diff --git a/bin/emqx b/bin/emqx
index 210304296..3a7e959c3 100755
--- a/bin/emqx
+++ b/bin/emqx
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@ if [ "$DEBUG" -eq 1 ]; then
     set -x
 fi
 
-ROOT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$(readlink "$0" || echo "$0")")"/..; pwd -P)"
+RUNNER_ROOT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$(readlink "$0" || echo "$0")")"/..; pwd -P)"
 # shellcheck disable=SC1090,SC1091
-. "$ROOT_DIR"/releases/emqx_vars
+. "$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR"/releases/emqx_vars
 
 # defined in emqx_vars
 export RUNNER_ROOT_DIR
diff --git a/mix.exs b/mix.exs
index 5ee200120..4fa629381 100644
--- a/mix.exs
+++ b/mix.exs
@@ -537,7 +537,6 @@ defmodule EMQXUmbrella.MixProject do
       platform_lib_dir: "lib",
       platform_log_dir: "log",
       platform_plugins_dir: "plugins",
-      runner_root_dir: "$(cd $(dirname $(readlink $0 || echo $0))/..; pwd -P)",
       runner_bin_dir: "$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/bin",
       emqx_etc_dir: "$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/etc",
       runner_lib_dir: "$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/lib",
@@ -563,7 +562,6 @@ defmodule EMQXUmbrella.MixProject do
       platform_lib_dir: "",
       platform_log_dir: "/var/log/emqx",
       platform_plugins_dir: "/var/lib/emqx/plugins",
-      runner_root_dir: "/usr/lib/emqx",
       runner_bin_dir: "/usr/bin",
       emqx_etc_dir: "/etc/emqx",
       runner_lib_dir: "$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/lib",
diff --git a/rebar.config.erl b/rebar.config.erl
index fc8d6d33b..9daddc19a 100644
--- a/rebar.config.erl
+++ b/rebar.config.erl
@@ -273,7 +273,6 @@ overlay_vars_pkg(bin) ->
     , {platform_lib_dir, "lib"}
     , {platform_log_dir, "log"}
     , {platform_plugins_dir, "plugins"}
-    , {runner_root_dir, "$(cd $(dirname $(readlink $0 || echo $0))/..; pwd -P)"}
     , {runner_bin_dir, "$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/bin"}
     , {emqx_etc_dir, "$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/etc"}
     , {runner_lib_dir, "$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/lib"}
@@ -288,7 +287,6 @@ overlay_vars_pkg(pkg) ->
     , {platform_lib_dir, ""}
     , {platform_log_dir, "/var/log/emqx"}
     , {platform_plugins_dir, "/var/lib/emqx/plugins"}
-    , {runner_root_dir, "/usr/lib/emqx"}
     , {runner_bin_dir, "/usr/bin"}
     , {emqx_etc_dir, "/etc/emqx"}
     , {runner_lib_dir, "$RUNNER_ROOT_DIR/lib"}
diff --git a/rel/emqx_vars b/rel/emqx_vars
index fea0e3fb3..e5eb012b0 100644
--- a/rel/emqx_vars
+++ b/rel/emqx_vars
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 REL_VSN="{{ release_version }}"
 ERTS_VSN="{{ erts_vsn }}"
 ERL_OPTS="{{ erl_opts }}"
-RUNNER_ROOT_DIR="{{ runner_root_dir }}"
 RUNNER_BIN_DIR="{{ runner_bin_dir }}"
 RUNNER_LOG_DIR="{{ runner_log_dir }}"
 RUNNER_LIB_DIR="{{ runner_lib_dir }}"