diff --git a/libbeat/setup/kibana/client.go b/libbeat/setup/kibana/client.go
index 07baa9efe5a..d25a775bcd7 100644
--- a/libbeat/setup/kibana/client.go
+++ b/libbeat/setup/kibana/client.go
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import (
 	"net/url"
 	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/common"
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/logp"
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/outputs"
@@ -38,6 +40,25 @@ func addToURL(_url, _path string, params url.Values) string {
 	return strings.Join([]string{_url, _path, "?", params.Encode()}, "")
 }
 
+func extractError(result []byte) error {
+	var kibanaResult struct {
+		Objects []struct {
+			Error struct {
+				Message string
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(result, &kibanaResult); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "parsing kibana response")
+	}
+	for _, o := range kibanaResult.Objects {
+		if o.Error.Message != "" {
+			return errors.New(kibanaResult.Objects[0].Error.Message)
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func NewKibanaClient(cfg *common.Config) (*Client, error) {
 	config := defaultKibanaConfig
 	if err := cfg.Unpack(&config); err != nil {
@@ -140,6 +161,7 @@ func (conn *Connection) Request(method, extraPath string,
 		return 0, nil, fmt.Errorf("fail to read response %s", err)
 	}
 
+	retError = extractError(result)
 	return resp.StatusCode, result, retError
 }
 
diff --git a/libbeat/setup/kibana/client_test.go b/libbeat/setup/kibana/client_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5a33ee18acc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libbeat/setup/kibana/client_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+package kibana
+
+import (
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"net/url"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestErrorJson(t *testing.T) {
+	// also common 200: {"objects":[{"id":"apm-*","type":"index-pattern","error":{"message":"[doc][index-pattern:test-*]: version conflict, document already exists (current version [1])"}}]}
+	kibanaTs := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		w.Write([]byte(`{"objects":[{"id":"test-*","type":"index-pattern","error":{"message":"action [indices:data/write/bulk[s]] is unauthorized for user [test]"}}]}`))
+	}))
+	defer kibanaTs.Close()
+
+	conn := Connection{
+		URL:  kibanaTs.URL,
+		http: http.DefaultClient,
+	}
+	code, _, err := conn.Request(http.MethodPost, "", url.Values{}, nil)
+	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, code)
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestErrorBadJson(t *testing.T) {
+	kibanaTs := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		w.Write([]byte(`{`))
+	}))
+	defer kibanaTs.Close()
+
+	conn := Connection{
+		URL:  kibanaTs.URL,
+		http: http.DefaultClient,
+	}
+	code, _, err := conn.Request(http.MethodPost, "", url.Values{}, nil)
+	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, code)
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestSuccess(t *testing.T) {
+	kibanaTs := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		w.Write([]byte(`{"objects":[{"id":"test-*","type":"index-pattern","updated_at":"2018-01-24T19:04:13.371Z","version":1}]}`))
+	}))
+	defer kibanaTs.Close()
+
+	conn := Connection{
+		URL:  kibanaTs.URL,
+		http: http.DefaultClient,
+	}
+	code, _, err := conn.Request(http.MethodPost, "", url.Values{}, nil)
+	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, code)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+}