diff --git a/CHANGELOG.next.asciidoc b/CHANGELOG.next.asciidoc
index c2df0a87786..81428620b9f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.next.asciidoc
+++ b/CHANGELOG.next.asciidoc
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ https://github.com/elastic/beats/compare/v7.0.0-alpha2...master[Check the HEAD d
 - Fix aws.s3.bucket.name terms_field in s3 overview dashboard. {pull}17542[17542]
 - Fix Unix socket path in memcached. {pull}17512[17512]
 - Fix vsphere VM dashboard host aggregation visualizations. {pull}17555[17555]
+- Metricbeat no longer needs to be started strictly after Logstash for `logstash-xpack` module to report correct data. {issue}17261[17261] {pull}17497[17497]
 
 *Packetbeat*
 
diff --git a/metricbeat/module/logstash/_meta/Dockerfile b/metricbeat/module/logstash/_meta/Dockerfile
index f363b845de9..bef3323664c 100644
--- a/metricbeat/module/logstash/_meta/Dockerfile
+++ b/metricbeat/module/logstash/_meta/Dockerfile
@@ -2,5 +2,7 @@ ARG LOGSTASH_VERSION
 FROM docker.elastic.co/logstash/logstash:${LOGSTASH_VERSION}
 
 COPY healthcheck.sh /
+COPY pipeline/logstash.conf /usr/share/logstash/pipeline/logstash.conf
+
 ENV XPACK_MONITORING_ENABLED=FALSE
 HEALTHCHECK --interval=1s --retries=300 CMD sh /healthcheck.sh
diff --git a/metricbeat/module/logstash/_meta/pipeline/logstash.conf b/metricbeat/module/logstash/_meta/pipeline/logstash.conf
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b1015fd0f27
--- /dev/null
+++ b/metricbeat/module/logstash/_meta/pipeline/logstash.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+input {
+  beats {
+    port => 5044
+  }
+}
+
+output {
+  elasticsearch {
+      hosts => ["${ES_HOST:elasticsearch}:${ES_PORT:9200}"]
+  }
+}
diff --git a/metricbeat/module/logstash/docker-compose.yml b/metricbeat/module/logstash/docker-compose.yml
index 40abaad93e9..ab3284bfa16 100644
--- a/metricbeat/module/logstash/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/metricbeat/module/logstash/docker-compose.yml
@@ -9,3 +9,18 @@ services:
         LOGSTASH_VERSION: ${LOGSTASH_VERSION:-7.5.2}
     ports:
       - 9600
+    depends_on:
+      - elasticsearch
+
+  elasticsearch:
+    image: docker.elastic.co/integrations-ci/beats-elasticsearch:${ELASTICSEARCH_VERSION:-7.5.2}-1
+    build:
+      context: ../elasticsearch/_meta
+      args:
+        ELASTICSEARCH_VERSION: ${ELASTICSEARCH_VERSION:-7.5.2}
+    environment:
+      - "network.host="
+      - "transport.host=127.0.0.1"
+      - "http.host=0.0.0.0"
+    ports:
+      - 9200
diff --git a/metricbeat/module/logstash/logstash_integration_test.go b/metricbeat/module/logstash/logstash_integration_test.go
index 30dca909a1e..ffaed41a4e6 100644
--- a/metricbeat/module/logstash/logstash_integration_test.go
+++ b/metricbeat/module/logstash/logstash_integration_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@
 package logstash_test
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"net/http"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
@@ -68,15 +71,17 @@ func TestData(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestXPackEnabled(t *testing.T) {
-	service := compose.EnsureUpWithTimeout(t, 300, "logstash")
+	lsService := compose.EnsureUpWithTimeout(t, 300, "logstash")
+	esService := compose.EnsureUpWithTimeout(t, 300, "elasticsearch")
+
+	clusterUUID := getESClusterUUID(t, esService.Host())
 
 	metricSetToTypeMap := map[string]string{
 		"node":       "logstash_state",
 		"node_stats": "logstash_stats",
 	}
 
-	config := getXPackConfig(service.Host())
-
+	config := getXPackConfig(lsService.Host())
 	metricSets := mbtest.NewReportingMetricSetV2Errors(t, config)
 	for _, metricSet := range metricSets {
 		events, errs := mbtest.ReportingFetchV2Error(metricSet)
@@ -85,6 +90,7 @@ func TestXPackEnabled(t *testing.T) {
 
 		event := events[0]
 		require.Equal(t, metricSetToTypeMap[metricSet.Name()], event.RootFields["type"])
+		require.Equal(t, clusterUUID, event.RootFields["cluster_uuid"])
 		require.Regexp(t, `^.monitoring-logstash-\d-mb`, event.Index)
 	}
 }
@@ -105,3 +111,19 @@ func getXPackConfig(host string) map[string]interface{} {
 		"xpack.enabled": true,
 	}
 }
+
+func getESClusterUUID(t *testing.T, host string) string {
+	resp, err := http.Get("http://" + host + "/")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+
+	var body struct {
+		ClusterUUID string `json:"cluster_uuid"`
+	}
+
+	data, err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	json.Unmarshal(data, &body)
+
+	return body.ClusterUUID
+}
diff --git a/metricbeat/module/logstash/node_stats/node_stats.go b/metricbeat/module/logstash/node_stats/node_stats.go
index 29a5a7d59c3..5b2c37e5eeb 100644
--- a/metricbeat/module/logstash/node_stats/node_stats.go
+++ b/metricbeat/module/logstash/node_stats/node_stats.go
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 package node_stats
 
 import (
-	"sync"
+	"net/url"
 
