diff --git a/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_conf_cli.erl b/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_conf_cli.erl
index c50495b3e8..d6462a0b65 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_conf_cli.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_conf/src/emqx_conf_cli.erl
@@ -245,10 +245,11 @@ load_config_from_raw(RawConf0, Opts) ->
     case check_config(RawConf1) of
         {ok, RawConf} ->
             %% It has been ensured that the connector is always the first configuration to be updated.
-            %% However, when deleting the connector, we need to clean up the dependent actions first;
+            %% However, when deleting the connector, we need to clean up the dependent actions/sources first;
             %% otherwise, the deletion will fail.
-            %% notice: we can't create a action before connector.
-            uninstall_actions(RawConf, Opts),
+            %% notice: we can't create a action/sources before connector.
+            uninstall(<<"actions">>, RawConf, Opts),
+            uninstall(<<"sources">>, RawConf, Opts),
             Error =
                 lists:filtermap(
                     fun({K, V}) ->
@@ -288,27 +289,33 @@ load_config_from_raw(RawConf0, Opts) ->
             {error, Errors}
     end.
 
-uninstall_actions(#{<<"actions">> := New}, #{mode := replace}) ->
-    Old = emqx_conf:get_raw([<<"actions">>], #{}),
-    #{removed := Removed} = emqx_bridge_v2:diff_confs(New, Old),
-    maps:foreach(
-        fun({Type, Name}, _) ->
-            case emqx_bridge_v2:remove(Type, Name) of
-                ok ->
-                    ok;
-                {error, Reason} ->
-                    ?SLOG(error, #{
-                        msg => "failed_to_remove_action",
-                        type => Type,
-                        name => Name,
-                        error => Reason
-                    })
-            end
-        end,
-        Removed
-    );
-%% we don't delete things when in merge mode or without actions key.
-uninstall_actions(_RawConf, _) ->
+uninstall(ActionOrSource, Conf, #{mode := replace}) ->
+    case maps:find(ActionOrSource, Conf) of
+        {ok, New} ->
+            Old = emqx_conf:get_raw([ActionOrSource], #{}),
+            ActionOrSourceAtom = binary_to_existing_atom(ActionOrSource),
+            #{removed := Removed} = emqx_bridge_v2:diff_confs(New, Old),
+            maps:foreach(
+                fun({Type, Name}, _) ->
+                    case emqx_bridge_v2:remove(ActionOrSourceAtom, Type, Name) of
+                        ok ->
+                            ok;
+                        {error, Reason} ->
+                            ?SLOG(error, #{
+                                msg => "failed_to_remove",
+                                type => Type,
+                                name => Name,
+                                error => Reason
+                            })
+                    end
+                end,
+                Removed
+            );
+        error ->
+            ok
+    end;
+%% we don't delete things when in merge mode or without actions/sources key.
+uninstall(_, _RawConf, _) ->
     ok.
 
 update_config_cluster(
@@ -481,7 +488,8 @@ filter_readonly_config(Raw) ->
     end.
 
 reload_config(AllConf, Opts) ->
-    uninstall_actions(AllConf, Opts),
+    uninstall(<<"actions">>, AllConf, Opts),
+    uninstall(<<"sources">>, AllConf, Opts),
     Fold = fun({Key, Conf}, Acc) ->
         case update_config_local(Key, Conf, Opts) of
             ok ->
diff --git a/apps/emqx_conf/test/emqx_conf_cli_SUITE.erl b/apps/emqx_conf/test/emqx_conf_cli_SUITE.erl
index 78a5fb5d63..b1dc4c205d 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_conf/test/emqx_conf_cli_SUITE.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_conf/test/emqx_conf_cli_SUITE.erl
@@ -219,6 +219,36 @@ t_reload_etc_emqx_conf_not_persistent(Config) ->
     ),
     ok.
 
