diff --git a/controllers/apps/v2beta1/emqx_controller.go b/controllers/apps/v2beta1/emqx_controller.go
index 7b58e213f..e1ae1fdbb 100644
--- a/controllers/apps/v2beta1/emqx_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/apps/v2beta1/emqx_controller.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 	emperror "emperror.dev/errors"
 	innerErr "github.com/emqx/emqx-operator/internal/errors"
 	innerReq "github.com/emqx/emqx-operator/internal/requester"
+	"github.com/rory-z/go-hocon"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
@@ -102,6 +103,12 @@ func (r *EMQXReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Request) (ctrl.
 		return ctrl.Result{}, nil
 	}
 
+	_, err := hocon.ParseString(instance.Spec.Config.Data)
+	if err != nil {
+		r.EventRecorder.Event(instance, corev1.EventTypeWarning, "InvalidConfig", "the .spec.config.data is not a valid HOCON config")
+		return ctrl.Result{}, emperror.Wrap(err, "failed to parse config")
+	}
+
 	requester, err := newRequester(r.Client, instance)
 	if err != nil {
 		if k8sErrors.IsNotFound(emperror.Cause(err)) {
diff --git a/controllers/apps/v2beta1/sync_emqx_config.go b/controllers/apps/v2beta1/sync_emqx_config.go
index 9066148e3..726b1a262 100644
--- a/controllers/apps/v2beta1/sync_emqx_config.go
+++ b/controllers/apps/v2beta1/sync_emqx_config.go
@@ -19,11 +19,7 @@ type syncConfig struct {
 }
 
 func (s *syncConfig) reconcile(ctx context.Context, instance *appsv2beta1.EMQX, r innerReq.RequesterInterface) subResult {
-	hoconConfig, err := hocon.ParseString(instance.Spec.Config.Data)
-	if err != nil {
-		s.EventRecorder.Event(instance, corev1.EventTypeWarning, "InvalidConfig", err.Error())
-		return subResult{err: emperror.Wrap(err, "failed to parse config")}
-	}
+	hoconConfig, _ := hocon.ParseString(instance.Spec.Config.Data)
 
 	// If core nodes is nil, the EMQX is in the process of being created
 	if len(instance.Status.CoreNodes) == 0 {
diff --git a/e2e/v2beta1/e2e_test.go b/e2e/v2beta1/e2e_test.go
index f12c8951d..8e8620db1 100644
--- a/e2e/v2beta1/e2e_test.go
+++ b/e2e/v2beta1/e2e_test.go
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ var _ = Describe("E2E Test", Label("base"), Ordered, func() {
 		It("change EMQX image", func() {
 			Expect(k8sClient.Get(context.TODO(), client.ObjectKeyFromObject(instance), instance)).Should(Succeed())
 			storage := instance.DeepCopy()
-			instance.Spec.Image = "emqx:5.1"
+			instance.Spec.Image = "emqx:5"
 			Expect(k8sClient.Update(context.TODO(), instance)).Should(Succeed())
 
 			Eventually(func() *appsv2beta1.EMQX {
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ var _ = Describe("E2E Test", Label("base"), Ordered, func() {
 		It("change EMQX image", func() {
 			Expect(k8sClient.Get(context.TODO(), client.ObjectKeyFromObject(instance), instance)).Should(Succeed())
 			storage := instance.DeepCopy()
-			instance.Spec.Image = "emqx/emqx:5.1"
+			instance.Spec.Image = "emqx/emqx:latest"
 			Expect(k8sClient.Update(context.TODO(), instance)).Should(Succeed())
 
 			Eventually(func() *appsv2beta1.EMQX {