diff --git a/apps/emqx_auto_subscribe/src/emqx_auto_subscribe.erl b/apps/emqx_auto_subscribe/src/emqx_auto_subscribe.erl
index 558e5005c..564772fe4 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_auto_subscribe/src/emqx_auto_subscribe.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_auto_subscribe/src/emqx_auto_subscribe.erl
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 
 -module(emqx_auto_subscribe).
 
+-include_lib("emqx/include/logger.hrl").
+
 -define(HOOK_POINT, 'client.connected').
 
 -define(MAX_AUTO_SUBSCRIBE, 20).
@@ -80,8 +82,18 @@ format(Rule = #{topic := Topic}) when is_map(Rule) ->
     }.
 
 update_(Topics) when length(Topics) =< ?MAX_AUTO_SUBSCRIBE ->
-    {ok, _} = emqx:update_config([auto_subscribe, topics], Topics),
-    update_hook();
+    case emqx_conf:update([auto_subscribe, topics],
+                          Topics,
+                          #{rawconf_with_defaults => true, override_to => cluster}) of
+        {ok, #{config := NewTopics}} ->
+            ok = update_hook(),
+            {ok, NewTopics};
+        {error, Reason} ->
+            ?LOG(error, "Auto Subscribe update config failed: ~0p", [Reason]),
+            {error, Reason}
+    end;
+    % {ok, _} = emqx:update_config([auto_subscribe, topics], Topics),
+    % update_hook();
 update_(_Topics) ->
     {error, quota_exceeded}.
 
diff --git a/apps/emqx_auto_subscribe/src/emqx_auto_subscribe_api.erl b/apps/emqx_auto_subscribe/src/emqx_auto_subscribe_api.erl
index d1207544a..cb5372d5d 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_auto_subscribe/src/emqx_auto_subscribe_api.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_auto_subscribe/src/emqx_auto_subscribe_api.erl
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 -export([auto_subscribe/2]).
 
+-define(INTERNAL_ERROR, 'INTERNAL_ERROR').
 -define(EXCEED_LIMIT, 'EXCEED_LIMIT').
 -define(BAD_REQUEST, 'BAD_REQUEST').
 
@@ -90,6 +91,9 @@ auto_subscribe(put, #{body := Params}) ->
             Message = list_to_binary(io_lib:format("Max auto subscribe topic count is  ~p",
                                         [emqx_auto_subscribe:max_limit()])),
             {409, #{code => ?EXCEED_LIMIT, message => Message}};
-        ok ->
-            {200, emqx_auto_subscribe:list()}
+        {error, Reason} ->
+            Message = list_to_binary(io_lib:format("Update config failed ~p", [Reason])),
+            {500, #{code => ?INTERNAL_ERROR, message => Message}};
+        {ok, NewTopics} ->
+            {200, NewTopics}
     end.