diff --git a/libbeat/cmd/instance/beat.go b/libbeat/cmd/instance/beat.go
index 925246b8038b..a0d830bf0b0f 100644
--- a/libbeat/cmd/instance/beat.go
+++ b/libbeat/cmd/instance/beat.go
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/v7/libbeat/outputs/elasticsearch"
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/v7/libbeat/plugin"
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/v7/libbeat/pprof"
-	"github.com/elastic/beats/v7/libbeat/publisher"
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/v7/libbeat/publisher/pipeline"
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/v7/libbeat/publisher/processing"
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/v7/libbeat/publisher/queue/diskqueue"
@@ -840,10 +839,6 @@ func (b *Beat) configure(settings Settings) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	err = checkAgentDiskQueue(&b.Config)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
 
 	if err := b.Manager.CheckRawConfig(b.RawConfig); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -1508,31 +1503,24 @@ func promoteOutputQueueSettings(bc *beatConfig) error {
 
 func (bc *beatConfig) Validate() error {
 	if bc.Output.IsSet() && bc.Output.Config().Enabled() {
-		pc := pipeline.Config{}
-		err := bc.Output.Config().Unpack(&pc)
+		outputPC := pipeline.Config{}
+		err := bc.Output.Config().Unpack(&outputPC)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("error unpacking output queue settings: %w", err)
 		}
-		if bc.Pipeline.Queue.IsSet() && pc.Queue.IsSet() {
+		if bc.Pipeline.Queue.IsSet() && outputPC.Queue.IsSet() {
 			return fmt.Errorf("top level queue and output level queue settings defined, only one is allowed")
 		}
+		//elastic-agent doesn't support disk queue yet
+		if bc.Management.Enabled() && outputPC.Queue.Config().Enabled() && outputPC.Queue.Name() == diskqueue.QueueType {
+			return fmt.Errorf("disk queue is not supported when management is enabled")
+		}
 	}
-	return nil
-}
 
-// checkAgentDiskQueue should be run after management.NewManager() so
-// that publisher.UnderAgent will be set with correct value
-func checkAgentDiskQueue(bc *beatConfig) error {
-	//restriction is only if under agent
-	if !publisher.UnderAgent() {
-		return nil
-	}
-	//default queue settings are always allowed
-	if !bc.Pipeline.Queue.IsSet() {
-		return nil
-	}
-	if bc.Pipeline.Queue.Config().Enabled() && bc.Pipeline.Queue.Name() == diskqueue.QueueType {
-		return fmt.Errorf("disk queue is not supported under elastic-agent")
+	//elastic-agent doesn't support disk queue yet
+	if bc.Management.Enabled() && bc.Pipeline.Queue.Config().Enabled() && bc.Pipeline.Queue.Name() == diskqueue.QueueType {
+		return fmt.Errorf("disk queue is not supported when management is enabled")
 	}
+
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/libbeat/cmd/instance/beat_test.go b/libbeat/cmd/instance/beat_test.go
index 4c8443dfb72b..6f94d8fd62d2 100644
--- a/libbeat/cmd/instance/beat_test.go
+++ b/libbeat/cmd/instance/beat_test.go
@@ -310,6 +310,46 @@ output:
         events: 8096
 `),
 			memEvents: 8096},
+	}
+	for name, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			cfg, err := yaml.NewConfig(tc.input)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+
+			config := beatConfig{}
+			err = cfg.Unpack(&config)
+			if tc.expectValidationError {
+				require.Error(t, err)
+				return
+			}
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+
+			err = promoteOutputQueueSettings(&config)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+
+			ms, err := memqueue.SettingsForUserConfig(config.Pipeline.Queue.Config())
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.Equalf(t, tc.memEvents, ms.Events, "config was: %v", config.Pipeline.Queue.Config())
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestValidateBeatConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := map[string]struct {
+		input                 []byte
+		expectValidationError string
+	}{
+		"blank": {input: []byte(""),
+			expectValidationError: "",
+		},
+		"defaults": {input: []byte(`
+name: mockbeat
+output:
+  elasticsearch:
+    hosts:
+      - "localhost:9200"
+`),
+			expectValidationError: ""},
 		"topAndOutputLevelQueue": {input: []byte(`
 name: mockbeat
 queue:
@@ -323,27 +363,59 @@ output:
       mem:
         events: 8096
 `),
-			expectValidationError: true},
+			expectValidationError: "top level queue and output level queue settings defined, only one is allowed accessing config"},
+		"managementTopLevelDiskQueue": {input: []byte(`
+name: mockbeat
+management:
+  enabled: true
+queue:
+  disk:
+    max_size: 1G
+output:
+  elasticsearch:
+    hosts:
+      - "localhost:9200"
+`),
+			expectValidationError: "disk queue is not supported when management is enabled accessing config"},
+		"managementOutputLevelDiskQueue": {input: []byte(`
+name: mockbeat
+management:
+  enabled: true
+output:
+  elasticsearch:
+    hosts:
+      - "localhost:9200"
+    queue:
+      disk:
+        max_size: 1G
+`),
+			expectValidationError: "disk queue is not supported when management is enabled accessing config"},
+		"managementFalseOutputLevelDiskQueue": {input: []byte(`
+name: mockbeat
+management:
+  enabled: false
+output:
+  elasticsearch:
+    hosts:
+      - "localhost:9200"
+    queue:
+      disk:
+        max_size: 1G
+`),
+			expectValidationError: ""},
 	}
 	for name, tc := range tests {
 		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			cfg, err := yaml.NewConfig(tc.input)
 			require.NoError(t, err)
-
 			config := beatConfig{}
 			err = cfg.Unpack(&config)
-			if tc.expectValidationError {
+			if tc.expectValidationError != "" {
 				require.Error(t, err)
-				return
+				require.Equal(t, tc.expectValidationError, err.Error())
+			} else {
+				require.NoError(t, err)
 			}
-			require.NoError(t, err)
-
-			err = promoteOutputQueueSettings(&config)
-			require.NoError(t, err)
-
-			ms, err := memqueue.SettingsForUserConfig(config.Pipeline.Queue.Config())
-			require.NoError(t, err)
-			require.Equalf(t, tc.memEvents, ms.Events, "config was: %v", config.Pipeline.Queue.Config())
 		})
 	}
 }