diff --git a/filebeat/input/journald/config.go b/filebeat/input/journald/config.go
index 4e1c0b66da4d..e2ea723e51ac 100644
--- a/filebeat/input/journald/config.go
+++ b/filebeat/input/journald/config.go
@@ -22,20 +22,30 @@ package journald
 
 import (
 	"errors"
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/elastic/go-ucfg"
+
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/v7/filebeat/input/journald/pkg/journalfield"
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/v7/filebeat/input/journald/pkg/journalread"
+	"github.com/elastic/beats/v7/libbeat/common/cfgwarn"
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/v7/libbeat/reader/parser"
 )
 
+var (
+	// includeMatchesWarnOnce allow for a config deprecation warning to be
+	// logged only once if an old config format is detected.
+	includeMatchesWarnOnce sync.Once
+)
+
 // Config stores the options of a journald input.
 type config struct {
 	// Paths stores the paths to the journal files to be read.
 	Paths []string `config:"paths"`
 
 	// Backoff is the current interval to wait before
-	// attemting to read again from the journal.
+	// attempting to read again from the journal.
 	Backoff time.Duration `config:"backoff" validate:"min=0,nonzero"`
 
 	// MaxBackoff is the limit of the backoff time.
@@ -48,7 +58,7 @@ type config struct {
 	CursorSeekFallback journalread.SeekMode `config:"cursor_seek_fallback"`
 
 	// Matches store the key value pairs to match entries.
-	Matches journalfield.IncludeMatches `config:"include_matches"`
+	Matches bwcIncludeMatches `config:"include_matches"`
 
 	// Units stores the units to monitor.
 	Units []string `config:"units"`
@@ -66,6 +76,33 @@ type config struct {
 	Parsers parser.Config `config:",inline"`
 }
 
+// bwcIncludeMatches is a wrapper that accepts include_matches configuration
+// from 7.x to allow old config to remain compatible.
+type bwcIncludeMatches journalfield.IncludeMatches
+
+func (im *bwcIncludeMatches) Unpack(c *ucfg.Config) error {
+	// Handle 7.x config format in a backwards compatible manner. Old format:
+	// include_matches: [_SYSTEMD_UNIT=foo.service, _SYSTEMD_UNIT=bar.service]
+	if c.IsArray() {
+		var matches []journalfield.Matcher
+		if err := c.Unpack(&matches); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		for _, x := range matches {
+			im.OR = append(im.OR, journalfield.IncludeMatches{
+				Matches: []journalfield.Matcher{x},
+			})
+		}
+		includeMatchesWarnOnce.Do(func() {
+			cfgwarn.Deprecate("", "Please migrate your journald input's "+
+				"include_matches config to the new more expressive format.")
+		})
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return c.Unpack((*journalfield.IncludeMatches)(im))
+}
+
 var errInvalidSeekFallback = errors.New("invalid setting for cursor_seek_fallback")
 
 func defaultConfig() config {
diff --git a/filebeat/input/journald/config_test.go b/filebeat/input/journald/config_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..5bf3d2fc69b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/filebeat/input/journald/config_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+// 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.
+
+//go:build linux && cgo && withjournald
+// +build linux,cgo,withjournald
+
+package journald
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	"github.com/elastic/beats/v7/libbeat/common"
+)
+
+func TestConfigIncludeMatches(t *testing.T) {
+	verify := func(t *testing.T, yml string) {
+		t.Helper()
+
+		c, err := common.NewConfigWithYAML([]byte(yml), "source")
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		conf := defaultConfig()
+		require.NoError(t, c.Unpack(&conf))
+
+		assert.EqualValues(t, "_SYSTEMD_UNIT=foo.service", conf.Matches.OR[0].Matches[0].String())
+		assert.EqualValues(t, "_SYSTEMD_UNIT=bar.service", conf.Matches.OR[1].Matches[0].String())
+	}
+
+	t.Run("normal", func(t *testing.T) {
+		const yaml = `
+include_matches:
+  or:
+  - match: _SYSTEMD_UNIT=foo.service
+  - match: _SYSTEMD_UNIT=bar.service
+`
+		verify(t, yaml)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("backwards-compatible", func(t *testing.T) {
+		const yaml = `
+include_matches:
+  - _SYSTEMD_UNIT=foo.service
+  - _SYSTEMD_UNIT=bar.service
+`
+
+		verify(t, yaml)
+	})
+}
diff --git a/filebeat/input/journald/input.go b/filebeat/input/journald/input.go
index 41b6c649f90d..bf86aa59626a 100644
--- a/filebeat/input/journald/input.go
+++ b/filebeat/input/journald/input.go
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ func configure(cfg *common.Config) ([]cursor.Source, cursor.Input, error) {
 		MaxBackoff:         config.MaxBackoff,
 		Seek:               config.Seek,
 		CursorSeekFallback: config.CursorSeekFallback,
-		Matches:            config.Matches,
+		Matches:            journalfield.IncludeMatches(config.Matches),
 		Units:              config.Units,
 		Transports:         config.Transports,
 		Identifiers:        config.Identifiers,