diff --git a/plugins/out_es/es.c b/plugins/out_es/es.c
index 552bdb34ac7..42a4b9ebd1a 100644
--- a/plugins/out_es/es.c
+++ b/plugins/out_es/es.c
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ static int elasticsearch_format(struct flb_config *config,
     size_t off = 0;
     size_t off_prev = 0;
     char *es_index;
-    char target_index_value[256];
+    char index_value[256];
     char logstash_index[256];
     char time_formatted[256];
     char index_formatted[256];
@@ -351,14 +351,14 @@ static int elasticsearch_format(struct flb_config *config,
     }
 
     /*
-     * If logstash format, target_index record accessor and id generation are disabled,
+     * If logstash format, index record accessor and id generation are disabled,
      * pre-generate the index line for all records.
      *
      * The header stored in 'j_index' will be used for the all records on
      * this payload.
      */
     if (ctx->logstash_format == FLB_FALSE &&
-        ctx->generate_id == FLB_FALSE && ctx->ra_target_index == NULL) {
+        ctx->generate_id == FLB_FALSE && ctx->ra_index == NULL) {
 
         flb_time_get(&tms);
         gmtime_r(&tms.tm.tv_sec, &tm);
@@ -456,25 +456,20 @@ static int elasticsearch_format(struct flb_config *config,
         msgpack_pack_str_body(&tmp_pck, time_formatted, s);
 
         es_index = ctx->index;
-        if (ctx->ra_target_index) {
-            flb_sds_t v = flb_ra_translate_check (ctx->ra_target_index,
+        if (ctx->ra_index) {
+            flb_sds_t v = flb_ra_translate(ctx->ra_index,
                     (char *) tag, tag_len,
-                    map, NULL, FLB_TRUE);
+                    map, NULL);
             if (v) {
                 len = flb_sds_len(v);
                 if (len > 128) {
                     len = 128;
                 }
-                memcpy(target_index_value, v, len);
-                target_index_value[len] = '\0';
+                memcpy(index_value, v, len);
+                index_value[len] = '\0';
                 es_index_custom_len = len;
                 flb_sds_destroy(v);
-                es_index = target_index_value;
-            }
-            else {
-                flb_plg_warn(ctx->ins,
-                             "the value of %s is missing for target_index_key",
-                             ctx->target_index);
+                es_index = index_value;
             }
             if (ctx->generate_id == FLB_FALSE) {
                 if (ctx->suppress_type_name) {
@@ -1219,13 +1214,6 @@ static struct flb_config_map config_map[] = {
      0, FLB_TRUE, offsetof(struct flb_elasticsearch, id_key),
      "If set, _id will be the value of the key from incoming record."
     },
-    {
-     FLB_CONFIG_MAP_STR, "target_index", NULL,
-     0, FLB_TRUE, offsetof(struct flb_elasticsearch, target_index),
-     "Compose index name using record accessor syntax. If any record accessor "
-     "variable is invalid (i.e.: The key is not present in event) the value of 'index' "
-     "will be used."
-    },
     {
      FLB_CONFIG_MAP_BOOL, "replace_dots", "false",
      0, FLB_TRUE, offsetof(struct flb_elasticsearch, replace_dots),
diff --git a/plugins/out_es/es.h b/plugins/out_es/es.h
index 250a6a43a6d..1de0dff68a3 100644
--- a/plugins/out_es/es.h
+++ b/plugins/out_es/es.h
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@
 struct flb_elasticsearch {
     /* Elasticsearch index (database) and type (table) */
     char *index;
+    struct flb_record_accessor *ra_index;
+
     char *type;
     char suppress_type_name;
 
@@ -118,10 +120,6 @@ struct flb_elasticsearch {
     flb_sds_t id_key;
     struct flb_record_accessor *ra_id_key;
 
-    /* target_index */
-    flb_sds_t target_index;
-    struct flb_record_accessor *ra_target_index;
-
     /* include_tag_key */
     int include_tag_key;
     flb_sds_t tag_key;
diff --git a/plugins/out_es/es_conf.c b/plugins/out_es/es_conf.c
index 7096ac03c55..7143a2f138b 100644
--- a/plugins/out_es/es_conf.c
+++ b/plugins/out_es/es_conf.c
@@ -250,6 +250,20 @@ struct flb_elasticsearch *flb_es_conf_create(struct flb_output_instance *ins,
     if (f_type) {
         ctx->type = flb_strdup(f_type->value); /* FIXME */
     }
+    else {
+        /* Check if the index has been set in the configuration */
+        if (ctx->index) {
+            /* do we have a record accessor pattern ? */
+            if (strchr(ctx->index, '$')) {
+                ctx->ra_index = flb_ra_create(ctx->index, FLB_TRUE);
+                if (!ctx->ra_index) {
+                    flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "invalid record accessor pattern set for 'index' property");
+                    flb_es_conf_destroy(ctx);
+                    return NULL;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
 
     /* HTTP Payload (response) maximum buffer size (0 == unlimited) */
     if (ctx->buffer_size == -1) {
@@ -271,15 +285,6 @@ struct flb_elasticsearch *flb_es_conf_create(struct flb_output_instance *ins,
         snprintf(ctx->uri, sizeof(ctx->uri) - 1, "%s/_bulk", path);
     }
 
