## Log
 ##==================================================================
diff --git a/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_conf_schema.erl b/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_conf_schema.erl
index 46e036d66..5b3f8f1f7 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_conf_schema.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_conf_schema.erl
@@ -93,11 +93,6 @@ roots() ->
                 sc(
                     ref("rpc"),
                     #{translate_to => ["gen_rpc"]}
-                )},
-            {"db",
-                sc(
-                    ref("db"),
-                    #{}
                 )}
         ] ++
         emqx_schema:roots(medium) ++
@@ -129,6 +124,16 @@ fields("cluster") ->
                     'readOnly' => true
                 }
             )},
+        {"core_nodes",
+            sc(
+                emqx_schema:comma_separated_atoms(),
+                #{
+                    mapping => "mria.core_nodes",
+                    default => [],
+                    'readOnly' => true,
+                    desc => ?DESC(db_core_nodes)
+                }
+            )},
         {"autoclean",
             sc(
                 emqx_schema:duration(),
@@ -509,11 +514,8 @@ fields("node") ->
             sc(
                 ref("cluster_call"),
                 #{'readOnly' => true}
-            )}
-    ];
-fields("db") ->
-    [
-        {"backend",
+            )},
+        {"db_backend",
             sc(
                 hoconsc:enum([mnesia, rlog]),
                 #{
@@ -523,7 +525,7 @@ fields("db") ->
                     desc => ?DESC(db_backend)
                 }
             )},
-        {"role",
+        {"db_role",
             sc(
                 hoconsc:enum([core, replicant]),
                 #{
@@ -533,16 +535,6 @@ fields("db") ->
                     desc => ?DESC(db_role)
                 }
             )},
-        {"core_nodes",
-            sc(
-                emqx_schema:comma_separated_atoms(),
-                #{
-                    mapping => "mria.core_nodes",
-                    default => [],
-                    'readOnly' => true,
-                    desc => ?DESC(db_core_nodes)
-                }
-            )},
         {"rpc_module",
             sc(
                 hoconsc:enum([gen_rpc, rpc]),
@@ -933,8 +925,6 @@ desc(cluster_k8s) ->
     ?DESC("desc_cluster_k8s");
 desc("node") ->
     ?DESC("desc_node");
-desc("db") ->
-    ?DESC("desc_db");
 desc("cluster_call") ->
     ?DESC("desc_cluster_call");
 desc("rpc") ->
diff --git a/bin/emqx b/bin/emqx
index 8aaec26bd..af6751fa8 100755
--- a/bin/emqx
+++ b/bin/emqx
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ call_hocon() {
 ## Resolve boot configs in a batch
 ## This is because starting the Erlang beam with all modules loaded
 ## and parsing HOCON config + environment variables is a non-trivial task
-CONF_KEYS=( 'node.data_dir' 'node.name' 'node.cookie' 'db.backend' )
+CONF_KEYS=( 'node.data_dir' 'node.name' 'node.cookie' 'node.db_backend' )
 if [ "$IS_ENTERPRISE" = 'yes' ]; then
     CONF_KEYS+=( 'license.file' 'license.key' )
 fi
@@ -718,11 +718,11 @@ fi
 
 ## check if OTP version has mnesia_hook feature; if not, fallback to
 ## using Mnesia DB backend.
-if [[ "$IS_BOOT_COMMAND" == 'yes' && "$(get_boot_config 'db.backend')" == "rlog" ]]; then
+if [[ "$IS_BOOT_COMMAND" == 'yes' && "$(get_boot_config 'node.db_backend')" == "rlog" ]]; then
     if ! (echo -e "$COMPATIBILITY_INFO" | grep -q 'MNESIA_OK'); then
       echoerr "DB Backend is RLOG, but an incompatible OTP version has been detected. Falling back to using Mnesia DB backend."
-      export EMQX_DB__BACKEND=mnesia
-      export EMQX_DB__ROLE=core
+      export EMQX_NODE__DB_BACKEND=mnesia
+      export EMQX_NODE__DB_ROLE=core
     fi
 fi
 
diff --git a/bin/emqx.cmd b/bin/emqx.cmd
index ce5842c31..0c4741b95 100644
--- a/bin/emqx.cmd
+++ b/bin/emqx.cmd
@@ -64,8 +64,8 @@
 @set node_type=-name
 @set schema_mod=emqx_conf_schema
 :: no advanced DB backend for Windows
-@set EMQX_DB__BACKEND=mnesia
-@set EMQX_DB__ROLE=core
+@set EMQX_NODE__DB_BACKEND=mnesia

+@set EMQX_NODE__DB_ROLE=core
 
 @set conf_path="%etc_dir%\emqx.conf"