diff --git a/x-pack/filebeat/input/httpjson/policy.go b/x-pack/filebeat/input/httpjson/policy.go
index 5c140eba662..ed7f25bf2c2 100644
--- a/x-pack/filebeat/input/httpjson/policy.go
+++ b/x-pack/filebeat/input/httpjson/policy.go
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ func (p *Policy) CustomRetryPolicy(ctx context.Context, resp *http.Response, err
 	if resp.StatusCode == 0 || (resp.StatusCode >= 500 && resp.StatusCode != 501) {
 		defer func() {
 			if resp.Body != nil {
+				io.Copy(io.Discard, resp.Body)
 				resp.Body.Close()
 			}
 		}()
diff --git a/x-pack/filebeat/input/httpjson/request.go b/x-pack/filebeat/input/httpjson/request.go
index 6e45487f8b3..b15f3db51b1 100644
--- a/x-pack/filebeat/input/httpjson/request.go
+++ b/x-pack/filebeat/input/httpjson/request.go
@@ -618,6 +618,7 @@ func (r *requester) processChainPaginationEvents(ctx context.Context, trCtx *tra
 		err               error
 		urlCopy           url.URL
 		urlString         string
+		httpResp          *http.Response
 		intermediateResps []*http.Response
 		finalResps        []*http.Response
 	)
@@ -671,15 +672,10 @@ func (r *requester) processChainPaginationEvents(ctx context.Context, trCtx *tra
 			}
 
 			// collect data from new urls
-			httpResp, err := rf.collectResponse(ctx, chainTrCtx, r)
+			httpResp, err = rf.collectResponse(ctx, chainTrCtx, r)
 			if err != nil {
 				return -1, fmt.Errorf("failed to collect response: %w", err)
 			}
-			defer func() {
-				if httpResp != nil && httpResp.Body != nil {
-					httpResp.Body.Close()
-				}
-			}()
 
 			// store data according to response type
 			if i == len(r.requestFactories)-1 && len(ids) != 0 {