diff --git a/apps/emqx_rule_engine/src/emqx_rule_engine.erl b/apps/emqx_rule_engine/src/emqx_rule_engine.erl
index a374c822b..f453bb73c 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_rule_engine/src/emqx_rule_engine.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_rule_engine/src/emqx_rule_engine.erl
@@ -237,27 +237,32 @@ create_resource(#{type := Type, config := Config0} = Params) ->
                                 },
             ok = emqx_rule_registry:add_resource(Resource),
             %% Note that we will return OK in case of resource creation failure,
-            %% users can always re-start the resource later.
-            catch cluster_call(init_resource, [M, F, ResId, Config]),
+            %% A timer is started to re-start the resource later.
+            catch cluster_call(init_resource, [M, F, ResId, Config, true]),
             {ok, Resource};
         not_found ->
             {error, {resource_type_not_found, Type}}
     end.
 
-update_resource(#{id := Id, type := Type, config := NewConfig, description := Description}
-                                               = NewResource) ->
+update_resource(#{id := Id, type := Type, config := NewConfig,
+                  description := Description} = NewResource) ->
     case emqx_rule_registry:find_resource_type(Type) of
         {ok, #resource_type{on_create = {Module, Create},
                             params_spec = ParamSpec}} ->
             Config = emqx_rule_validator:validate_params(NewConfig, ParamSpec),
-            _ = delete_resource(Id),
-            emqx_rule_registry:add_resource(#resource{id = Id,
-                                                      config = Config,
-                                                      type = Type,
-                                                      description = Description,
-                                                      created_at = erlang:system_time(millisecond)}),
-            catch cluster_call(init_resource, [Module, Create, Id, Config]),
-            {ok, NewResource};
+            case delete_resource(Id) of
+                {error, not_found} -> {error, not_found};
+                _ -> %% deletion might fail because of an associted rule.
+                    emqx_rule_registry:add_resource(
+                        #resource{
+                            id = Id,
+                            config = Config,
+                            type = Type,
+                            description = Description,
+                            created_at = erlang:system_time(millisecond)}),
+                    catch cluster_call(init_resource, [Module, Create, Id, Config, true]),
+                    {ok, NewResource}
+            end;
         not_found ->
             {error, {resource_type_not_found, Type}}
     end.
@@ -281,7 +286,9 @@ start_resource(ResId) ->
 -spec(test_resource(#{type := _, config := _, _ => _}) -> ok | {error, Reason :: term()}).
 test_resource(#{type := Type, config := Config0}) ->
     case emqx_rule_registry:find_resource_type(Type) of
-        {ok, #resource_type{on_create = {ModC,Create}, on_destroy = {ModD,Destroy}, params_spec = ParamSpec}} ->
+        {ok, #resource_type{on_create = {ModC, Create},
+                            on_destroy = {ModD, Destroy},
+                            params_spec = ParamSpec}} ->
             Config = emqx_rule_validator:validate_params(Config0, ParamSpec),
             ResId = resource_id(),
             try
@@ -319,7 +326,7 @@ get_resource_params(ResId) ->
 delete_resource(ResId) ->
     case emqx_rule_registry:find_resource(ResId) of
         {ok, #resource{type = ResType}} ->
-            {ok, #resource_type{on_destroy = {ModD,Destroy}}}
+            {ok, #resource_type{on_destroy = {ModD, Destroy}}}
                 = emqx_rule_registry:find_resource_type(ResType),
             try
                 ok = emqx_rule_registry:remove_resource(ResId),
@@ -328,7 +335,7 @@ delete_resource(ResId) ->
                 throw:Reason -> {error, Reason}
             end;
         not_found ->
-            ok
+            {error, not_found}
     end.
 
 %%------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -344,7 +351,7 @@ refresh_resources() ->
                 "Can not re-stablish resource ~p: ~0p. The resource is disconnected."
                 "Fix the issue and establish it manually.\n"
                 "Stacktrace: ~0p",
-                [ResId, {Error,Reason}, ST])
+                [ResId, {Error, Reason}, ST])
         end
     end, emqx_rule_registry:get_resources()).
 
@@ -486,10 +493,15 @@ cluster_call(Func, Args) ->
    end.
 
 init_resource(Module, OnCreate, ResId, Config) ->
-    Params = ?RAISE(Module:OnCreate(ResId, Config),
-                    start_reinitial_loop(ResId),
-                    {{init_resource_failure, node()},
-                     {{Module, OnCreate}, {_EXCLASS_,_EXCPTION_, _ST_}}}),
+    init_resource(Module, OnCreate, ResId, Config, false).
+
+init_resource(Module, OnCreate, ResId, Config, Restart) ->
+    Params = ?RAISE(
+        Module:OnCreate(ResId, Config),
+        Restart andalso
+            timer:apply_after(timer:seconds(60), ?MODULE, do_init_resource,
+                              [Module, OnCreate, ResId, Config, Restart]),
+        {{Module, OnCreate}, {_EXCLASS_, _EXCPTION_, _ST_}}),
     ResParams = #resource_params{id = ResId,
                                  params = Params,
                                  status = #{is_alive => true}},
@@ -497,7 +509,9 @@ init_resource(Module, OnCreate, ResId, Config) ->
 
 init_action(Module, OnCreate, ActionInstId, Params) ->
     ok = emqx_rule_metrics:create_metrics(ActionInstId),
-    case ?RAISE(Module:OnCreate(ActionInstId, Params), {{init_action_failure, node()}, {{Module,OnCreate},{_EXCLASS_,_EXCPTION_,_ST_}}}) of
+    case ?RAISE(Module:OnCreate(ActionInstId, Params),
+                {{init_action_failure, node()},
+                 {{Module, OnCreate}, {_EXCLASS_, _EXCPTION_, _ST_}}}) of
         {Apply, NewParams} when is_function(Apply) -> %% BACKW: =< e4.2.2
             ok = emqx_rule_registry:add_action_instance_params(
                 #action_instance_params{id = ActionInstId, params = NewParams, apply = Apply});
@@ -616,14 +630,3 @@ find_type(ResId) ->
 
