diff --git a/beater/beater_test.go b/beater/beater_test.go
index f87fc4eebf0..ed1dd08d8ac 100644
--- a/beater/beater_test.go
+++ b/beater/beater_test.go
@@ -28,9 +28,11 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/gofrs/uuid"
+	"github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/logp"
+
+	"github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/publisher/processing"
+
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/beat"
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/common"
@@ -39,7 +41,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/publisher/pipeline"
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/publisher/queue"
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/publisher/queue/memqueue"
-	"github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/version"
 )
 
 func TestBeatConfig(t *testing.T) {
@@ -293,12 +294,19 @@ func (d *DummyOutputClient) Publish(batch pubs.Batch) error {
 func (d *DummyOutputClient) Close() error   { return nil }
 func (d *DummyOutputClient) String() string { return "" }
 
-func DummyPipeline(clients ...outputs.Client) *pipeline.Pipeline {
+func DummyPipeline(cfg *common.Config, info beat.Info, clients ...outputs.Client) *pipeline.Pipeline {
 	if len(clients) == 0 {
 		clients = []outputs.Client{&DummyOutputClient{}}
 	}
+	if cfg == nil {
+		cfg = common.NewConfig()
+	}
+	processors, err := processing.MakeDefaultObserverSupport(false)(info, logp.NewLogger("testbeat"), cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
 	p, err := pipeline.New(
-		beat.Info{Name: "test-apm-server"},
+		info,
 		pipeline.Monitors{},
 		func(e queue.Eventer) (queue.Queue, error) {
 			return memqueue.NewBroker(nil, memqueue.Settings{
@@ -314,6 +322,7 @@ func DummyPipeline(clients ...outputs.Client) *pipeline.Pipeline {
 		pipeline.Settings{
 			WaitClose:     0,
 			WaitCloseMode: pipeline.NoWaitOnClose,
+			Processors:    processors,
 		},
 	)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -383,21 +392,7 @@ func (bt *beater) smapElasticsearchHosts() []string {
 	return hosts
 }
 
-func setupBeater(t *testing.T, publisher beat.Pipeline, ucfg *common.Config, beatConfig *beat.BeatConfig) (*beater, func(), error) {
-	beatId, err := uuid.FromString("fbba762a-14dd-412c-b7e9-b79f903eb492")
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	// create a beat
-	apmBeat := &beat.Beat{
-		Publisher: publisher,
-		Info: beat.Info{
-			Beat:        "test-apm-server",
-			IndexPrefix: "test-apm-server",
-			Version:     version.GetDefaultVersion(),
-			ID:          beatId,
-		},
-		Config: beatConfig,
-	}
-
+func setupBeater(t *testing.T, apmBeat *beat.Beat, ucfg *common.Config, beatConfig *beat.BeatConfig) (*beater, func(), error) {
 	// create our beater
 	beatBeater, err := New(apmBeat, ucfg)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
diff --git a/beater/server_test.go b/beater/server_test.go
index 5a7f3ec7624..fa53a30af18 100644
--- a/beater/server_test.go
+++ b/beater/server_test.go
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/gofrs/uuid"
+
+	"github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/version"
+
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
@@ -505,17 +509,33 @@ func setupServer(t *testing.T, cfg *common.Config, beatConfig *beat.BeatConfig,
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 	}
 
+	beatId, err := uuid.FromString("fbba762a-14dd-412c-b7e9-b79f903eb492")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	info := beat.Info{
+		Beat:        "test-apm-server",
+		IndexPrefix: "test-apm-server",
+		Version:     version.GetDefaultVersion(),
+		ID:          beatId,
+	}
+
 	var pub beat.Pipeline
 	if events != nil {
 		// capture events
 		pubClient := NewChanClientWith(events)
-		pub = DummyPipeline(pubClient)
+		pub = DummyPipeline(cfg, info, pubClient)
 	} else {
 		// don't capture events
-		pub = DummyPipeline()
+		pub = DummyPipeline(cfg, info)
+	}
+
+	// create a beat
+	apmBeat := &beat.Beat{
+		Publisher: pub,
+		Info:      info,
+		Config:    beatConfig,
 	}
 
