diff --git a/filebeat/etc/beat.full.yml b/filebeat/etc/beat.full.yml
index 4de3206e2eac..8fe2873965c4 100644
--- a/filebeat/etc/beat.full.yml
+++ b/filebeat/etc/beat.full.yml
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ filebeat.prospectors:
 
 # Name of the registry file. If a relative path is used, it is considered relative to the
 # data path.
-#filebeat.registry_file: registry
+#filebeat.registry_file: ${path.data}/registry
 
 #
 # These config files must have the full filebeat config part inside, but only
diff --git a/filebeat/filebeat.full.yml b/filebeat/filebeat.full.yml
index 9f8b91bde14a..a4daf6589da6 100644
--- a/filebeat/filebeat.full.yml
+++ b/filebeat/filebeat.full.yml
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ filebeat.prospectors:
 
 # Name of the registry file. If a relative path is used, it is considered relative to the
 # data path.
-#filebeat.registry_file: registry
+#filebeat.registry_file: ${path.data}/registry
 
 #
 # These config files must have the full filebeat config part inside, but only
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ output.elasticsearch:
   #template.name: "filebeat"
 
   # Path to template file
-  #template.path: "filebeat.template.json"
+  #template.path: "${path.config}/filebeat.template.json"
 
   # Overwrite existing template
   #template.overwrite: false
@@ -385,7 +385,7 @@ output.elasticsearch:
   #template.versions.2x.enabled: true
 
   # Path to the Elasticsearch 2.x version of the template file.
-  #template.versions.2x.path: "filebeat.template-es2x.json"
+  #template.versions.2x.path: "${path.config}/filebeat.template-es2x.json"
 
 
   # TLS configuration. By default is off.
@@ -705,18 +705,18 @@ output.elasticsearch:
 # base path for configuration files, including the main YAML configuration file
 # and the Elasticsearch template file. If not set by a CLI flag or in the
 # configuration file, the default for the configuration path is the home path.
-#path.config:
+#path.config: ${path.home}
 
 # The data path for the filebeat installation. This is the default base path
 # for all the files in which filebeat needs to store its data. If not set by a
 # CLI flag or in the configuration file, the default for the data path is a data
 # subdirectory inside the home path.
-#path.data:
+#path.data: ${path.home}/data
 
 # The logs path for a filebeat installation. This is the default location for
 # the Beat's log files. If not set by a CLI flag or in the configuration file,
 # the default for the logs path is a logs subdirectory inside the home path.
-#path.logs:
+#path.logs: ${path.home}/logs
 
 #================================ Logging =====================================
 # There are three options for the log output: syslog, file, stderr.
diff --git a/libbeat/_meta/config.full.yml b/libbeat/_meta/config.full.yml
index ad86527122d0..19430772ed50 100644
--- a/libbeat/_meta/config.full.yml
+++ b/libbeat/_meta/config.full.yml
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ output.elasticsearch:
   #template.name: "beatname"
 
   # Path to template file
-  #template.path: "beatname.template.json"
+  #template.path: "${path.config}/beatname.template.json"
 
   # Overwrite existing template
   #template.overwrite: false
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ output.elasticsearch:
   #template.versions.2x.enabled: true
 
   # Path to the Elasticsearch 2.x version of the template file.
-  #template.versions.2x.path: "beatname.template-es2x.json"
+  #template.versions.2x.path: "${path.config}/beatname.template-es2x.json"
 
 
   # TLS configuration. By default is off.
@@ -479,18 +479,18 @@ output.elasticsearch:
 # base path for configuration files, including the main YAML configuration file
 # and the Elasticsearch template file. If not set by a CLI flag or in the
 # configuration file, the default for the configuration path is the home path.
-#path.config:
+#path.config: ${path.home}
 
 # The data path for the beatname installation. This is the default base path
 # for all the files in which beatname needs to store its data. If not set by a
 # CLI flag or in the configuration file, the default for the data path is a data
 # subdirectory inside the home path.
-#path.data:
+#path.data: ${path.home}/data
 
 # The logs path for a beatname installation. This is the default location for
 # the Beat's log files. If not set by a CLI flag or in the configuration file,
 # the default for the logs path is a logs subdirectory inside the home path.
-#path.logs:
+#path.logs: ${path.home}/logs
 
 #================================ Logging =====================================
 # There are three options for the log output: syslog, file, stderr.
diff --git a/metricbeat/metricbeat.full.yml b/metricbeat/metricbeat.full.yml
index d64756c0e15d..d89f453a101a 100644
--- a/metricbeat/metricbeat.full.yml
+++ b/metricbeat/metricbeat.full.yml
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ output.elasticsearch:
   #template.name: "metricbeat"
 
   # Path to template file
-  #template.path: "metricbeat.template.json"
+  #template.path: "${path.config}/metricbeat.template.json"
 
