diff --git a/.changelog/17571.txt b/.changelog/17571.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..af769263bcc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/17571.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:enhancement
+resource/aws_msk_configuration: `kafka_versions` argument is optional
+```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/aws/resource_aws_msk_configuration.go b/aws/resource_aws_msk_configuration.go
index 345aa0eed1a..1fcc3fd2837 100644
--- a/aws/resource_aws_msk_configuration.go
+++ b/aws/resource_aws_msk_configuration.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ func resourceAwsMskConfiguration() *schema.Resource {
 			},
 			"kafka_versions": {
 				Type:     schema.TypeSet,
-				Required: true,
+				Optional: true,
 				ForceNew: true,
 				Elem: &schema.Schema{
 					Type: schema.TypeString,
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ func resourceAwsMskConfigurationCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{})
 	conn := meta.(*AWSClient).kafkaconn
 
 	input := &kafka.CreateConfigurationInput{
-		KafkaVersions:    expandStringSet(d.Get("kafka_versions").(*schema.Set)),
 		Name:             aws.String(d.Get("name").(string)),
 		ServerProperties: []byte(d.Get("server_properties").(string)),
 	}
@@ -68,6 +67,10 @@ func resourceAwsMskConfigurationCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{})
 		input.Description = aws.String(v.(string))
 	}
 
+	if v, ok := d.GetOk("kafka_versions"); ok && v.(*schema.Set).Len() > 0 {
+		input.KafkaVersions = expandStringSet(v.(*schema.Set))
+	}
+
 	output, err := conn.CreateConfiguration(input)
 
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/aws/resource_aws_msk_configuration_test.go b/aws/resource_aws_msk_configuration_test.go
index 398af256ee7..c3194e161e1 100644
--- a/aws/resource_aws_msk_configuration_test.go
+++ b/aws/resource_aws_msk_configuration_test.go
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func TestAccAWSMskConfiguration_basic(t *testing.T) {
 					testAccCheckMskConfigurationExists(resourceName, &configuration1),
 					testAccMatchResourceAttrRegionalARN(resourceName, "arn", "kafka", regexp.MustCompile(`configuration/.+`)),
 					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(resourceName, "description", ""),
-					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(resourceName, "kafka_versions.#", "1"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(resourceName, "kafka_versions.#", "0"),
 					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(resourceName, "latest_revision", "1"),
 					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(resourceName, "name", rName),
 					resource.TestMatchResourceAttr(resourceName, "server_properties", regexp.MustCompile(`auto.create.topics.enable = true`)),
@@ -177,6 +177,8 @@ func TestAccAWSMskConfiguration_KafkaVersions(t *testing.T) {
 				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
 					testAccCheckMskConfigurationExists(resourceName, &configuration1),
 					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(resourceName, "kafka_versions.#", "2"),
+					resource.TestCheckTypeSetElemAttr(resourceName, "kafka_versions.*", "2.6.0"),
+					resource.TestCheckTypeSetElemAttr(resourceName, "kafka_versions.*", "2.7.0"),
 				),
 			},
 			{
@@ -286,8 +288,7 @@ func testAccCheckMskConfigurationExists(resourceName string, configuration *kafk
 func testAccMskConfigurationConfig(rName string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf(`
 resource "aws_msk_configuration" "test" {
-  kafka_versions = ["2.1.0"]
-  name           = %[1]q
+  name = %[1]q
 
   server_properties = <<PROPERTIES
 auto.create.topics.enable = true
@@ -300,9 +301,8 @@ PROPERTIES
 func testAccMskConfigurationConfigDescription(rName, description string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf(`
 resource "aws_msk_configuration" "test" {
-  description    = %[2]q
-  kafka_versions = ["2.1.0"]
-  name           = %[1]q
+  description = %[2]q
+  name        = %[1]q
 
   server_properties = <<PROPERTIES
 auto.create.topics.enable = true
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ PROPERTIES
 func testAccMskConfigurationConfigKafkaVersions(rName string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf(`
 resource "aws_msk_configuration" "test" {
-  kafka_versions = ["1.1.1", "2.1.0"]
+  kafka_versions = ["2.6.0", "2.7.0"]
   name           = %[1]q
 
   server_properties = <<PROPERTIES
@@ -327,8 +327,7 @@ PROPERTIES
 func testAccMskConfigurationConfigServerProperties(rName string, serverProperty string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf(`
 resource "aws_msk_configuration" "test" {
-  kafka_versions = ["2.1.0"]
-  name           = %[1]q
+  name = %[1]q
 
   server_properties = <<PROPERTIES
 %[2]s