diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a8e753a95..e471d50ed 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -17,11 +17,11 @@ TEST_ERLC_OPTS += +debug_info
 TEST_ERLC_OPTS += +'{parse_transform, lager_transform}'
 
 EUNIT_OPTS = verbose
-EUNIT_ERL_OPTS = -args_file test_data/ct_vm.args -config test_data/ct_sys.config
+# EUNIT_ERL_OPTS =
 
 CT_SUITES = emqttd emqttd_access emqttd_backend emqttd_lib emqttd_mod emqttd_net \
 			emqttd_mqueue emqttd_protocol emqttd_topic emqttd_trie
-CT_OPTS = -cover test/ct.cover.spec -erl_args -args_file test_data/ct_vm.args -config test_data/ct_sys.config
+CT_OPTS = -cover test/ct.cover.spec -erl_args -name emqttd_ct@127.0.0.1
 
 COVER = true
 
diff --git a/src/emqttd_acl_internal.erl b/src/emqttd_acl_internal.erl
index ff1efcd16..282fb77a4 100644
--- a/src/emqttd_acl_internal.erl
+++ b/src/emqttd_acl_internal.erl
@@ -113,6 +113,8 @@ match(Client, Topic, [Rule|Rules]) ->
 
 %% @doc Reload ACL
 -spec(reload_acl(State :: #state{}) -> ok | {error, Reason :: any()}).
+reload_acl(#state{config = undefined}) ->
+    ok;
 reload_acl(State) ->
     case catch load_rules_from_file(State) of
         {'EXIT', Error} -> {error, Error};
diff --git a/test/emqttd_SUITE.erl b/test/emqttd_SUITE.erl
index 3c507540d..afd5b28d1 100644
--- a/test/emqttd_SUITE.erl
+++ b/test/emqttd_SUITE.erl
@@ -82,6 +82,8 @@ groups() ->
 
 init_per_suite(Config) ->
     application:start(lager),
+    DataDir = proplists:get_value(data_dir, Config),
+    application:set_env(emqttd, conf, filename:join([DataDir, "emqttd.conf"])),
     application:ensure_all_started(emqttd),
     Config.
 
@@ -177,7 +179,7 @@ pubsub_queue(_) ->
     Self = self(), Q = <<"$queue/abc">>,
     SubFun = fun() ->
                emqttd:subscribe(Q),
-               timer:sleep(1),
+               timer:sleep(10),
                {ok, Msgs} = loop_recv(Q, 10),
                Self ! {recv, self(), Msgs}
              end,
diff --git a/test_data/ct_emqttd.conf b/test/emqttd_SUITE_data/emqttd.conf
similarity index 100%
rename from test_data/ct_emqttd.conf
rename to test/emqttd_SUITE_data/emqttd.conf
diff --git a/test/emqttd_access_SUITE.erl b/test/emqttd_access_SUITE.erl
index 8a8d05766..074fd15df 100644
--- a/test/emqttd_access_SUITE.erl
+++ b/test/emqttd_access_SUITE.erl
@@ -38,9 +38,34 @@ groups() ->
       [compile_rule,
        match_rule]}].
 
+init_per_group(access_control, Config) ->
+    application:load(emqttd),
+    prepare_config(),
+    gen_conf:init(emqttd),
+    Config;
+
 init_per_group(_Group, Config) ->
     Config.
 
+prepare_config() ->
+    Rules = [{allow, {ipaddr, "127.0.0.1"}, subscribe, ["$SYS/#", "#"]},
+             {allow, {user, "testuser"}, subscribe, ["a/b/c", "d/e/f/#"]},
+             {allow, {user, "admin"}, pubsub, ["a/b/c", "d/e/f/#"]},
+             {allow, {client, "testClient"}, subscribe, ["testTopics/testClient"]},
+             {allow, all, subscribe, ["clients/$c"]},
+             {allow, all, pubsub, ["users/$u/#"]},
+             {deny, all, subscribe, ["$SYS/#", "#"]},
+             {deny, all}],
+    write_config("access_SUITE_acl.conf", Rules),
+    Config = [{auth, anonymous, []},
+              {acl, internal, [{config, "access_SUITE_acl.conf"},
+                               {nomatch, allow}]}],
+    write_config("access_SUITE_emqttd.conf", Config),
+    application:set_env(emqttd, conf, "access_SUITE_emqttd.conf").
+
+write_config(Filename, Terms) ->
+    file:write_file(Filename, [io_lib:format("~tp.~n", [Term]) || Term <- Terms]).
+
 end_per_group(_Group, Config) ->
     Config.
 
