diff --git a/puppet/services/ceilometer-base.yaml b/puppet/services/ceilometer-base.yaml
index cdba2d3f82..55ee9675d2 100644
--- a/puppet/services/ceilometer-base.yaml
+++ b/puppet/services/ceilometer-base.yaml
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ parameters:
     description: Number of workers for Ceilometer service.
     type: number
   ManageEventPipeline:
-    default: false
+    default: true
     description: Whether to manage event_pipeline.yaml.
     type: boolean
   EventPipelinePublishers:
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/update-manage-event-pipeline-0a21e9ca92cbff4f.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/update-manage-event-pipeline-0a21e9ca92cbff4f.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f0e43323fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/update-manage-event-pipeline-0a21e9ca92cbff4f.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - Change the default ManageEventPipeline to true. This is because we want
+    the event pipeline publishers overridden by heat templates to take
+    effect over the puppet defaults. Once we drop panko:// from the pipeline
+    we can switch this back to false.