diff --git a/salt/kafka/config.map.jinja b/salt/kafka/config.map.jinja
index 8f116c02e..c9f3e79e2 100644
--- a/salt/kafka/config.map.jinja
+++ b/salt/kafka/config.map.jinja
@@ -7,13 +7,24 @@
 
 {% set KAFKA_NODES_PILLAR = salt['pillar.get']('kafka:nodes') %}
 
+{% set KAFKA_CONTROLLERS_PILLAR = salt['pillar.get']('kafka:kafka_controllers', default=None) %}
+
 {# Create list of KRaft controllers #}
 {% set controllers = [] %}
-{% for node, values in KAFKA_NODES_PILLAR.items() %}
-{%   if 'controller' in values['role'] %}
-{%     do controllers.append(values.nodeid ~ "@" ~ node ~ ":9093") %}
-{%   endif %}
-{% endfor %}
+
+{% if KAFKA_CONTROLLERS_PILLAR != none %}
+{%   for node in KAFKA_CONTROLLERS_PILLAR %}
+{#    Check that the user input for kafka_controllers pillar exists as a kafka:node value #}
+{%     if node in KAFKA_NODES_PILLAR %}
+{%       do controllers.append(KAFKA_NODES_PILLAR[node]['nodeid'] ~ '@' ~ node ~ ':9093') %}
+{%     endif %}
+{%   endfor %}
+{% endif %}
+{# Ensure in the event that the SOC controllers pillar has a single hostname and that hostname doesn't exist in kafka:nodes
+   that a controller is still set for the Kafka cluster. Defaulting to the grid manager #}
+{% if controllers | length < 1 %}
+{%   do controllers.append(KAFKA_NODES_PILLAR[GLOBALS.manager]['nodeid'] ~ "@" ~ GLOBALS.manager ~ ":9093") %}
+{% endif %}
 
 {% set kafka_controller_quorum_voters = ','.join(controllers) %}
 
@@ -44,17 +55,12 @@
 {%   do KAFKAMERGED.config.broker.update({'process_x_roles': 'broker,controller' }) %}
 
 {%   do KAFKAMERGED.config.broker.update({
-       'listeners':
-       KAFKAMERGED.config.broker.listeners
-       + ','
-       + KAFKAMERGED.config.controller.listeners })
+       'listeners': KAFKAMERGED.config.broker.listeners + ',' + KAFKAMERGED.config.controller.listeners })
   %}
 
 {%   do KAFKAMERGED.config.broker.update({
-       'listener_x_security_x_protocol_x_map':
-        KAFKAMERGED.config.broker.listener_x_security_x_protocol_x_map
-        + ','
-        + KAFKAMERGED.config.controller.listener_x_security_x_protocol_x_map })
+       'listener_x_security_x_protocol_x_map': KAFKAMERGED.config.broker.listener_x_security_x_protocol_x_map
+        + ',' + KAFKAMERGED.config.controller.listener_x_security_x_protocol_x_map })
   %}
 
 {% endif %}
diff --git a/salt/kafka/enabled.sls b/salt/kafka/enabled.sls
index ec2dc8e46..78e0d87d9 100644
--- a/salt/kafka/enabled.sls
+++ b/salt/kafka/enabled.sls
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 {% set KAFKANODES = salt['pillar.get']('kafka:nodes') %}
 
 include:
-  - kafka.controllers
   - elasticsearch.ca
   - kafka.sostatus
   - kafka.config
diff --git a/salt/kafka/nodes.map.jinja b/salt/kafka/nodes.map.jinja
index 36f789259..9b4979e92 100644
--- a/salt/kafka/nodes.map.jinja
+++ b/salt/kafka/nodes.map.jinja
@@ -1,12 +1,27 @@
-{% set current_kafkanodes = salt.saltutil.runner('mine.get', tgt='G@role:so-manager or G@role:so-managersearch or G@role:so-standalone or G@role:so-receiver', fun='network.ip_addrs', tgt_type='compound') %}
-{% set STORED_KAFKANODES = salt['pillar.get']('kafka', {}) %}
+{# 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 
+   https://securityonion.net/license; you may not use this file except in compliance with the
+   Elastic License 2.0. #}
+
+{# USED TO GENERATE PILLAR/KAFKA/NODES.SLS. #}
+{% import_yaml 'kafka/defaults.yaml' as KAFKADEFAULTS %}
+{% from 'vars/globals.map.jinja' import GLOBALS %}
+
+{% set process_x_roles = KAFKADEFAULTS.kafka.config.broker.process_x_roles %}
+
+{% set current_kafkanodes = salt.saltutil.runner(
+        'mine.get',
+         tgt='G@role:so-manager or G@role:so-managersearch or G@role:so-standalone or G@role:so-receiver',
+         fun='network.ip_addrs',
+         tgt_type='compound') %}
+
+{% set STORED_KAFKANODES = salt['pillar.get']('kafka:nodes', default=None) %}
 
