diff --git a/src/emqx_app.erl b/src/emqx_app.erl
index 8501243a8..8d0ff11a8 100644
--- a/src/emqx_app.erl
+++ b/src/emqx_app.erl
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 -behaviour(application).
 
 -export([ start/2
+        , prep_stop/1
         , stop/1
         , get_description/0
         , get_release/0
@@ -50,12 +51,14 @@ start(_Type, _Args) ->
     print_vsn(),
     {ok, Sup}.
 
--spec(stop(State :: term()) -> term()).
-stop(_State) ->
+prep_stop(_State) ->
     ok = emqx_alarm_handler:unload(),
     emqx_boot:is_enabled(listeners)
       andalso emqx_listeners:stop().
 
+stop(_State) ->
+    ok.
+
 set_backtrace_depth() ->
     Depth = application:get_env(?APP, backtrace_depth, 16),
     _ = erlang:system_flag(backtrace_depth, Depth),