diff --git a/plugins/datalayers/datalayers_plugin.h b/plugins/datalayers/datalayers_plugin.h
index 854b49881..a64a618f5 100644
--- a/plugins/datalayers/datalayers_plugin.h
+++ b/plugins/datalayers/datalayers_plugin.h
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ struct neu_plugin {
     pthread_rwlock_t plugin_mutex;
     bool             consumer_thread_stop_flag;
 
+    uint32_t config_seq;
+
     int (*parse_config)(neu_plugin_t *plugin, const char *setting,
                         datalayers_config_t *config);
 };
diff --git a/plugins/datalayers/datalayers_plugin_intf.c b/plugins/datalayers/datalayers_plugin_intf.c
index 8331edc9f..c94aad611 100644
--- a/plugins/datalayers/datalayers_plugin_intf.c
+++ b/plugins/datalayers/datalayers_plugin_intf.c
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
  * Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
  **/
 
+#include <pthread.h>
+
 #include "define.h"
 #include "errcodes.h"
 #include "flight_sql_client.h"
@@ -49,6 +51,7 @@ neu_plugin_t *datalayers_plugin_open(void)
     neu_plugin_t *plugin = (neu_plugin_t *) calloc(1, sizeof(neu_plugin_t));
     neu_plugin_common_init(&plugin->common);
     plugin->parse_config = datalayers_config_parse;
+    plugin->config_seq   = 0;
     return plugin;
 }
 
@@ -106,6 +109,7 @@ int datalayers_plugin_init(neu_plugin_t *plugin, bool load)
 int datalayers_plugin_uninit(neu_plugin_t *plugin)
 {
     pthread_rwlock_wrlock(&plugin->plugin_mutex);
+    plugin->config_seq++;
 
     stop_consumer_thread(&plugin->consumer_thread, plugin);
     pthread_mutex_lock(&plugin->queue_mutex);
@@ -129,28 +133,71 @@ int datalayers_plugin_uninit(neu_plugin_t *plugin)
     return NEU_ERR_SUCCESS;
 }
 
-static int config_datalayers_client(neu_plugin_t *             plugin,
-                                    const datalayers_config_t *config)
+static void *datalayers_connect_routine(void *arg)
 {
-    if (!config->host || !config->port || !config->username ||
-        !config->password) {
-        plog_error(
-            plugin,
-            "Invalid datalayers config: NULL host/port/username/password");
-        return NEU_ERR_DATALAYERS_INIT_FAILURE;
+    neu_plugin_t *plugin = (neu_plugin_t *) arg;
+    char *        host   = NULL;
+    char *        user   = NULL;
+    char *        pass   = NULL;
+    int           port   = 0;
+    uint32_t      seq    = 0;
+
+    pthread_rwlock_wrlock(&plugin->plugin_mutex);
+    seq = plugin->config_seq;
+    if (!plugin->config.host || !plugin->config.username ||
+        !plugin->config.password) {
+        pthread_rwlock_unlock(&plugin->plugin_mutex);
+        return NULL;
     }
+    host = strdup(plugin->config.host);
+    user = strdup(plugin->config.username);
+    pass = strdup(plugin->config.password);
+    port = (int) plugin->config.port;
+    pthread_rwlock_unlock(&plugin->plugin_mutex);
 
-    plugin->client = client_create(config->host, config->port, config->username,
-                                   config->password);
+    if (!host || !user || !pass) {
+        free(host);
+        free(user);
+        free(pass);
+        return NULL;
+    }
 
-    if (NULL == plugin->client) {
-        plog_error(plugin, "datalayers client_create failed");
-        plugin->common.link_state = NEU_NODE_LINK_STATE_DISCONNECTED;
-    } else {
+    neu_datalayers_client *c = client_create(host, port, user, pass);
+    free(host);
+    free(user);
+    free(pass);
+
+    pthread_rwlock_wrlock(&plugin->plugin_mutex);
+    if (seq != plugin->config_seq) {
+        if (c) {
+            client_destroy(c);
+        }
+        pthread_rwlock_unlock(&plugin->plugin_mutex);
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    if (c) {
+        if (plugin->client) {
+            client_destroy(plugin->client);
+        }
+        plugin->client            = c;
         plugin->common.link_state = NEU_NODE_LINK_STATE_CONNECTED;
+    } else {
+        plog_error(plugin, "datalayers async connect failed");
+        plugin->common.link_state = NEU_NODE_LINK_STATE_DISCONNECTED;
     }
+    pthread_rwlock_unlock(&plugin->plugin_mutex);
+    return NULL;
+}
 
