diff --git a/auditbeat/auditbeat.reference.yml b/auditbeat/auditbeat.reference.yml
index 87e83ecf6c69..ac0d2d265186 100644
--- a/auditbeat/auditbeat.reference.yml
+++ b/auditbeat/auditbeat.reference.yml
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ output.elasticsearch:
 
   # Number of batches to be sent asynchronously to logstash while processing
   # new batches.
-  #pipelining: 5
+  #pipelining: 2
 
   # If enabled only a subset of events in a batch of events is transferred per
   # transaction.  The number of events to be sent increases up to `bulk_max_size`
diff --git a/filebeat/filebeat.reference.yml b/filebeat/filebeat.reference.yml
index 1845ba9dd032..2462f6a47748 100644
--- a/filebeat/filebeat.reference.yml
+++ b/filebeat/filebeat.reference.yml
@@ -804,7 +804,7 @@ output.elasticsearch:
 
   # Number of batches to be sent asynchronously to logstash while processing
   # new batches.
-  #pipelining: 5
+  #pipelining: 2
 
   # If enabled only a subset of events in a batch of events is transferred per
   # transaction.  The number of events to be sent increases up to `bulk_max_size`
diff --git a/heartbeat/heartbeat.reference.yml b/heartbeat/heartbeat.reference.yml
index 6a58a81a6f80..18c593aa685b 100644
--- a/heartbeat/heartbeat.reference.yml
+++ b/heartbeat/heartbeat.reference.yml
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ output.elasticsearch:
 
   # Number of batches to be sent asynchronously to logstash while processing
   # new batches.
-  #pipelining: 5
+  #pipelining: 2
 
   # If enabled only a subset of events in a batch of events is transferred per
   # transaction.  The number of events to be sent increases up to `bulk_max_size`
diff --git a/libbeat/_meta/config.reference.yml b/libbeat/_meta/config.reference.yml
index 261d398c3741..c374b34cd6dd 100644
--- a/libbeat/_meta/config.reference.yml
+++ b/libbeat/_meta/config.reference.yml
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ output.elasticsearch:
 
   # Number of batches to be sent asynchronously to logstash while processing
   # new batches.
-  #pipelining: 5
+  #pipelining: 2
 
   # If enabled only a subset of events in a batch of events is transferred per
   # transaction.  The number of events to be sent increases up to `bulk_max_size`
diff --git a/libbeat/outputs/logstash/config.go b/libbeat/outputs/logstash/config.go
index 5bb6fcc69b5f..fef7eff8e4bf 100644
--- a/libbeat/outputs/logstash/config.go
+++ b/libbeat/outputs/logstash/config.go
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ type Backoff struct {
 var defaultConfig = Config{
 	Port:             5044,
 	LoadBalance:      false,
-	Pipelining:       5,
+	Pipelining:       2,
 	BulkMaxSize:      2048,
 	SlowStart:        false,
 	CompressionLevel: 3,
diff --git a/metricbeat/metricbeat.reference.yml b/metricbeat/metricbeat.reference.yml
index 0f4bc352701e..6a6431671a1b 100644
--- a/metricbeat/metricbeat.reference.yml
+++ b/metricbeat/metricbeat.reference.yml
@@ -740,7 +740,7 @@ output.elasticsearch:
 
   # Number of batches to be sent asynchronously to logstash while processing
   # new batches.
-  #pipelining: 5
+  #pipelining: 2
 
   # If enabled only a subset of events in a batch of events is transferred per
   # transaction.  The number of events to be sent increases up to `bulk_max_size`
diff --git a/packetbeat/packetbeat.reference.yml b/packetbeat/packetbeat.reference.yml
index bf16b3e14386..fa3c3be11004 100644
--- a/packetbeat/packetbeat.reference.yml
+++ b/packetbeat/packetbeat.reference.yml
@@ -719,7 +719,7 @@ output.elasticsearch:
 
   # Number of batches to be sent asynchronously to logstash while processing
   # new batches.
-  #pipelining: 5
+  #pipelining: 2
 
   # If enabled only a subset of events in a batch of events is transferred per
   # transaction.  The number of events to be sent increases up to `bulk_max_size`
diff --git a/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.reference.yml b/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.reference.yml
index 602bf05e526a..ede0c6c9f6f9 100644
--- a/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.reference.yml
+++ b/winlogbeat/winlogbeat.reference.yml
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ output.elasticsearch:
 
   # Number of batches to be sent asynchronously to logstash while processing
   # new batches.
-  #pipelining: 5
+  #pipelining: 2
 
   # If enabled only a subset of events in a batch of events is transferred per
   # transaction.  The number of events to be sent increases up to `bulk_max_size`