 {% set existing_ids = [] %}
 
 {# Check STORED_KAFKANODES for existing kafka nodes and pull their IDs so they are not reused across the grid #}
-{# {% if STORED_KAFKANODES.get('nodes', {}).items() | length > 0 %} #}
 {% if STORED_KAFKANODES != none %}
-{%   for node, values in STORED_KAFKANODES.nodes.items() %}
+{%   for node, values in STORED_KAFKANODES.items() %}
 {%     if values.get('nodeid') %}
 {%       do existing_ids.append(values['nodeid']) %}
 {%     endif %}
@@ -16,7 +31,6 @@
 {# Create list of possible node ids #}
 {% set all_possible_ids = range(1, 65536)|list %}
 
-{# Don't like the below loop because the higher the range for all_possible_ids the more time spent on loop #}
 {# Create list of available node ids by looping through all_possible_ids and ensuring it isn't in existing_ids #}
 {% set available_ids = [] %}
 {% for id in all_possible_ids %}
@@ -29,14 +43,17 @@
 {% set NEW_KAFKANODES = {} %}
 {% for minionid, ip in current_kafkanodes.items() %}
 {%   set hostname = minionid.split('_')[0] %}
-{# {%   if STORED_KAFKANODES.get('nodes', {}).items() | length > 0 and hostname not in STORED_KAFKANODES.nodes %} #}
-{%   if STORED_KAFKANODES != none and hostname not in STORED_KAFKANODES.nodes %}
-{%     set new_id = available_ids.pop(0) %}
-{%     do NEW_KAFKANODES.update({hostname: {'nodeid': new_id, 'ip': ip[0]}}) %}
+{# Override the default process_x_roles for manager and set to 'broker,controller'. Changes from SOC UI will overwrite this #}
+{%   if hostname == GLOBALS.manager %}
+{%     set process_x_roles = 'broker,controller' %}
 {%   endif %}
-{%   if hostname not in NEW_KAFKANODES %}
+{%   if STORED_KAFKANODES != none and hostname not in STORED_KAFKANODES.items() %}
 {%     set new_id = available_ids.pop(0) %}
-{%     do NEW_KAFKANODES.update({hostname: {'nodeid': new_id, 'ip': ip[0]}}) %}
+{%     do NEW_KAFKANODES.update({hostname: {'nodeid': new_id, 'ip': ip[0], 'role': process_x_roles }}) %}
+{%   endif %}
+{%   if hostname not in NEW_KAFKANODES.items() %}
+{%     set new_id = available_ids.pop(0) %}
+{%     do NEW_KAFKANODES.update({hostname: {'nodeid': new_id, 'ip': ip[0], 'role': process_x_roles }}) %}
 {%   endif %}
 {% endfor %}
 
@@ -45,9 +62,8 @@
 {% for node, details in NEW_KAFKANODES.items() %}
 {%   do COMBINED_KAFKANODES.update({node: details}) %}
 {% endfor %}
-{# {% if STORED_KAFKANODES.get('nodes', {}).items() | length > 0 %} #}
 {% if STORED_KAFKANODES != none %}
-{%  for node, details in STORED_KAFKANODES.nodes.items() %}
+{%  for node, details in STORED_KAFKANODES.items() %}
 {%    do COMBINED_KAFKANODES.update({node: details}) %}
 {%  endfor %}
 {% endif %}