+t_replace_action_source(Config) ->
+    Action = rabbitmq_action(),
+    Source = rabbitmq_source(),
+    Connector = rabbitmq_connector(),
+    Rabbitmq = #{
+        <<"actions">> => Action,
+        <<"sources">> => Source,
+        <<"connectors">> => Connector
+    },
+    ConfBin0 = hocon_pp:do(Rabbitmq, #{}),
+    ConfFile0 = prepare_conf_file(?FUNCTION_NAME, ConfBin0, Config),
+    ?assertMatch(ok, emqx_conf_cli:conf(["load", "--replace", ConfFile0])),
+    ?assertEqual(Action, emqx_config:get_raw([actions])),
+    ?assertEqual(Source, emqx_config:get_raw([sources])),
+    ?assertEqual(Connector, emqx_config:get_raw([connectors])),
+
+    Empty = #{
+        <<"actions">> => #{},
+        <<"sources">> => #{},
+        <<"connectors">> => #{}
+    },
+    ConfBin1 = hocon_pp:do(Empty, #{}),
+    ConfFile1 = prepare_conf_file(?FUNCTION_NAME, ConfBin1, Config),
+    ?assertMatch(ok, emqx_conf_cli:conf(["load", "--replace", ConfFile1])),
+
+    ?assertEqual(#{}, emqx_config:get_raw([actions])),
+    ?assertEqual(#{}, emqx_config:get_raw([sources])),
+    ?assertEqual(#{}, emqx_config:get_raw([connectors])),
+    ok.
+
 base_conf() ->
     #{
         <<"cluster">> => emqx_conf:get_raw([cluster]),
@@ -235,3 +265,96 @@ changed(node) ->
     };
 changed(rpc) ->
     #{<<"mode">> => <<"sync">>}.
+
+rabbitmq_connector() ->
+    #{
+        <<"rabbitmq">> =>
+            #{
+                <<"my_connector">> =>
+                    #{
+                        <<"enable">> => true,
+                        <<"description">> => <<>>,
+                        <<"heartbeat">> => <<"30s">>,
+                        <<"password">> => <<"rabbitmq">>,
+                        <<"pool_size">> => 8,
+                        <<"port">> => 5672,
+                        <<"resource_opts">> =>
+                            #{
+                                <<"health_check_interval">> => <<"15s">>,
+                                <<"start_after_created">> => true,
+                                <<"start_timeout">> => <<"5s">>
+                            },
+                        <<"server">> => <<"localhost">>,
+                        <<"ssl">> =>
+                            #{
+                                <<"ciphers">> => [],
+                                <<"depth">> => 10,
+                                <<"enable">> => false,
+                                <<"hibernate_after">> => <<"5s">>,
+                                <<"log_level">> => <<"notice">>,
+                                <<"reuse_sessions">> => true,
+                                <<"secure_renegotiate">> => true,
+                                <<"verify">> => <<"verify_peer">>,
+                                <<"versions">> =>
+                                    [<<"tlsv1.3">>, <<"tlsv1.2">>]
+                            },
+                        <<"timeout">> => <<"5s">>,
+                        <<"username">> => <<"rabbitmq">>,
+                        <<"virtual_host">> => <<"/">>
+                    }
+            }
+    }.
+
+rabbitmq_action() ->
+    #{
+        <<"rabbitmq">> =>
+            #{
+                <<"action">> =>
+                    #{
+                        <<"connector">> => <<"my_connector">>,
+                        <<"description">> => <<>>,
+                        <<"enable">> => true,
+                        <<"parameters">> =>
+                            #{
+                                <<"delivery_mode">> => <<"non_persistent">>,
+                                <<"exchange">> => <<"test">>,
+                                <<"payload_template">> => <<>>,
+                                <<"publish_confirmation_timeout">> => <<"30s">>,
+                                <<"routing_key">> => <<"test">>,
+                                <<"wait_for_publish_confirmations">> => true
+                            },
+                        <<"resource_opts">> =>
+                            #{
+                                <<"batch_size">> => 10,
+                                <<"batch_time">> => <<"10ms">>,
+                                <<"health_check_interval">> => <<"15s">>,
+                                <<"inflight_window">> => 100,
+                                <<"max_buffer_bytes">> => <<"256MB">>,
+                                <<"query_mode">> => <<"async">>,
+                                <<"request_ttl">> => <<"45s">>,
+                                <<"worker_pool_size">> => 16
+                            }
+                    }
+            }
+    }.
+
+rabbitmq_source() ->
+    #{
+        <<"rabbitmq">> =>
+            #{
+                <<"source">> =>
+                    #{
+                        <<"connector">> => <<"my_connector">>,
+                        <<"description">> => <<>>,
+                        <<"enable">> => true,
+                        <<"parameters">> =>
+                            #{
+                                <<"no_ack">> => true,
+                                <<"queue">> => <<"test">>,
+                                <<"wait_for_publish_confirmations">> => true
+                            },
+                        <<"resource_opts">> =>
+                            #{<<"health_check_interval">> => <<"15s">>}
+                    }
+            }
+    }.
diff --git a/apps/emqx_connector/src/emqx_connector.erl b/apps/emqx_connector/src/emqx_connector.erl
index bf9a960d56..159e05f9b0 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_connector/src/emqx_connector.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_connector/src/emqx_connector.erl
@@ -473,6 +473,8 @@ ensure_no_channels(Configs) ->
             fun({Type, ConnectorName}) ->
                 fun(_) ->
                     case emqx_connector_resource:get_channels(Type, ConnectorName) of
+                        {error, not_found} ->
+                            ok;
                         {ok, []} ->
                             ok;
                         {ok, Channels} ->
diff --git a/changes/ce/fix-12715.en.md b/changes/ce/fix-12715.en.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ed3ec38fcf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/ce/fix-12715.en.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fix replacing sources crash if connector has active channels