-    return NEU_ERR_SUCCESS;
+static void datalayers_spawn_async_connect(neu_plugin_t *plugin)
+{
+    pthread_t tid;
+    int st = pthread_create(&tid, NULL, datalayers_connect_routine, plugin);
+    if (st != 0) {
+        plog_error(plugin, "datalayers pthread_create connect failed: %d", st);
+        return;
+    }
+    pthread_detach(tid);
 }
 
 int datalayers_plugin_config(neu_plugin_t *plugin, const char *setting)
@@ -158,6 +205,15 @@ int datalayers_plugin_config(neu_plugin_t *plugin, const char *setting)
     int                 rv          = 0;
     const char *        plugin_name = neu_plugin_module.module_name;
     datalayers_config_t config      = { 0 };
+
+    rv = plugin->parse_config(plugin, setting, &config);
+    if (0 != rv) {
+        plog_error(plugin, "neu_datalayers_config_parse fail");
+        return NEU_ERR_NODE_SETTING_INVALID;
+    }
+
+    plugin->config_seq++;
+
     if (plugin->client != NULL) {
         stop_consumer_thread(&plugin->consumer_thread, plugin);
         pthread_mutex_lock(&plugin->queue_mutex);
@@ -168,25 +224,18 @@ int datalayers_plugin_config(neu_plugin_t *plugin, const char *setting)
         create_consumer_thread(plugin);
     }
 
-    rv = plugin->parse_config(plugin, setting, &config);
-    if (0 != rv) {
-        plog_error(plugin, "neu_datalayers_config_parse fail");
-        return NEU_ERR_NODE_SETTING_INVALID;
-    }
-
-    rv = config_datalayers_client(plugin, &config);
-
     datalayers_config_fini(&plugin->config);
 
     memmove(&plugin->config, &config, sizeof(config));
 
-    if (rv == 0) {
-        plog_notice(plugin, "config plugin `%s` success", plugin_name);
-    } else {
-        plog_error(plugin, "datalayers client configuration failed");
-    }
+    plugin->common.link_state = NEU_NODE_LINK_STATE_DISCONNECTED;
 
-    return rv;
+    plog_notice(plugin, "config plugin `%s` success (connect in background)",
+                plugin_name);
+
+    datalayers_spawn_async_connect(plugin);
+
+    return NEU_ERR_SUCCESS;
 }
 
 int datalayers_plugin_start(neu_plugin_t *plugin)
@@ -194,17 +243,16 @@ int datalayers_plugin_start(neu_plugin_t *plugin)
     const char *plugin_name = neu_plugin_module.module_name;
 
     if (NULL == plugin->client) {
-        plog_error(plugin, "datalayers started failed, reconnect");
-        int ret = config_datalayers_client(plugin, &plugin->config);
-        if (ret != 0) {
-            plog_error(plugin, "datalayers started failed");
-            plugin->common.link_state = NEU_NODE_LINK_STATE_DISCONNECTED;
-            return NEU_ERR_SUCCESS;
-        }
+        plog_notice(plugin, "datalayers start: connect in background");
+        datalayers_spawn_async_connect(plugin);
     }
 
     plog_notice(plugin, "start plugin `%s` success", plugin_name);
-    plugin->common.link_state = NEU_NODE_LINK_STATE_CONNECTED;
+    if (plugin->client) {
+        plugin->common.link_state = NEU_NODE_LINK_STATE_CONNECTED;
+    } else {
+        plugin->common.link_state = NEU_NODE_LINK_STATE_DISCONNECTED;
+    }
     return NEU_ERR_SUCCESS;
 }
 
@@ -225,11 +273,11 @@ int datalayers_plugin_request(neu_plugin_t *plugin, neu_reqresp_head_t *head,
     switch (head->type) {
     case NEU_REQRESP_TRANS_DATA: {
         if (plugin->client == NULL) {
-            plog_notice(plugin, "datalayers client is NULL, reconnect");
+            plog_notice(plugin, "datalayers client is NULL, reconnect async");
             NEU_PLUGIN_UPDATE_METRIC(plugin, NEU_METRIC_SEND_MSG_ERRORS_TOTAL,
                                      1, NULL);
 
-            config_datalayers_client(plugin, &plugin->config);
+            datalayers_spawn_async_connect(plugin);
         }
 
         error = handle_trans_data(plugin, data);