diff --git a/agent/agent_test.go b/agent/agent_test.go
index 9cc631b17c465..e3e6f28a2445e 100644
--- a/agent/agent_test.go
+++ b/agent/agent_test.go
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 package agent
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/influxdata/telegraf"
 	"github.com/influxdata/telegraf/config"
+	"github.com/influxdata/telegraf/models"
 	_ "github.com/influxdata/telegraf/plugins/inputs/all"
 	_ "github.com/influxdata/telegraf/plugins/outputs/all"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -19,6 +22,49 @@ func TestAgent_OmitHostname(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NotContains(t, c.Tags, "host")
 }
 
+type testIgnoreErrorInput struct {
+}
+
+func (i *testIgnoreErrorInput) Init() error {
+	return fmt.Errorf("could not initialize input: test error")
+}
+
+func (i *testIgnoreErrorInput) Gather(telegraf.Accumulator) error {
+	return nil
+}
+func (i *testIgnoreErrorInput) SampleConfig() string {
+	return ""
+}
+
+func TestAgent_IgnoreErrorInputs(t *testing.T) {
+	c := config.NewConfig()
+	assert.False(t, c.Agent.IgnoreErrorInputs)
+	c.Inputs = []*models.RunningInput{{}}
+	a, err := NewAgent(c)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	a.initPlugins()
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, len(c.Inputs))
+
+	c.Inputs = []*models.RunningInput{{
+		Config: &models.InputConfig{
+			Name:     "test error input",
+			Alias:    "test alias",
+			Interval: 10 * time.Second,
+		},
+		Input: &testIgnoreErrorInput{},
+	}}
+	a, err = NewAgent(c)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	err = a.initPlugins()
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, len(c.Inputs))
+	c.Agent.IgnoreErrorInputs = true
+	err = a.initPlugins()
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, len(c.Inputs))
+}
+
 func TestAgent_LoadPlugin(t *testing.T) {
 	c := config.NewConfig()
 	c.InputFilters = []string{"mysql"}
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 9f9b41e39ff6d..163f5d6fed7a0 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -421,6 +421,9 @@ var agentConfig = `
   ## Example: America/Chicago
   # log_with_timezone = ""
 
+  ## Indicated whether ignore input plugins that produce the error during the initialization.
+  # ignore_error_inputs = false
+
   ## Override default hostname, if empty use os.Hostname()
   hostname = ""
   ## If set to true, do no set the "host" tag in the telegraf agent.
diff --git a/docs/CONFIGURATION.md b/docs/CONFIGURATION.md
index 06644d12bbe56..caa0a577e7f2c 100644
--- a/docs/CONFIGURATION.md
+++ b/docs/CONFIGURATION.md
@@ -251,6 +251,11 @@ The agent table configures Telegraf and the defaults used across all plugins.
   translates by calling external programs snmptranslate and snmptable,
   or "gosmi" which translates using the built-in gosmi library.
 
+- **ignore_error_inputs**:
+  If set to true, discard the input plugins that produce the error during initialization.
+  If set to false, the program will exit when an input plugin has an error occurred during the initialization.
+  Default: false
+
 ## Plugins
 
 Telegraf plugins are divided into 4 types: [inputs][], [outputs][],
diff --git a/etc/telegraf.conf b/etc/telegraf.conf
index 11a9a16f54639..60c615174768b 100644
--- a/etc/telegraf.conf
+++ b/etc/telegraf.conf
@@ -103,6 +103,9 @@
   ## Example: America/Chicago
   # log_with_timezone = ""
 
+  ## Indicated whether ignore input plugins that produce the error during the initialization.
+  # ignore_error_inputs = false
+
   ## Override default hostname, if empty use os.Hostname()
   hostname = ""
   ## If set to true, do no set the "host" tag in the telegraf agent.
diff --git a/etc/telegraf_windows.conf b/etc/telegraf_windows.conf
index 4d19e8047a61f..1a59146a8093e 100644
--- a/etc/telegraf_windows.conf
+++ b/etc/telegraf_windows.conf
@@ -103,6 +103,9 @@
   ## Example: America/Chicago
   # log_with_timezone = ""
 
+  ## Indicated whether ignore input plugins that produce the error during the initialization.
+  # ignore_error_inputs = false
+
   ## Override default hostname, if empty use os.Hostname()
   hostname = ""
   ## If set to true, do no set the "host" tag in the telegraf agent.