diff --git a/CHANGELOG.next.asciidoc b/CHANGELOG.next.asciidoc
index 397070b9f254..cbf55f4bb9c2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.next.asciidoc
+++ b/CHANGELOG.next.asciidoc
@@ -248,6 +248,8 @@ https://github.com/elastic/beats/compare/v7.0.0-alpha2...master[Check the HEAD d
 - Add support for RFC3339 time zone offsets in JSON output. {pull}13227[13227]
 - Add autodetection mode for add_docker_metadata and enable it by default in included configuration files{pull}13374[13374]
 - Added `monitoring.cluster_uuid` setting to associate Beat data with specified ES cluster in Stack Monitoring UI. {pull}13182[13182]
+- Add autodetection mode for add_kubernetes_metadata and enable it by default in included configuration files. {pull}13473[13473]
+
 
 *Auditbeat*
 
diff --git a/auditbeat/auditbeat.yml b/auditbeat/auditbeat.yml
index d3db66e60d57..a914f510073c 100644
--- a/auditbeat/auditbeat.yml
+++ b/auditbeat/auditbeat.yml
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ processors:
   - add_host_metadata: ~
   - add_cloud_metadata: ~
   - add_docker_metadata: ~
+  - add_kubernetes_metadata: ~
 
 #================================ Logging =====================================
 
diff --git a/filebeat/filebeat.yml b/filebeat/filebeat.yml
index a404af47c161..d02b4d161fbf 100644
--- a/filebeat/filebeat.yml
+++ b/filebeat/filebeat.yml
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ processors:
   - add_host_metadata: ~
   - add_cloud_metadata: ~
   - add_docker_metadata: ~
+  - add_kubernetes_metadata: ~
 
 #================================ Logging =====================================
 
diff --git a/journalbeat/journalbeat.yml b/journalbeat/journalbeat.yml
index ee2ce4502f05..5e8aad8b4ad4 100644
--- a/journalbeat/journalbeat.yml
+++ b/journalbeat/journalbeat.yml
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ processors:
   - add_host_metadata: ~
   - add_cloud_metadata: ~
   - add_docker_metadata: ~
+  - add_kubernetes_metadata: ~
 
 #================================ Logging =====================================
 
diff --git a/libbeat/_meta/config.yml.tmpl b/libbeat/_meta/config.yml.tmpl
index e687c0cc7679..9ef6a1c8adc7 100644
--- a/libbeat/_meta/config.yml.tmpl
+++ b/libbeat/_meta/config.yml.tmpl
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ processors:
   - add_host_metadata: ~
   - add_cloud_metadata: ~
   - add_docker_metadata: ~
+  - add_kubernetes_metadata: ~
 {{else}}
 processors:
   - add_observer_metadata:
diff --git a/libbeat/processors/add_kubernetes_metadata/kubernetes.go b/libbeat/processors/add_kubernetes_metadata/kubernetes.go
index ea635314b079..c9461c35bf99 100644
--- a/libbeat/processors/add_kubernetes_metadata/kubernetes.go
+++ b/libbeat/processors/add_kubernetes_metadata/kubernetes.go
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
+	k8sclient "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes"
+
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/beat"
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/common"
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/common/kubernetes"
@@ -33,10 +35,11 @@ const (
 )
 
 type kubernetesAnnotator struct {
-	watcher  kubernetes.Watcher
-	indexers *Indexers
-	matchers *Matchers
-	cache    *cache
+	watcher             kubernetes.Watcher
+	indexers            *Indexers
+	matchers            *Matchers
+	cache               *cache
+	kubernetesAvailable bool
 }
 
 func init() {
@@ -51,6 +54,16 @@ func init() {
 	Indexing.AddMatcher(FieldFormatMatcherName, NewFieldFormatMatcher)
 }
 
