diff --git a/metricbeat/docs/modules/kafka.asciidoc b/metricbeat/docs/modules/kafka.asciidoc
index 926feffa3235..ad979f9e11dd 100644
--- a/metricbeat/docs/modules/kafka.asciidoc
+++ b/metricbeat/docs/modules/kafka.asciidoc
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ beta[]
 
 This is the Kafka module.
 
+The default metricsets are `consumergroup` and `partition`.
 
 
 [float]
@@ -21,30 +22,7 @@ in <<configuration-metricbeat>>. Here is an example configuration:
 ----
 metricbeat.modules:
 - module: kafka
-  metricsets: ["partition"]
-  period: 10s
   hosts: ["localhost:9092"]
-
-  #client_id: metricbeat
-  #retries: 3
-  #backoff: 250ms
-
-  # List of Topics to query metadata for. If empty, all topics will be queried.
-  #topics: []
-
-  # Optional SSL. By default is off.
-  # List of root certificates for HTTPS server verifications
-  #ssl.certificate_authorities: ["/etc/pki/root/ca.pem"]
-
-  # Certificate for SSL client authentication
-  #ssl.certificate: "/etc/pki/client/cert.pem"
-
-  # Client Certificate Key
-  #ssl.key: "/etc/pki/client/cert.key"
-
-  # SASL authentication
-  #username: ""
-  #password: ""
 ----
 
 [float]
diff --git a/metricbeat/metricbeat.reference.yml b/metricbeat/metricbeat.reference.yml
index 30c6602f7345..9205021aec60 100644
--- a/metricbeat/metricbeat.reference.yml
+++ b/metricbeat/metricbeat.reference.yml
@@ -264,9 +264,10 @@ metricbeat.modules:
 
 #-------------------------------- Kafka Module -------------------------------
 - module: kafka
-  metricsets: ["partition"]
+  metricsets: ["consumergroup", "partition"]
   period: 10s
   hosts: ["localhost:9092"]
+  enabled: true
 
   #client_id: metricbeat
   #retries: 3
diff --git a/metricbeat/module/kafka/_meta/config.reference.yml b/metricbeat/module/kafka/_meta/config.reference.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0a9d9fe88caf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/metricbeat/module/kafka/_meta/config.reference.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+- module: kafka
+  metricsets: ["consumergroup", "partition"]
+  period: 10s
+  hosts: ["localhost:9092"]
+  enabled: true
+
+  #client_id: metricbeat
+  #retries: 3
+  #backoff: 250ms
+
+  # List of Topics to query metadata for. If empty, all topics will be queried.
+  #topics: []
+
+  # Optional SSL. By default is off.
+  # List of root certificates for HTTPS server verifications
+  #ssl.certificate_authorities: ["/etc/pki/root/ca.pem"]
+
+  # Certificate for SSL client authentication
+  #ssl.certificate: "/etc/pki/client/cert.pem"
+
+  # Client Certificate Key
+  #ssl.key: "/etc/pki/client/cert.key"
+
+  # SASL authentication
+  #username: ""
+  #password: ""
diff --git a/metricbeat/module/kafka/_meta/config.yml b/metricbeat/module/kafka/_meta/config.yml
index 91ce183a0f12..f9db371184a0 100644
--- a/metricbeat/module/kafka/_meta/config.yml
+++ b/metricbeat/module/kafka/_meta/config.yml
@@ -1,25 +1,2 @@
 - module: kafka
-  metricsets: ["partition"]
-  period: 10s
   hosts: ["localhost:9092"]
-
-  #client_id: metricbeat
-  #retries: 3
-  #backoff: 250ms
-
-  # List of Topics to query metadata for. If empty, all topics will be queried.
-  #topics: []
-
-  # Optional SSL. By default is off.
-  # List of root certificates for HTTPS server verifications
-  #ssl.certificate_authorities: ["/etc/pki/root/ca.pem"]
-
-  # Certificate for SSL client authentication
-  #ssl.certificate: "/etc/pki/client/cert.pem"
-
-  # Client Certificate Key
-  #ssl.key: "/etc/pki/client/cert.key"
-
-  # SASL authentication
-  #username: ""
-  #password: ""
diff --git a/metricbeat/module/kafka/_meta/docs.asciidoc b/metricbeat/module/kafka/_meta/docs.asciidoc
index 9eb0eb946622..98a1435c16e3 100644
--- a/metricbeat/module/kafka/_meta/docs.asciidoc
+++ b/metricbeat/module/kafka/_meta/docs.asciidoc
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 This is the Kafka module.
 
+The default metricsets are `consumergroup` and `partition`.
diff --git a/metricbeat/module/kafka/consumergroup/consumergroup.go b/metricbeat/module/kafka/consumergroup/consumergroup.go
index 083d357bf91a..97298a351331 100644
--- a/metricbeat/module/kafka/consumergroup/consumergroup.go
+++ b/metricbeat/module/kafka/consumergroup/consumergroup.go
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ import (
 
 // init registers the MetricSet with the central registry.
 func init() {
-	if err := mb.Registry.AddMetricSet("kafka", "consumergroup", New); err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
+	mb.Registry.MustAddMetricSet("kafka", "consumergroup", New,
+		mb.DefaultMetricSet(),
+	)
 }
 
 // MetricSet type defines all fields of the MetricSet
diff --git a/metricbeat/module/kafka/partition/partition.go b/metricbeat/module/kafka/partition/partition.go
index 84e2282734f7..f5f4859f9372 100644
--- a/metricbeat/module/kafka/partition/partition.go
+++ b/metricbeat/module/kafka/partition/partition.go
@@ -17,9 +17,10 @@ import (
 
 // init registers the partition MetricSet with the central registry.
 func init() {
-	if err := mb.Registry.AddMetricSet("kafka", "partition", New, parse.PassThruHostParser); err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
+	mb.Registry.MustAddMetricSet("kafka", "partition", New,
+		mb.WithHostParser(parse.PassThruHostParser),
+		mb.DefaultMetricSet(),
+	)
 }
 
 // MetricSet type defines all fields of the partition MetricSet
diff --git a/metricbeat/modules.d/kafka.yml.disabled b/metricbeat/modules.d/kafka.yml.disabled
index 91ce183a0f12..f9db371184a0 100644
--- a/metricbeat/modules.d/kafka.yml.disabled
+++ b/metricbeat/modules.d/kafka.yml.disabled
@@ -1,25 +1,2 @@
 - module: kafka
-  metricsets: ["partition"]
-  period: 10s
   hosts: ["localhost:9092"]
-
-  #client_id: metricbeat
-  #retries: 3
-  #backoff: 250ms
-
-  # List of Topics to query metadata for. If empty, all topics will be queried.
-  #topics: []
-
-  # Optional SSL. By default is off.
-  # List of root certificates for HTTPS server verifications
-  #ssl.certificate_authorities: ["/etc/pki/root/ca.pem"]
-
-  # Certificate for SSL client authentication
-  #ssl.certificate: "/etc/pki/client/cert.pem"
-
-  # Client Certificate Key
-  #ssl.key: "/etc/pki/client/cert.key"
-
-  # SASL authentication
-  #username: ""
-  #password: ""