-    /* Set index record accessor */
-    if (ctx->target_index) {
-        ctx->ra_target_index = flb_ra_create(ctx->target_index, FLB_TRUE);
-        if (!ctx->ra_target_index) {
-            flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "invalid record accessor expression for index '%s'", ctx->target_index);
-            flb_es_conf_destroy(ctx);
-            return NULL;
-        }
-    }
 
     if (ctx->id_key) {
         ctx->ra_id_key = flb_ra_create(ctx->id_key, FLB_FALSE);
@@ -489,9 +494,9 @@ int flb_es_conf_destroy(struct flb_elasticsearch *ctx)
         flb_ra_destroy(ctx->ra_id_key);
         ctx->ra_id_key = NULL;
     }
-    if (ctx->ra_target_index) {
-        flb_ra_destroy(ctx->ra_target_index);
-        ctx->ra_target_index = NULL;
+    if (ctx->ra_index) {
+        flb_ra_destroy(ctx->ra_index);
+        ctx->ra_index = NULL;
     }
     if (ctx->es_action) {
         flb_free(ctx->es_action);
diff --git a/run_code_analysis.sh b/run_code_analysis.sh
index 22adc47f7ef..9d59d9fd1e3 100755
--- a/run_code_analysis.sh
+++ b/run_code_analysis.sh
@@ -37,5 +37,6 @@ fi
     -e INPUT_DEPENDENCIES_DEBIAN="$ADDITIONAL_DEPS" \
     -e INPUT_CMAKEFLAGS="$FLB_CMAKE_OPTIONS $SKIP" \
     -e INPUT_PRE_COMMAND="cp -R /source /tmp" \
+    -e INPUT_TEST_COMMAND="${INPUT_TEST_COMMAND}" \
     -e INPUT_WORKING-DIRECTORY="/tmp/source" \
     lpenz/ghaction-cmake:0.19
diff --git a/tests/runtime/out_elasticsearch.c b/tests/runtime/out_elasticsearch.c
index 327ccac10d4..b0cde947551 100644
--- a/tests/runtime/out_elasticsearch.c
+++ b/tests/runtime/out_elasticsearch.c
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ static void cb_check_id_key(void *ctx, int ffd,
     flb_free(res_data);
 }
 
-static void cb_check_target_index(void *ctx, int ffd,
+static void cb_check_index_ra(void *ctx, int ffd,
                                   int res_ret, void *res_data, size_t res_size,
                                   void *data)
 {
@@ -180,22 +180,6 @@ static void cb_check_target_index(void *ctx, int ffd,
     flb_free(res_data);
 }
 
-static void cb_check_target_index_default(void *ctx, int ffd,
-                                          int res_ret, void *res_data, size_t res_size,
-                                          void *data)
-{
-    char *p;
-    char *out_js = res_data;
-    char *index_line = "{\"create\":{\"_index\":\"default\",\"_type\":\"_doc\"}";
-
-    p = strstr(out_js, index_line);
-    TEST_CHECK(p != NULL);
-    if(!TEST_CHECK(p != NULL)) {
-        TEST_MSG("Got: %s", out_js);
-    }
-    flb_free(res_data);
-}
-
 void flb_test_write_operation_index()
 {
     int ret;
@@ -828,51 +812,7 @@ void flb_test_logstash_prefix_separator()
     flb_destroy(ctx);
 }
 
-void flb_test_target_index()
-{
-    int ret;
-    int size = sizeof(JSON_ES) - 1;
-    flb_ctx_t *ctx;
-    int in_ffd;
-    int out_ffd;
-
-    /* Create context, flush every second (some checks omitted here) */
-    ctx = flb_create();
-    flb_service_set(ctx, "flush", "1", "grace", "1", NULL);
-
-    /* Lib input mode */
-    in_ffd = flb_input(ctx, (char *) "lib", NULL);
-    flb_input_set(ctx, in_ffd, "tag", "test", NULL);
-
-    /* Elasticsearch output */
-    out_ffd = flb_output(ctx, (char *) "es", NULL);
-    flb_output_set(ctx, out_ffd,
-                   "match", "test",
-                   NULL);
-
-    /* Override defaults of index and type */
-    flb_output_set(ctx, out_ffd,
-                   "target_index", "aaa-$END_KEY",
-                   NULL);
-
-    /* Enable test mode */
-    ret = flb_output_set_test(ctx, out_ffd, "formatter",
-                              cb_check_target_index,
-                              NULL, NULL);
-
-    /* Start */
-    ret = flb_start(ctx);
-    TEST_CHECK(ret == 0);
-
-    /* Ingest data sample */
-    flb_lib_push(ctx, in_ffd, (char *) JSON_ES, size);
-
-    sleep(2);
-    flb_stop(ctx);
-    flb_destroy(ctx);
-}
-
-void flb_test_target_index_default()
+void flb_test_index_ra()
 {
     int ret;
     int size = sizeof(JSON_ES) - 1;
@@ -896,13 +836,12 @@ void flb_test_target_index_default()
 
     /* Override defaults of index and type */
     flb_output_set(ctx, out_ffd,
-                   "target_index", "aaa-$not_found_key",
-                   "index", "default",
+                   "index", "aaa-$END_KEY",
                    NULL);
 
     /* Enable test mode */
     ret = flb_output_set_test(ctx, out_ffd, "formatter",
-                              cb_check_target_index_default,
+                              cb_check_index_ra,
                               NULL, NULL);
 
     /* Start */
@@ -926,13 +865,12 @@ TEST_LIST = {
     {"write_operation_update", flb_test_write_operation_update },
     {"write_operation_upsert", flb_test_write_operation_upsert },
     {"index_type"            , flb_test_index_type },
+    {"index_ra"              , flb_test_index_ra},
     {"logstash_format"       , flb_test_logstash_format },
     {"logstash_format_nanos" , flb_test_logstash_format_nanos },
     {"tag_key"               , flb_test_tag_key },
     {"replace_dots"          , flb_test_replace_dots },
     {"id_key"                , flb_test_id_key },
     {"logstash_prefix_separator" , flb_test_logstash_prefix_separator },
-    {"target_index"          , flb_test_target_index },
-    {"target_index_default"  , flb_test_target_index_default },
     {NULL, NULL}
 };