diff --git a/CHANGELOG.next.md b/CHANGELOG.next.md
index 5176db9d09..ca4fa584a4 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.next.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.next.md
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ Thanks, you're awesome :-) -->
 
 #### Added
 
-* Added component templates for ECS field sets. #1156
+* Added component templates for ECS field sets. #1156, #1186
 
 #### Improvements
 
diff --git a/experimental/generated/elasticsearch/7/template.json b/experimental/generated/elasticsearch/7/template.json
index 8ebea814f1..7e95828a42 100644
--- a/experimental/generated/elasticsearch/7/template.json
+++ b/experimental/generated/elasticsearch/7/template.json
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 {
-  "_meta": {
-    "version": "1.7.0+exp"
-  },
   "index_patterns": [
     "try-ecs-*"
   ],
   "mappings": {
+    "_meta": {
+      "version": "1.7.0+exp"
+    },
     "date_detection": false,
     "dynamic_templates": [
       {
diff --git a/generated/elasticsearch/6/template.json b/generated/elasticsearch/6/template.json
index 86990630de..62c033e096 100644
--- a/generated/elasticsearch/6/template.json
+++ b/generated/elasticsearch/6/template.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
-  "_meta": {
-    "version": "1.7.0"
-  },
   "index_patterns": [
     "try-ecs-*"
   ],
   "mappings": {
     "_doc": {
+      "_meta": {
+        "version": "1.7.0"
+      },
       "date_detection": false,
       "dynamic_templates": [
         {
diff --git a/generated/elasticsearch/7/template.json b/generated/elasticsearch/7/template.json
index b3e998015f..8341531f01 100644
--- a/generated/elasticsearch/7/template.json
+++ b/generated/elasticsearch/7/template.json
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 {
-  "_meta": {
-    "version": "1.7.0"
-  },
   "index_patterns": [
     "try-ecs-*"
   ],
   "mappings": {
+    "_meta": {
+      "version": "1.7.0"
+    },
     "date_detection": false,
     "dynamic_templates": [
       {
diff --git a/scripts/generators/es_template.py b/scripts/generators/es_template.py
index b221cb5531..81e35e5d6e 100644
--- a/scripts/generators/es_template.py
+++ b/scripts/generators/es_template.py
@@ -184,10 +184,15 @@ def template_settings(es_version, ecs_version, mappings_section, template_settin
             template = json.load(f)
     else:
         template = default_template_settings(ecs_version)
+
     if es_version == 6:
         template['mappings'] = {'_doc': mappings_section}
     else:
         template['mappings'] = mappings_section
+
+    # _meta can't be at template root in legacy templates, so moving back to mappings section
+    mappings_section['_meta'] = template.pop('_meta')
+
     return template