diff --git a/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer_pool.erl b/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer_pool.erl
index 59ea1077a..6b48c0453 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer_pool.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer_pool.erl
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ cast(Msg) ->
 
 %% @private
 worker() ->
-    gproc_pool:pick_worker(?POOL).
+    gproc_pool:pick_worker(?POOL, self()).
 
 run({M, F, A}) ->
     erlang:apply(M, F, A);
diff --git a/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer_sup.erl b/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer_sup.erl
index 3811ed8f2..0234c20e7 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer_sup.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_retainer/src/emqx_retainer_sup.erl
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ start_link() ->
     supervisor:start_link({local, ?MODULE}, ?MODULE, []).
 
 init([]) ->
-    PoolSpec = emqx_pool_sup:spec([emqx_retainer_pool, random, emqx_vm:schedulers(),
+    PoolSpec = emqx_pool_sup:spec([emqx_retainer_pool, hash, emqx_vm:schedulers(),
                                    {emqx_retainer_pool, start_link, []}]),
     {ok, {{one_for_one, 10, 3600},
           [#{id       => retainer,