-	btr, stop, err := setupBeater(t, pub, baseConfig, beatConfig)
+	btr, stop, err := setupBeater(t, apmBeat, baseConfig, beatConfig)
 	if err == nil {
 		assert.NotEqual(t, btr.config.Host, "localhost:0", "config.Host unmodified")
 	}
diff --git a/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationErrors.approved.json b/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationErrors.approved.json
index c3cb3d4a8dd..158157b77bd 100644
--- a/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationErrors.approved.json
+++ b/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationErrors.approved.json
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@
             "container": {
                 "id": "container-id"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "error": {
                 "culprit": "my.module.function_name",
                 "custom": {
@@ -317,6 +320,9 @@
             "container": {
                 "id": "container-id"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "error": {
                 "exception": [
                     {
@@ -405,6 +411,9 @@
             "container": {
                 "id": "container-id"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "error": {
                 "exception": [
                     {
@@ -499,6 +508,9 @@
             "container": {
                 "id": "container-id"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "error": {
                 "grouping_key": "d6b3f958dfea98dc9ed2b57d5f0c48bb",
                 "id": "abcdef0123456789",
diff --git a/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationEvents.approved.json b/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationEvents.approved.json
index 1dd209ae3c3..14e1492cf5f 100644
--- a/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationEvents.approved.json
+++ b/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationEvents.approved.json
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@
             "container": {
                 "id": "container-id"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "error": {
                 "grouping_key": "d6b3f958dfea98dc9ed2b57d5f0c48bb",
                 "id": "abcdef0123456789",
@@ -74,6 +77,9 @@
                 "name": "elastic-node",
                 "version": "3.14.0"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "observer": {
                 "ephemeral_id": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000",
                 "hostname": "",
@@ -128,6 +134,9 @@
             "container": {
                 "id": "container-id"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "host": {
                 "ip": "127.0.0.1"
             },
@@ -198,6 +207,9 @@
             "container": {
                 "id": "container-id"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "go": {
                 "memstats": {
                     "heap": {
diff --git a/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationMetricsets.approved.json b/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationMetricsets.approved.json
index 001beba0b6f..5ec1478c35f 100644
--- a/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationMetricsets.approved.json
+++ b/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationMetricsets.approved.json
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@
                 }
             },
             "double_gauge": 3.141592653589793,
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "float_gauge": 9.16,
             "integer_gauge": 42767,
             "labels": {
@@ -78,6 +81,9 @@
                 "name": "elastic-node",
                 "version": "3.14.0"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "go": {
                 "memstats": {
                     "heap": {
diff --git a/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationMinimalEvents.approved.json b/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationMinimalEvents.approved.json
index e611b83909c..55e18bf9ff2 100644
--- a/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationMinimalEvents.approved.json
+++ b/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationMinimalEvents.approved.json
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@
                 "name": "elastic-node",
                 "version": "3.14.0"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "error": {
                 "grouping_key": "0b9cba09845a097a271c6beb4c6207f3",
                 "id": "abcdef0123456789",
@@ -51,6 +54,9 @@
                 "name": "elastic-node",
                 "version": "3.14.0"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "error": {
                 "exception": [
                     {
@@ -93,6 +99,9 @@
                 "name": "elastic-node",
                 "version": "3.14.0"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "error": {
                 "exception": [
                     {
@@ -135,6 +144,9 @@
                 "name": "elastic-node",
                 "version": "3.14.0"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "observer": {
                 "ephemeral_id": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000",
                 "hostname": "",
@@ -182,6 +194,9 @@
                 "name": "elastic-node",
                 "version": "3.14.0"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "observer": {
                 "ephemeral_id": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000",
                 "hostname": "",
@@ -226,6 +241,9 @@
                 "name": "elastic-node",
                 "version": "3.14.0"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "host": {
                 "ip": "127.0.0.1"
             },
@@ -273,6 +291,9 @@
                 "name": "elastic-node",
                 "version": "3.14.0"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "host": {
                 "ip": "127.0.0.1"
             },
diff --git a/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationSpans.approved.json b/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationSpans.approved.json
index e2e5c8a7460..282a2eed7fd 100644
--- a/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationSpans.approved.json
+++ b/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationSpans.approved.json
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@
                 "name": "elastic-node",
                 "version": "3.14.0"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "observer": {
                 "ephemeral_id": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000",
                 "hostname": "",
@@ -60,6 +63,9 @@
                 "name": "elastic-node",
                 "version": "3.14.0"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "observer": {
                 "ephemeral_id": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000",
                 "hostname": "",
@@ -110,6 +116,9 @@
                 "name": "elastic-node",
                 "version": "3.14.0"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "labels": {
                 "tag1": "value1",
                 "tag2": 123,
@@ -167,6 +176,9 @@
                 "name": "elastic-node",
                 "version": "3.14.0"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "observer": {
                 "ephemeral_id": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000",
                 "hostname": "",
@@ -217,6 +229,9 @@
                 "name": "elastic-ruby",
                 "version": "2.2"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "observer": {
                 "ephemeral_id": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000",
                 "hostname": "",
diff --git a/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationTransactions.approved.json b/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationTransactions.approved.json
index 316648f5ea5..fc28878edec 100644
--- a/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationTransactions.approved.json
+++ b/beater/test_approved_es_documents/TestPublishIntegrationTransactions.approved.json
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@
             "container": {
                 "id": "container-id"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "host": {
                 "architecture": "x64",
                 "hostname": "prod1.example.com",
@@ -110,6 +113,9 @@
             "container": {
                 "id": "container-id"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "host": {
                 "architecture": "x64",
                 "hostname": "prod1.example.com",
@@ -294,6 +300,9 @@
             "container": {
                 "id": "container-id"
             },
+            "ecs": {
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
+            },
             "host": {
                 "architecture": "x64",
                 "hostname": "prod1.example.com",
diff --git a/changelogs/7.0.asciidoc b/changelogs/7.0.asciidoc
index 0142594f017..35ca58e06d0 100644
--- a/changelogs/7.0.asciidoc
+++ b/changelogs/7.0.asciidoc
@@ -21,10 +21,11 @@
 ==== Bugfix
 