+func isKubernetesAvailable(client k8sclient.Interface) bool {
+	server, err := client.Discovery().ServerVersion()
+	if err != nil {
+		logp.Info("%v: could not detect kubernetes env: %v", "add_kubernetes_metadata", err)
+		return false
+	}
+	logp.Info("%v: kubernetes env detected, with version: %v", "add_kubernetes_metadata", server)
+	return true
+}
+
 // New constructs a new add_kubernetes_metadata processor.
 func New(cfg *common.Config) (processors.Processor, error) {
 	config := defaultKubernetesAnnotatorConfig()
@@ -91,9 +104,25 @@ func New(cfg *common.Config) (processors.Processor, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Can not initialize kubernetes plugin with zero matcher plugins")
 	}
 
+	processor := &kubernetesAnnotator{
+		indexers:            indexers,
+		matchers:            matchers,
+		cache:               newCache(config.CleanupTimeout),
+		kubernetesAvailable: false,
+	}
+
 	client, err := kubernetes.GetKubernetesClient(config.KubeConfig)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		if kubernetes.IsInCluster(config.KubeConfig) {
+			logp.Debug("kubernetes", "%v: could not create kubernetes client using in_cluster config", "add_kubernetes_metadata")
+		} else {
+			logp.Debug("kubernetes", "%v: could not create kubernetes client using config: %v", "add_kubernetes_metadata", config.KubeConfig)
+		}
+		return processor, nil
+	}
+
+	if !isKubernetesAvailable(client) {
+		return processor, nil
 	}
 
 	config.Host = kubernetes.DiscoverKubernetesNode(config.Host, kubernetes.IsInCluster(config.KubeConfig), client)
@@ -111,12 +140,8 @@ func New(cfg *common.Config) (processors.Processor, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	processor := &kubernetesAnnotator{
-		watcher:  watcher,
-		indexers: indexers,
-		matchers: matchers,
-		cache:    newCache(config.CleanupTimeout),
-	}
+	processor.watcher = watcher
+	processor.kubernetesAvailable = true
 
 	watcher.AddEventHandler(kubernetes.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs{
 		AddFunc: func(obj interface{}) {
@@ -139,6 +164,9 @@ func New(cfg *common.Config) (processors.Processor, error) {
 }
 
 func (k *kubernetesAnnotator) Run(event *beat.Event) (*beat.Event, error) {
+	if !k.kubernetesAvailable {
+		return event, nil
+	}
 	index := k.matchers.MetadataIndex(event.Fields)
 	if index == "" {
 		return event, nil
diff --git a/libbeat/processors/add_kubernetes_metadata/kubernetes_test.go b/libbeat/processors/add_kubernetes_metadata/kubernetes_test.go
index c3467b5c96f2..4da15db969b4 100644
--- a/libbeat/processors/add_kubernetes_metadata/kubernetes_test.go
+++ b/libbeat/processors/add_kubernetes_metadata/kubernetes_test.go
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ func TestAnnotatorDeepUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 		matchers: &Matchers{
 			matchers: []Matcher{matcher},
 		},
+		kubernetesAvailable: true,
 	}
 
 	processor.cache.set("foo", common.MapStr{
@@ -86,3 +87,42 @@ func TestAnnotatorDeepUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}, event.Fields)
 }
+
+// Test metadata are not included in the event
+func TestAnnotatorWithNoKubernetesAvailable(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := common.MustNewConfigFrom(map[string]interface{}{
+		"lookup_fields": []string{"kubernetes.pod.name"},
+	})
+	matcher, err := NewFieldMatcher(*cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	processor := kubernetesAnnotator{
+		cache: newCache(10 * time.Second),
+		matchers: &Matchers{
+			matchers: []Matcher{matcher},
+		},
+		kubernetesAvailable: false,
+	}
+
+	intialEventMap := common.MapStr{
+		"kubernetes": common.MapStr{
+			"pod": common.MapStr{
+				"name": "foo",
+				"id":   "pod_id",
+				"metrics": common.MapStr{
+					"a": 1,
+					"b": 2,
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	event, err := processor.Run(&beat.Event{
+		Fields: intialEventMap.Clone(),
+	})
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	assert.Equal(t, intialEventMap, event.Fields)
+}
diff --git a/metricbeat/metricbeat.yml b/metricbeat/metricbeat.yml
index 8fb745093b8b..6d2d0519b442 100644
--- a/metricbeat/metricbeat.yml
+++ b/metricbeat/metricbeat.yml
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ processors:
   - add_host_metadata: ~
   - add_cloud_metadata: ~
   - add_docker_metadata: ~
+  - add_kubernetes_metadata: ~
 