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/v7/metricbeat/mb"
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/v7/metricbeat/mb/parse"
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ var (
 // MetricSet type defines all fields of the MetricSet
 type MetricSet struct {
 	*logstash.MetricSet
-	initialized sync.Once
 }
 
 // New create a new instance of the MetricSet
@@ -69,11 +68,7 @@ func New(base mb.BaseMetricSet) (mb.MetricSet, error) {
 // It returns the event which is then forward to the output. In case of an error, a
 // descriptive error must be returned.
 func (m *MetricSet) Fetch(r mb.ReporterV2) error {
-	var err error
-	m.initialized.Do(func() {
-		err = m.init()
-	})
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := m.updateServiceURI(); err != nil {
 		if m.XPack {
 			m.Logger().Error(err)
 			return nil
@@ -102,15 +97,37 @@ func (m *MetricSet) Fetch(r mb.ReporterV2) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (m *MetricSet) init() error {
-	if m.XPack {
-		err := m.CheckPipelineGraphAPIsAvailable()
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		m.HTTP.SetURI(m.HTTP.GetURI() + "?vertices=true")
+func (m *MetricSet) updateServiceURI() error {
+	u, err := getServiceURI(m.GetURI(), m.XPack, m.CheckPipelineGraphAPIsAvailable)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
+	m.HTTP.SetURI(u)
 	return nil
+
+}
+
+func getServiceURI(currURI string, xpackEnabled bool, graphAPIsAvailable func() error) (string, error) {
+	if !xpackEnabled {
+		// No need to request pipeline vertices from service API
+		return currURI, nil
+	}
+
+	if err := graphAPIsAvailable(); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	u, err := url.Parse(currURI)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	q := u.Query()
+	if q.Get("vertices") == "" {
+		q.Set("vertices", "true")
+	}
+
+	u.RawQuery = q.Encode()
+	return u.String(), nil
 }
diff --git a/metricbeat/module/logstash/node_stats/node_stats_test.go b/metricbeat/module/logstash/node_stats/node_stats_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8c11ecdde3d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/metricbeat/module/logstash/node_stats/node_stats_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+// Licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one or more contributor
+// license agreements. See the NOTICE file distributed with
+// this work for additional information regarding copyright
+// ownership. Elasticsearch B.V. licenses this file to you under
+// the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+// not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
+// software distributed under the License is distributed on an
+// "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
+// KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
+// specific language governing permissions and limitations
+// under the License.
+
+package node_stats
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+	"testing/quick"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestGetServiceURI(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := map[string]struct {
+		currURI            string
+		xpackEnabled       bool
+		graphAPIsAvailable func() error
+		expectedURI        string
+		errExpected        bool
+	}{
+		"xpack_disabled": {
+			currURI:            "/_node/stats",
+			xpackEnabled:       false,
+			graphAPIsAvailable: func() error { return nil },
+			expectedURI:        "/_node/stats",
+			errExpected:        false,
+		},
+		"apis_unavailable": {
+			currURI:            "/_node/stats",
+			xpackEnabled:       true,
+			graphAPIsAvailable: func() error { return errors.New("test") },
+			expectedURI:        "",
+			errExpected:        true,
+		},
+		"with_pipeline_vertices": {
+			currURI:            "_node/stats",
+			xpackEnabled:       true,
+			graphAPIsAvailable: func() error { return nil },
+			expectedURI:        "/_node/stats?vertices=true",
+			errExpected:        false,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for name, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			newURI, err := getServiceURI(nodeStatsPath, test.xpackEnabled, test.graphAPIsAvailable)
+			if test.errExpected {
+				require.Equal(t, "", newURI)
+			} else {
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+				require.Equal(t, test.expectedURI, newURI)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// See https://github.com/elastic/beats/issues/15974
+func TestGetServiceURIMultipleCalls(t *testing.T) {
+	err := quick.Check(func(r uint) bool {
+		var err error
+		uri := "_node/stats"
+
+		numCalls := 2 + (r % 10) // between 2 and 11
+		for i := uint(0); i < numCalls; i++ {
+			uri, err = getServiceURI(uri, true, func() error { return nil })
+			if err != nil {
+				return false
+			}
+		}
+
+		return err == nil && uri == "_node/stats?vertices=true"
+	}, nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+}
diff --git a/testing/environments/local.yml b/testing/environments/local.yml
index 592ff2d0ab8..7d588a82987 100644
--- a/testing/environments/local.yml
+++ b/testing/environments/local.yml
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ services:
     ports:
       - "127.0.0.1:5044:5044"
       - "127.0.0.1:5055:5055"
+      - "127.0.0.1:9600:9600"
     depends_on:
       elasticsearch:
         condition: service_healthy