 - Ensure setup cmd uses expected configuration {pull}1934[1934]. 
-- Ensure host.name is not added {pull}1934[1934].
+- Ensure host.name is not added {pull}1934[1934] {pull}1982[1982].
 - Update Go version to 1.11.5 {pull}1840[1840] {pull}1950[1950].
 - Ensure enabling user-agent pipeline indexes data at the same key by default {pull}1966[1966].
 - Request and Response headers are stored in a canonicalized way {pull}1966[1966].
+- Use changed processor handling from libbeat {pull}1982[1982].
 
 [[release-notes-7.7.0-rc1]]
 === APM Server version 7.0.0-rc1
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 498579abbc0..8ab77e8f3f1 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -20,15 +20,15 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 
+	"github.com/elastic/apm-server/beater"
 	"github.com/elastic/apm-server/idxmgmt"
 	"github.com/elastic/apm-server/idxmgmt/ilm"
-
-	"github.com/elastic/apm-server/beater"
 	_ "github.com/elastic/apm-server/include"
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/cmd"
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/cmd/instance"
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/common"
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/monitoring/report"
+	"github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/publisher/processing"
 )
 
 // Name of the beat (apm-server).
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ func init() {
 		},
 		ILM:             ilm.MakeDefaultSupporter,
 		IndexManagement: idxmgmt.MakeDefaultSupporter,
+		Processing:      processing.MakeDefaultObserverSupport(false),
 	})
 	// remove dashboard from export commands
 	for _, cmd := range RootCmd.ExportCmd.Commands() {
diff --git a/publish/pub.go b/publish/pub.go
index b663f2ec24b..e955d4e1504 100644
--- a/publish/pub.go
+++ b/publish/pub.go
@@ -68,19 +68,18 @@ func NewPublisher(info beat.Info, pipeline beat.Pipeline, shutdownTimeout time.D
 