 alarm_name_of_resource_down(Type, ResId) ->
     list_to_binary(io_lib:format("resource/~s/~s/down", [Type, ResId])).
-
-start_reinitial_loop(Id) ->
-    spawn(fun() ->
-        timer:sleep(60000),
-        case emqx_rule_registry:find_resource(Id) of
-           {ok, _}->
-                ?LOG(warning, "try to re-initialize resource: ~p", [Id]),
-                start_resource(Id);
-           not_found -> ok
-        end
-    end).
diff --git a/apps/emqx_rule_engine/src/emqx_rule_engine_api.erl b/apps/emqx_rule_engine/src/emqx_rule_engine_api.erl
index aafaf0082..9b598e5b9 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_rule_engine/src/emqx_rule_engine_api.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_rule_engine/src/emqx_rule_engine_api.erl
@@ -255,12 +255,18 @@ show_action(#{name := Name}, _Params) ->
 %% Resources API
 %%------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 create_resource(#{}, Params) ->
-    if_test(fun() -> do_create_resource(test_resource, Params) end,
-            fun() -> do_create_resource(create_resource, Params) end,
-            Params).
+    case parse_resource_params(Params) of
+        {ok, ParsedParams} ->
+            if_test(fun() -> do_create_resource(test_resource, ParsedParams) end,
+                    fun() -> do_create_resource(create_resource, ParsedParams) end,
+                    Params);
+        {error, Reason} ->
+            ?LOG(error, "~p failed: ~0p", [?FUNCTION_NAME, Reason]),
+            return({error, 400, ?ERR_BADARGS(Reason)})
+    end.
 
-do_create_resource(Create, Params) ->
-    case emqx_rule_engine:Create(parse_resource_params(Params)) of
+do_create_resource(Create, ParsedParams) ->
+    case emqx_rule_engine:Create(ParsedParams) of
         ok ->
             return(ok);
         {ok, Resource} ->
@@ -322,23 +328,30 @@ start_resource(#{id := Id}, _Params) ->
     end.
 
 update_resource(#{id := Id}, Params) ->
-    case emqx_rule_registry:find_resource(Id) of
-        {ok, #resource{id = Id, type = Type} = _OldResource} ->
-               Config = maps:get(config, parse_resource_params(Params)),
-               Description = maps:get(description, parse_resource_params(Params)),
-               _ = emqx_rule_engine:update_resource(#{id => Id,
-                                                  config => Config,
-                                                  type => Type,
-                                                  description => Description,
-                                                  created_at => erlang:system_time(millisecond)}),
-               return(ok);
-        _Other ->
-               return({error, 400, ?ERR_NO_RESOURCE(Id)})
+    case parse_resource_params(Params) of
+        {ok, ParsedParams} ->
+            case emqx_rule_registry:find_resource(Id) of
+                {ok, #resource{id = Id, type = Type} = _OldResource} ->
+                    Config = maps:get(config, ParsedParams),
+                    Description = maps:get(description, ParsedParams),
+                    emqx_rule_engine:update_resource(
+                        #{id => Id,
+                        config => Config,
+                        type => Type,
+                        description => Description,
+                        created_at => erlang:system_time(millisecond)}),
+                    return(ok);
+                _Other ->
+                    return({error, 400, ?ERR_NO_RESOURCE(Id)})
+            end;
+        {error, Reason} ->
+            return({error, 400, ?ERR_BADARGS(Reason)})
     end.
 
 delete_resource(#{id := Id}, _Params) ->
     case emqx_rule_engine:delete_resource(Id) of
         ok -> return(ok);
+        {error, not_found} -> return(ok);
         {error, Reason} ->
             return({error, 400, ?ERR_BADARGS(Reason)})
     end.
@@ -495,13 +508,13 @@ parse_action(Action) ->
 parse_resource_params(Params) ->
     parse_resource_params(Params, #{config => #{}, description => <<"">>}).
 parse_resource_params([], Res) ->
-    Res;
+    {ok, Res};
 parse_resource_params([{<<"id">>, Id} | Params], Res) ->
     parse_resource_params(Params, Res#{id => Id});
 parse_resource_params([{<<"type">>, ResourceType} | Params], Res) ->
     try parse_resource_params(Params, Res#{type => binary_to_existing_atom(ResourceType, utf8)})
     catch error:badarg ->
-        throw({resource_type_not_found, ResourceType})
+        {error, {resource_type_not_found, ResourceType}}
     end;
 parse_resource_params([{<<"config">>, Config} | Params], Res) ->
     parse_resource_params(Params, Res#{config => json_term_to_map(Config)});
diff --git a/apps/emqx_rule_engine/src/emqx_rule_engine_cli.erl b/apps/emqx_rule_engine/src/emqx_rule_engine_cli.erl
index a47b7fe80..f165b95b1 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_rule_engine/src/emqx_rule_engine_cli.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_rule_engine/src/emqx_rule_engine_cli.erl
@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@ resources(["show", ResourceId]) ->
 resources(["delete", ResourceId]) ->
     case emqx_rule_engine:delete_resource(list_to_binary(ResourceId)) of
         ok -> emqx_ctl:print("ok~n");
+        {error, not_found} -> emqx_ctl:print("ok~n");
         {error, Reason} ->
             emqx_ctl:print("Cannot delete resource as ~0p~n", [Reason])
     end;