   # Overwrite existing template
   #template.overwrite: false
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ output.elasticsearch:
   #template.versions.2x.enabled: true
 
   # Path to the Elasticsearch 2.x version of the template file.
-  #template.versions.2x.path: "metricbeat.template-es2x.json"
+  #template.versions.2x.path: "${path.config}/metricbeat.template-es2x.json"
 
 
   # TLS configuration. By default is off.
@@ -624,18 +624,18 @@ output.elasticsearch:
 # base path for configuration files, including the main YAML configuration file
 # and the Elasticsearch template file. If not set by a CLI flag or in the
 # configuration file, the default for the configuration path is the home path.
-#path.config:
+#path.config: ${path.home}
 
 # The data path for the metricbeat installation. This is the default base path
 # for all the files in which metricbeat needs to store its data. If not set by a
 # CLI flag or in the configuration file, the default for the data path is a data
 # subdirectory inside the home path.
-#path.data:
+#path.data: ${path.home}/data
 
 # The logs path for a metricbeat installation. This is the default location for
 # the Beat's log files. If not set by a CLI flag or in the configuration file,
 # the default for the logs path is a logs subdirectory inside the home path.
-#path.logs:
+#path.logs: ${path.home}/logs
 
 #================================ Logging =====================================
 # There are three options for the log output: syslog, file, stderr.
diff --git a/packetbeat/packetbeat.full.yml b/packetbeat/packetbeat.full.yml
index 11f65c1682c7..6bd14067ac8e 100644
--- a/packetbeat/packetbeat.full.yml
+++ b/packetbeat/packetbeat.full.yml
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ output.elasticsearch:
   #template.name: "packetbeat"
 
   # Path to template file
-  #template.path: "packetbeat.template.json"
+  #template.path: "${path.config}/packetbeat.template.json"
 
   # Overwrite existing template
   #template.overwrite: false
@@ -543,7 +543,7 @@ output.elasticsearch:
   #template.versions.2x.enabled: true
 
   # Path to the Elasticsearch 2.x version of the template file.
-  #template.versions.2x.path: "packetbeat.template-es2x.json"
+  #template.versions.2x.path: "${path.config}/packetbeat.template-es2x.json"
 
 
   # TLS configuration. By default is off.
@@ -863,18 +863,18 @@ output.elasticsearch:
 # base path for configuration files, including the main YAML configuration file
 # and the Elasticsearch template file. If not set by a CLI flag or in the
 # configuration file, the default for the configuration path is the home path.
-#path.config:
+#path.config: ${path.home}
 
 # The data path for the packetbeat installation. This is the default base path
 # for all the files in which packetbeat needs to store its data. If not set by a
 # CLI flag or in the configuration file, the default for the data path is a data
 # subdirectory inside the home path.
-#path.data:
+#path.data: ${path.home}/data
 
 # The logs path for a packetbeat installation. This is the default location for
 # the Beat's log files. If not set by a CLI flag or in the configuration file,
 # the default for the logs path is a logs subdirectory inside the home path.
-#path.logs:
+#path.logs: ${path.home}/logs
 
 #================================ Logging =====================================
 # There are three options for the log output: syslog, file, stderr.
diff --git a/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.full.yml b/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.full.yml
index 91be97f0a748..375519cd312e 100644
--- a/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.full.yml
+++ b/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.full.yml
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ output.elasticsearch:
   #template.name: "winlogbeat"
 
   # Path to template file
-  #template.path: "winlogbeat.template.json"
+  #template.path: "${path.config}/winlogbeat.template.json"
 
   # Overwrite existing template
   #template.overwrite: false
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ output.elasticsearch:
   #template.versions.2x.enabled: true
 
   # Path to the Elasticsearch 2.x version of the template file.
-  #template.versions.2x.path: "winlogbeat.template-es2x.json"
+  #template.versions.2x.path: "${path.config}/winlogbeat.template-es2x.json"
 
 
   # TLS configuration. By default is off.
@@ -514,18 +514,18 @@ output.elasticsearch:
 # base path for configuration files, including the main YAML configuration file
 # and the Elasticsearch template file. If not set by a CLI flag or in the
 # configuration file, the default for the configuration path is the home path.
-#path.config:
+#path.config: ${path.home}
 
 # The data path for the winlogbeat installation. This is the default base path
 # for all the files in which winlogbeat needs to store its data. If not set by a
 # CLI flag or in the configuration file, the default for the data path is a data
 # subdirectory inside the home path.
-#path.data:
+#path.data: ${path.home}/data
 
 # The logs path for a winlogbeat installation. This is the default location for
 # the Beat's log files. If not set by a CLI flag or in the configuration file,
 # the default for the logs path is a logs subdirectory inside the home path.
-#path.logs:
+#path.logs: ${path.home}/logs
 
 #================================ Logging =====================================
 # There are three options for the log output: syslog, file, stderr.