@@ -48,14 +73,7 @@ init_per_testcase(TestCase, Config) when TestCase =:= reload_acl;
                                          TestCase =:= register_mod;
                                          TestCase =:= unregister_mod;
                                          TestCase =:= check_acl ->
-    DataDir = proplists:get_value(data_dir, Config),
-    AclOpts = [
-        {auth, [{anonymous, []}]},
-        {acl,  [{internal, [{file, filename:join([DataDir, "test_acl.config"])},
-                            {nomatch, allow}]}]}
-    ],
-    {ok, _Pid} = ?AC:start_link(AclOpts),
-    Config;
+    {ok, _Pid} = ?AC:start_link(), Config;
 
 init_per_testcase(_TestCase, Config) ->
     Config.
diff --git a/test/emqttd_access_SUITE_data/test_acl.config b/test/emqttd_access_SUITE_data/test_acl.config
deleted file mode 100644
index 4a2c6ea44..000000000
--- a/test/emqttd_access_SUITE_data/test_acl.config
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-{allow, {ipaddr, "127.0.0.1"}, subscribe, ["$SYS/#", "#"]}.
-
-{allow, {user, "testuser"}, subscribe, ["a/b/c", "d/e/f/#"]}.
-
-{allow, {user, "admin"}, pubsub, ["a/b/c", "d/e/f/#"]}.
-
-{allow, {client, "testClient"}, subscribe, ["testTopics/testClient"]}.
-
-{allow, all, subscribe, ["clients/$c"]}.
-
-{allow, all, pubsub, ["users/$u/#"]}.
-
-{deny, all, subscribe, ["$SYS/#", "#"]}.
-
-{deny, all}.
-
diff --git a/test_data/ct_sys.config b/test_data/ct_sys.config
deleted file mode 100644
index 67f13b910..000000000
--- a/test_data/ct_sys.config
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-% -*- mode: erlang;erlang-indent-level: 4;indent-tabs-mode: nil -*-
-%% ex: ft=erlang ts=4 sw=4 et
-[
- {kernel, [{start_timer, true}, {start_pg2, true}]},
- {emqttd, [{conf, "test_data/ct_emqttd.conf"}]}
-].
diff --git a/test_data/ct_vm.args b/test_data/ct_vm.args
deleted file mode 100644
index e05e373a4..000000000
--- a/test_data/ct_vm.args
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,61 +0,0 @@
-##-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-## Name of the emqttd node: Name@Host
-##
-## NOTICE: The Host should be IP address or the fully qualified host name.
-##         The short hostname cannot work!
-##-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
--name emqttd_ct@127.0.0.1
-# or
-#-name emqttd@localhost.
-
-## Cookie for distributed erlang
--setcookie emqttdsecretcookie
-
-##-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-## Flags
-##-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-## Heartbeat management; auto-restarts VM if it dies or becomes unresponsive
-## (Disabled by default..use with caution!)
-##-heart
--smp true
-
-## Enable kernel poll and a few async threads
-+K true
-
-## 12 threads/core.
-+A 24
-
-## max process numbers
-#+P 8192
-
-## Sets the maximum number of simultaneously existing ports for this system
-#+Q 8192
-
-## max atom number
-## +t
-
-## Set the distribution buffer busy limit (dist_buf_busy_limit) in kilobytes.
-## Valid range is 1-2097151. Default is 1024.
-## +zdbbl 8192
-
-## Set scheduler bind type.
-## +sbt db
-
-##-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-## Env
-##-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-## Increase number of concurrent ports/sockets, deprecated in R17
-#-env ERL_MAX_PORTS 8192
-
-#-env ERTS_MAX_PORTS 8192
-
-## Mnesia and SSL will create temporary ets tables.
--env ERL_MAX_ETS_TABLES 1024
-
-## Tweak GC to run more often
--env ERL_FULLSWEEP_AFTER 1000
-
--env ERL_CRASH_DUMP log/emqttd_crash.dump