 		//       If set >0 `Close` will block for the duration or until pipeline is empty
 		WaitClose: shutdownTimeout,
-		Fields: common.MapStr{
-			"observer": common.MapStr{
-				"type":          info.Beat,
-				"hostname":      info.Hostname,
-				"version":       info.Version,
-				"version_major": 8,
-				"id":            info.ID.String(),
-				"ephemeral_id":  info.EphemeralID.String(),
+		Processing: beat.ProcessingConfig{
+			Fields: common.MapStr{
+				"observer": common.MapStr{
+					"type":          info.Beat,
+					"hostname":      info.Hostname,
+					"version":       info.Version,
+					"version_major": 8,
+					"id":            info.ID.String(),
+					"ephemeral_id":  info.EphemeralID.String(),
+				},
 			},
 		},
-		SkipAgentMetadata: true,
-		SkipNormalization: true,
-		SkipHostName:      true,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/tests/system/error.approved.json b/tests/system/error.approved.json
index 7c18c028198..74851be04d8 100644
--- a/tests/system/error.approved.json
+++ b/tests/system/error.approved.json
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
                 "us": 1494342245000000
             },
             "ecs": {
-                "version": "1.0.0-beta2"
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
             },
             "observer": {
                 "type": "apm-server",
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@
                 "us": 1494342245999999
             },
             "ecs":{
-                "version":"1.0.0-beta2"
+                "version":"1.1.0-dev"
             },
             "observer": {
                 "type": "apm-server",
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@
                 "us": 1494342245000000
             },
             "ecs":{
-                "version":"1.0.0-beta2"
+                "version":"1.1.0-dev"
             },
             "observer": {
                 "type": "apm-server",
@@ -478,7 +478,7 @@
                 "us": 1494342245999000
             },
             "ecs":{
-                "version":"1.0.0-beta2"
+                "version":"1.1.0-dev"
             },
             "observer": {
                 "type": "apm-server",
diff --git a/tests/system/spans.approved.json b/tests/system/spans.approved.json
index 8e04205a936..3368207b781 100644
--- a/tests/system/spans.approved.json
+++ b/tests/system/spans.approved.json
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
                 "us": 1496170407154000
             },
             "ecs": {
-                "version": "1.0.0-beta2"
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
             },
             "observer": {
                 "type": "apm-server",
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@
                 "us": 1496170422281000
             },
             "ecs": {
-                "version": "1.0.0-beta2"
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
             },
             "observer": {
                 "type": "apm-server",
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@
                 "us": 1496170407154000
             },
             "ecs": {
-                "version": "1.0.0-beta2"
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
             },
             "observer": {
                 "type": "apm-server",
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@
                 "us": 1496170407154000
             },
             "ecs": {
-                "version": "1.0.0-beta2"
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
             },
             "observer": {
                 "type": "apm-server",
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@
                 "us": 1496170407154000
             },
             "ecs": {
-                "version": "1.0.0-beta2"
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
             },
             "observer": {
                 "type": "apm-server",
diff --git a/tests/system/transaction.approved.json b/tests/system/transaction.approved.json
index 2592a281113..2caa115db28 100644
--- a/tests/system/transaction.approved.json
+++ b/tests/system/transaction.approved.json
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
                 "us": 1496170407154000
             },
             "ecs": {
-                "version": "1.0.0-beta2"
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
             },
             "observer": {
                 "type": "apm-server",
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@
                 "us": 1496170422281999
             },
             "ecs": {
-                "version": "1.0.0-beta2"
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
             },
             "observer": {
                 "type": "apm-server",
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@
                 "us": 1496170422000000
             },
             "ecs": {
-                "version": "1.0.0-beta2"
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
             },
             "observer": {
                 "type": "apm-server",
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@
                 "us": 1496170422281000
             },
             "ecs": {
-                "version": "1.0.0-beta2"
+                "version": "1.1.0-dev"
             },
             "observer": {
                 "type": "apm-server",