diff --git a/salt/telegraf/config.map.jinja b/salt/telegraf/config.map.jinja
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4ac4597a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/salt/telegraf/config.map.jinja
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{% import_yaml 'telegraf/defaults.yaml' as TGDEFAULTS %}
+
+{% set TGMERGED = salt['pillar.get']('telegraf', TGDEFAULTS.telegraf, merge=True) %}
diff --git a/salt/telegraf/etc/telegraf.conf b/salt/telegraf/etc/telegraf.conf
index a2f2b7f5b..895a25d6c 100644
--- a/salt/telegraf/etc/telegraf.conf
+++ b/salt/telegraf/etc/telegraf.conf
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 # Telegraf Configuration
-{% import_yaml 'telegraf/defaults.yaml' as TGDEFAULTS %}
 {%- set MANAGER = GLOBALS.manager %}
 {%- set ES_USER = salt['pillar.get']('elasticsearch:auth:users:so_elastic_user:user', '') %}
 {%- set ES_PASS = salt['pillar.get']('elasticsearch:auth:users:so_elastic_user:pass', '') %}
@@ -7,7 +6,6 @@
 {%- set UNIQUEID = salt['pillar.get']('sensor:uniqueid', '') %}
 {%- set ZEEK_ENABLED = salt['pillar.get']('zeek:enabled', True) %}
 {%- set MDENGINE = GLOBALS.md_engine %}
-{%- set TGMERGED = salt['pillar.get']('telegraf', TGDEFAULTS.telegraf, merge=true) %}
 # Global tags can be specified here in key="value" format.
 [global_tags]
   role = "{{ GLOBALS.role.split('-') | last }}"
diff --git a/salt/telegraf/init.sls b/salt/telegraf/init.sls
index b24602639..df5e78f32 100644
--- a/salt/telegraf/init.sls
+++ b/salt/telegraf/init.sls
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {% from 'allowed_states.map.jinja' import allowed_states %}
 {% if sls in allowed_states %}
-
 {% from 'vars/globals.map.jinja' import GLOBALS %}
+{% from 'telegraf/config.map.jinja' import TGMERGED %}
 
 include:
   - ssl
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ tgrafconf:
     - show_changes: False
     - defaults:
         GLOBALS: {{ GLOBALS }}
+        TGMERGED: {{ TGMERGED }}
 
 # this file will be read by telegraf to send node details (management interface, monitor interface, etc)
 # into influx so that Grafana can build dashboards using queries