 #================================ Logging =====================================
 
diff --git a/packetbeat/packetbeat.yml b/packetbeat/packetbeat.yml
index 0a306eaeb6bf..965e5c5975a6 100644
--- a/packetbeat/packetbeat.yml
+++ b/packetbeat/packetbeat.yml
@@ -203,6 +203,7 @@ processors:
   - add_host_metadata: ~
   - add_cloud_metadata: ~
   - add_docker_metadata: ~
+  - add_kubernetes_metadata: ~
 
 #================================ Logging =====================================
 
diff --git a/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.yml b/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.yml
index 253c5d4131f1..7d900eea1a14 100644
--- a/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.yml
+++ b/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.yml
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ processors:
   - add_host_metadata: ~
   - add_cloud_metadata: ~
   - add_docker_metadata: ~
+  - add_kubernetes_metadata: ~
 
 #================================ Logging =====================================
 
diff --git a/x-pack/auditbeat/auditbeat.yml b/x-pack/auditbeat/auditbeat.yml
index 814609baefe9..a4d0f54f1cb7 100644
--- a/x-pack/auditbeat/auditbeat.yml
+++ b/x-pack/auditbeat/auditbeat.yml
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ processors:
   - add_host_metadata: ~
   - add_cloud_metadata: ~
   - add_docker_metadata: ~
+  - add_kubernetes_metadata: ~
 
 #================================ Logging =====================================
 
diff --git a/x-pack/filebeat/filebeat.yml b/x-pack/filebeat/filebeat.yml
index a404af47c161..d02b4d161fbf 100644
--- a/x-pack/filebeat/filebeat.yml
+++ b/x-pack/filebeat/filebeat.yml
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ processors:
   - add_host_metadata: ~
   - add_cloud_metadata: ~
   - add_docker_metadata: ~
+  - add_kubernetes_metadata: ~
 
 #================================ Logging =====================================
 
diff --git a/x-pack/functionbeat/functionbeat.yml b/x-pack/functionbeat/functionbeat.yml
index 06bf3681dd87..8182bddeced6 100644
--- a/x-pack/functionbeat/functionbeat.yml
+++ b/x-pack/functionbeat/functionbeat.yml
@@ -345,6 +345,7 @@ processors:
   - add_host_metadata: ~
   - add_cloud_metadata: ~
   - add_docker_metadata: ~
+  - add_kubernetes_metadata: ~
 
 #================================ Logging =====================================
 
diff --git a/x-pack/metricbeat/metricbeat.yml b/x-pack/metricbeat/metricbeat.yml
index 8fb745093b8b..6d2d0519b442 100644
--- a/x-pack/metricbeat/metricbeat.yml
+++ b/x-pack/metricbeat/metricbeat.yml
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ processors:
   - add_host_metadata: ~
   - add_cloud_metadata: ~
   - add_docker_metadata: ~
+  - add_kubernetes_metadata: ~
 
 #================================ Logging =====================================
 
diff --git a/x-pack/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.yml b/x-pack/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.yml
index 35ddff7e9fa0..690ed27a9eac 100644
--- a/x-pack/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.yml
+++ b/x-pack/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.yml
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ processors:
   - add_host_metadata: ~
   - add_cloud_metadata: ~
   - add_docker_metadata: ~
+  - add_kubernetes_metadata: ~
 
 #================================ Logging =====================================