diff --git a/src/cmd/src/lib.rs b/src/cmd/src/lib.rs
index 13d5fcad5ec8c..a2f3457bb1266 100644
--- a/src/cmd/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/cmd/src/lib.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
 
-use risingwave_common::error::v2::AsReport as _;
 use risingwave_compactor::CompactorOpts;
 use risingwave_compute::ComputeNodeOpts;
 use risingwave_ctl::CliOpts as CtlOpts;
@@ -64,16 +63,5 @@ pub fn compactor(opts: CompactorOpts) {
 
 pub fn ctl(opts: CtlOpts) {
     init_risingwave_logger(LoggerSettings::new("ctl").stderr(true));
-
-    // Note: Use a simple current thread runtime for ctl.
-    // When there's a heavy workload, multiple thread runtime seems to respond slowly. May need
-    // further investigation.
-    if let Err(e) = tokio::runtime::Builder::new_current_thread()
-        .enable_all()
-        .build()
-        .unwrap()
-        .block_on(risingwave_ctl::start(opts))
-    {
-        eprintln!("Error: {:#?}", e.as_report());
-    }
+    main_okk(risingwave_ctl::start(opts));
 }
diff --git a/src/ctl/src/lib.rs b/src/ctl/src/lib.rs
index 715460deb27ac..9cdc99c0d3156 100644
--- a/src/ctl/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/ctl/src/lib.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ use cmd_impl::hummock::SstDumpArgs;
 use risingwave_hummock_sdk::HummockEpoch;
 use risingwave_meta::backup_restore::RestoreOpts;
 use risingwave_pb::meta::update_worker_node_schedulability_request::Schedulability;
+use thiserror_ext::AsReport;
 
 use crate::cmd_impl::hummock::{
     build_compaction_config_vec, list_pinned_snapshots, list_pinned_versions,
@@ -550,14 +551,28 @@ pub enum ProfileCommands {
     },
 }
 
-pub async fn start(opts: CliOpts) -> Result<()> {
+/// Start `risectl` with the given options.
+/// Log and abort the process if any error occurs.
+///
+/// Note: use [`start_fallible`] if you want to call functionalities of `risectl`
+/// in an embedded manner.
+pub async fn start(opts: CliOpts) {
+    if let Err(e) = start_fallible(opts).await {
+        eprintln!("Error: {:#?}", e.as_report()); // pretty with backtrace
+        std::process::exit(1);
+    }
+}
+
+/// Start `risectl` with the given options.
+/// Return `Err` if any error occurs.
+pub async fn start_fallible(opts: CliOpts) -> Result<()> {
     let context = CtlContext::default();
     let result = start_impl(opts, &context).await;
     context.try_close().await;
     result
 }
 
-pub async fn start_impl(opts: CliOpts, context: &CtlContext) -> Result<()> {
+async fn start_impl(opts: CliOpts, context: &CtlContext) -> Result<()> {
     match opts.command {
         Commands::Compute(ComputeCommands::ShowConfig { host }) => {
             cmd_impl::compute::show_config(&host).await?
diff --git a/src/tests/simulation/src/ctl_ext.rs b/src/tests/simulation/src/ctl_ext.rs
index 5a880ec05dfd9..77ae0ee414e49 100644
--- a/src/tests/simulation/src/ctl_ext.rs
+++ b/src/tests/simulation/src/ctl_ext.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #![cfg_attr(not(madsim), expect(unused_imports))]
 
 use std::collections::{HashMap, HashSet};
+use std::ffi::OsString;
 use std::fmt::Write;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
@@ -380,7 +381,6 @@ impl Cluster {
             .spawn(async move {
                 let revision = format!("{}", revision);
                 let mut v = vec![
-                    "ctl",
                     "meta",
                     "reschedule",
                     "--plan",
@@ -393,8 +393,7 @@ impl Cluster {
                     v.push("--resolve-no-shuffle");
                 }
 
-                let opts = risingwave_ctl::CliOpts::parse_from(v);
-                risingwave_ctl::start(opts).await
+                start_ctl(v).await
             })
             .await??;
 
@@ -404,26 +403,14 @@ impl Cluster {
     /// Pause all data sources in the cluster.
     #[cfg_or_panic(madsim)]
     pub async fn pause(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
-        self.ctl
-            .spawn(async move {
-                let opts = risingwave_ctl::CliOpts::parse_from(["ctl", "meta", "pause"]);
-                risingwave_ctl::start(opts).await
-            })
-            .await??;
-
+        self.ctl.spawn(start_ctl(["meta", "pause"])).await??;
         Ok(())
     }
 
     /// Resume all data sources in the cluster.
     #[cfg_or_panic(madsim)]
     pub async fn resume(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
-        self.ctl
-            .spawn(async move {
-                let opts = risingwave_ctl::CliOpts::parse_from(["ctl", "meta", "resume"]);
-                risingwave_ctl::start(opts).await
-            })
-            .await??;
-
+        self.ctl.spawn(start_ctl(["meta", "resume"])).await??;
         Ok(())
     }
 
@@ -433,7 +420,6 @@ impl Cluster {
         self.ctl
             .spawn(async move {
                 let mut command: Vec<String> = vec![
-                    "ctl".into(),
                     "throttle".into(),
                     "mv".into(),
                     table_id.table_id.to_string(),
@@ -441,8 +427,7 @@ impl Cluster {
                 if let Some(rate_limit) = rate_limit {
                     command.push(rate_limit.to_string());
                 }
-                let opts = risingwave_ctl::CliOpts::parse_from(command);
-                risingwave_ctl::start(opts).await
+                start_ctl(command).await
             })
             .await??;
         Ok(())
@@ -479,3 +464,14 @@ impl Cluster {
         Ok(resp)
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg_attr(not(madsim), allow(dead_code))]
+async fn start_ctl<S, I>(args: I) -> Result<()>
+where
+    S: Into<OsString>,
+    I: IntoIterator<Item = S>,
+{
+    let args = std::iter::once("ctl".into()).chain(args.into_iter().map(|s| s.into()));
+    let opts = risingwave_ctl::CliOpts::parse_from(args);
+    risingwave_ctl::start_fallible(opts).await
+}