diff --git a/salt/elasticfleet/tools/sbin_jinja/so-elastic-fleet-outputs-update b/salt/elasticfleet/tools/sbin_jinja/so-elastic-fleet-outputs-update
index 064d49d23..b5d6e1bfe 100644
--- a/salt/elasticfleet/tools/sbin_jinja/so-elastic-fleet-outputs-update
+++ b/salt/elasticfleet/tools/sbin_jinja/so-elastic-fleet-outputs-update
@@ -131,9 +131,10 @@ if [ "$NEW_HASH" = "$CURRENT_HASH" ]; then
     # Since output can be KAFKA or LOGSTASH, we need to check if the policy set as default matches the value set in GLOBALS.pipeline and update if needed
     printf "Checking if the correct output policy is set as default\n"
     OUTPUT_DEFAULT=$(jq -r '.item.is_default' <<< $RAW_JSON)
-    if [ "$OUTPUT_DEFAULT" = "false" ]; then
+    OUTPUT_DEFAULT_MONITORING=$(jq -r '.item.is_default_monitoring' <<< $RAW_JSON)
+    if [[ "$OUTPUT_DEFAULT" = "false" || "$OUTPUT_DEFAULT_MONITORING" = "false" ]]; then
       printf "Default output policy needs to be updated.\n"
-    {%- if GLOBALS.pipeline == "KAFKA" %}
+    {%- if GLOBALS.pipeline == "KAFKA" and 'gmd' in salt['pillar.get']('features', []) %}
       update_kafka_outputs
     {%- else %}
       update_logstash_outputs
@@ -145,7 +146,7 @@ if [ "$NEW_HASH" = "$CURRENT_HASH" ]; then
 else
     printf "\nHashes don't match - update needed.\n"
     printf "Current List: $CURRENT_LIST\nNew List: $NEW_LIST_JSON\n"
-    {%- if GLOBALS.pipeline == "KAFKA" %}
+    {%- if GLOBALS.pipeline == "KAFKA" and 'gmd' in salt['pillar.get']('features', []) %}
     update_kafka_outputs
     {%- else %}
     update_logstash_outputs
diff --git a/salt/kafka/disabled.sls b/salt/kafka/disabled.sls
index 6658f0c5e..0027fbfb9 100644
--- a/salt/kafka/disabled.sls
+++ b/salt/kafka/disabled.sls
@@ -14,3 +14,11 @@ so-kafka_so-status.disabled:
   file.comment:
     - name: /opt/so/conf/so-status/so-status.conf
     - regex: ^so-kafka$
+
+{% if grains.role in ['so-manager','so-managersearch','so-standalone'] %}
+ensure_default_pipeline:
+  cmd.run:
+    - name: |
+        /usr/sbin/so-yaml.py replace /opt/so/saltstack/local/pillar/kafka/soc_kafka.sls kafka.enabled False;
+        /usr/sbin/so-yaml.py replace /opt/so/saltstack/local/pillar/global/soc_global.sls global.pipeline REDIS
+{% endif %}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/salt/kafka/elasticfleet.sls b/salt/kafka/elasticfleet.sls
index a91df765b..ae8899821 100644
--- a/salt/kafka/elasticfleet.sls
+++ b/salt/kafka/elasticfleet.sls
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 # Elastic License 2.0.
 
 {%   from 'vars/globals.map.jinja' import GLOBALS %}
+include:
+  - elasticfleet.enabled
 
 {# Create Kafka output policy if it doesn't exist #}
 update_kafka_output_policy_script:
diff --git a/salt/kafka/enabled.sls b/salt/kafka/enabled.sls
index 833cc7f3c..e90a314d2 100644
--- a/salt/kafka/enabled.sls
+++ b/salt/kafka/enabled.sls
@@ -2,12 +2,19 @@
 # or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License 2.0 as shown at
 # https://securityonion.net/license; you may not use this file except in compliance with the
 # Elastic License 2.0.
+#
+# Note: Per the Elastic License 2.0, the second limitation states:
+#
+#   "You may not move, change, disable, or circumvent the license key functionality
+#    in the software, and you may not remove or obscure any functionality in the
+#    software that is protected by the license key."
 
 {% from 'allowed_states.map.jinja' import allowed_states %}
 {% if sls.split('.')[0] in allowed_states %}
 {%   from 'vars/globals.map.jinja' import GLOBALS %}
 {%   from 'docker/docker.map.jinja' import DOCKER %}
-{% set KAFKANODES = salt['pillar.get']('kafka:nodes') %}
+{%   set KAFKANODES = salt['pillar.get']('kafka:nodes') %}
+{%   if 'gmd' in salt['pillar.get']('features', []) %}
 
 include:
   - elasticsearch.ca
@@ -59,6 +66,19 @@ delete_so-kafka_so-status.disabled:
     - name: /opt/so/conf/so-status/so-status.conf
     - regex: ^so-kafka$
 
+{%   else %}
+
+{{sls}}_no_license_detected:
+  test.fail_without_changes:
+    - name: {{sls}}_no_license_detected
+    - comment:
+      - "Kafka for Guaranteed Message Delivery is a feature supported only for customers with a valid license.
+      Contact Security Onion Solutions, LLC via our website at https://securityonionsolutions.com
+      for more information about purchasing a license to enable this feature."
+include:
+  - kafka.disabled
+{%   endif %}
+
 {% else %}
 
 {{sls}}_state_not_allowed:
diff --git a/salt/kafka/init.sls b/salt/kafka/init.sls
index 67b66c45d..49707033e 100644
--- a/salt/kafka/init.sls
+++ b/salt/kafka/init.sls
@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
 # Copyright Security Onion Solutions LLC and/or licensed to Security Onion Solutions LLC under one
-# or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License 2.0 as shown at 
+# or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License 2.0 as shown at
 # https://securityonion.net/license; you may not use this file except in compliance with the
 # Elastic License 2.0.
+#
+# Note: Per the Elastic License 2.0, the second limitation states:
+#
+#   "You may not move, change, disable, or circumvent the license key functionality
+#    in the software, and you may not remove or obscure any functionality in the
+#    software that is protected by the license key."
 
 {% from 'kafka/map.jinja' import KAFKAMERGED %}
 {% from 'vars/globals.map.jinja' import GLOBALS %}