diff --git a/deployment_scripts/puppet/manifests/base.pp b/deployment_scripts/puppet/manifests/base.pp
index 1bc0df05a..07c88b38c 100644
--- a/deployment_scripts/puppet/manifests/base.pp
+++ b/deployment_scripts/puppet/manifests/base.pp
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ lma_collector::heka { 'log_collector':
   groups              => $additional_groups,
   install_init_script => $install_heka_init_script,
   version             => $heka_version,
+  heka_monitoring     => false,
   require             => Class['lma_collector'],
 }
 
@@ -91,6 +92,7 @@ lma_collector::heka { 'metric_collector':
   install_init_script => $install_heka_init_script,
   version             => $heka_version,
   poolsize            => $poolsize,
+  heka_monitoring     => false,
   require             => Class['lma_collector'],
 }
 
diff --git a/deployment_scripts/puppet/modules/lma_collector/manifests/heka.pp b/deployment_scripts/puppet/modules/lma_collector/manifests/heka.pp
index 3e63f3bc7..ac6688944 100644
--- a/deployment_scripts/puppet/modules/lma_collector/manifests/heka.pp
+++ b/deployment_scripts/puppet/modules/lma_collector/manifests/heka.pp
@@ -111,8 +111,15 @@ define lma_collector::heka (
   }
 
   # Heka self-monitoring
+  if $heka_monitoring {
+    $heka_monitoring_ensure = present
+  } else {
+    $heka_monitoring_ensure = absent
+  }
+
   if $heka_monitoring {
     heka::filter::sandbox { "heka_monitoring_${title}":
+      ensure           => $heka_monitoring_ensure,
       config_dir       => $config_dir,
       filename         => "${lma_collector::params::plugins_dir}/filters/heka_monitoring.lua",
       message_matcher  => "Type == 'heka.all-report'",