diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/apm/index.ts b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/apm/index.ts
index dbca321d813e7..594e8a4a7af72 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/apm/index.ts
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/apm/index.ts
@@ -77,7 +77,10 @@ export const apm: LegacyPluginInitializer = kibana => {
         autocreateApmIndexPattern: Joi.boolean().default(true),
 
         // service map
-        serviceMapEnabled: Joi.boolean().default(true)
+        serviceMapEnabled: Joi.boolean().default(true),
+
+        // telemetry
+        telemetryCollectionEnabled: Joi.boolean().default(true)
       }).default();
     },
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/apm/server/index.ts b/x-pack/plugins/apm/server/index.ts
index 8afdb9e99c1a3..77655568a7e9c 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/apm/server/index.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/apm/server/index.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ export const config = {
       enabled: schema.boolean({ defaultValue: true }),
       transactionGroupBucketSize: schema.number({ defaultValue: 100 }),
       maxTraceItems: schema.number({ defaultValue: 1000 })
-    })
+    }),
+    telemetryCollectionEnabled: schema.boolean({ defaultValue: true })
   })
 };
 
@@ -62,7 +63,8 @@ export function mergeConfigs(
     'xpack.apm.ui.maxTraceItems': apmConfig.ui.maxTraceItems,
     'xpack.apm.ui.transactionGroupBucketSize':
       apmConfig.ui.transactionGroupBucketSize,
-    'xpack.apm.autocreateApmIndexPattern': apmConfig.autocreateApmIndexPattern
+    'xpack.apm.autocreateApmIndexPattern': apmConfig.autocreateApmIndexPattern,
+    'xpack.apm.telemetryCollectionEnabled': apmConfig.telemetryCollectionEnabled
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/apm/server/lib/apm_telemetry/index.ts b/x-pack/plugins/apm/server/lib/apm_telemetry/index.ts
index bbf0942860cf9..c80057a2894dc 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/apm/server/lib/apm_telemetry/index.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/apm/server/lib/apm_telemetry/index.ts
@@ -109,19 +109,21 @@ export async function createApmTelemetry({
   });
 
   usageCollector.registerCollector(collector);
-}
 
-export function scheduleApmTelemetryTasks(
-  taskManager: TaskManagerStartContract
-) {
-  taskManager.ensureScheduled({
-    id: APM_TELEMETRY_TASK_NAME,
-    taskType: APM_TELEMETRY_TASK_NAME,
-    schedule: {
-      interval: '720m'
-    },
-    scope: ['apm'],
-    params: {},
-    state: {}
+  core.getStartServices().then(([coreStart, pluginsStart]) => {
+    const { taskManager: taskManagerStart } = pluginsStart as {
+      taskManager: TaskManagerStartContract;
+    };
+
+    taskManagerStart.ensureScheduled({
+      id: APM_TELEMETRY_TASK_NAME,
+      taskType: APM_TELEMETRY_TASK_NAME,
+      schedule: {
+        interval: '720m'
+      },
+      scope: ['apm'],
+      params: {},
+      state: {}
+    });
   });
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/apm/server/plugin.ts b/x-pack/plugins/apm/server/plugin.ts
index fcf383a9eb25f..a29b9399d8435 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/apm/server/plugin.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/apm/server/plugin.ts
@@ -3,21 +3,13 @@
  * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
  */
-import {
-  PluginInitializerContext,
-  Plugin,
-  CoreSetup,
-  CoreStart
-} from 'src/core/server';
+import { PluginInitializerContext, Plugin, CoreSetup } from 'src/core/server';
 import { Observable, combineLatest, AsyncSubject } from 'rxjs';
 import { map, take } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import { Server } from 'hapi';
 import { once } from 'lodash';
 import { UsageCollectionSetup } from '../../../../src/plugins/usage_collection/server';
-import {
-  TaskManagerSetupContract,
-  TaskManagerStartContract
-} from '../../task_manager/server';
+import { TaskManagerSetupContract } from '../../task_manager/server';
 import { APMOSSPluginSetup } from '../../../../src/plugins/apm_oss/server';
 import { createApmAgentConfigurationIndex } from './lib/settings/agent_configuration/create_agent_config_index';
 import { createApmCustomLinkIndex } from './lib/settings/custom_link/create_custom_link_index';
@@ -29,10 +21,7 @@ import { tutorialProvider } from './tutorial';
 import { CloudSetup } from '../../cloud/server';
 import { getInternalSavedObjectsClient } from './lib/helpers/get_internal_saved_objects_client';
 import { LicensingPluginSetup } from '../../licensing/public';
-import {
-  createApmTelemetry,
-  scheduleApmTelemetryTasks
-} from './lib/apm_telemetry';
+import { createApmTelemetry } from './lib/apm_telemetry';
 
 export interface LegacySetup {
   server: Server;
@@ -68,7 +57,17 @@ export class APMPlugin implements Plugin<APMPluginContract> {
       map(([apmOssConfig, apmConfig]) => mergeConfigs(apmOssConfig, apmConfig))
     );
 
-    if (plugins.taskManager && plugins.usageCollection) {
+    this.legacySetup$.subscribe(__LEGACY => {
+      createApmApi().init(core, { config$: mergedConfig$, logger, __LEGACY });
+    });
+
+    const currentConfig = await mergedConfig$.pipe(take(1)).toPromise();
+
+    if (
+      plugins.taskManager &&
+      plugins.usageCollection &&
+      currentConfig['xpack.apm.telemetryCollectionEnabled']
+    ) {
       createApmTelemetry({
         core,
         config$: mergedConfig$,
@@ -78,12 +77,6 @@ export class APMPlugin implements Plugin<APMPluginContract> {
       });
     }
 
-    this.legacySetup$.subscribe(__LEGACY => {
-      createApmApi().init(core, { config$: mergedConfig$, logger, __LEGACY });
-    });
-
-    const currentConfig = await mergedConfig$.pipe(take(1)).toPromise();
-
     // create agent configuration index without blocking setup lifecycle
     createApmAgentConfigurationIndex({
       esClient: core.elasticsearch.dataClient,
@@ -126,16 +119,7 @@ export class APMPlugin implements Plugin<APMPluginContract> {
     };
   }
 
-  public async start(
-    core: CoreStart,
-    plugins: {
-      taskManager?: TaskManagerStartContract;
-    }
-  ) {
-    if (plugins.taskManager) {
-      scheduleApmTelemetryTasks(plugins.taskManager);
-    }
-  }
+  public async start() {}
 
   public stop() {}
 }