diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index a00ec54..82d3bd5 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -43,6 +43,49 @@ prometheus_agent:
       jobs: {}
     promtail:
       enable: False
+      config:
+        server:
+          disable: true
+          http_listen_port: 9080
+          grpc_listen_port: 0
+        positions:
+          filename: /var/lib/promtail/positions.yaml
+        # clients is generated based on prometheus_agent.scrapers
+        scrape_configs:
+        - job_name: system
+          static_configs:
+          - targets:
+              - localhost
+            labels:
+              job: varlogs
+              __path__: /var/log/*log
+        - job_name: journal
+          journal:
+            max_age: 12h
+            labels:
+              job: systemd-journal
+          relabel_configs:
+            - source_labels: ['__journal__systemd_unit']
+              target_label: 'unit'
+            - source_labels: ['__journal_priority_keyword']
+              target_label: 'level'
+          pipeline_stages:
+            - structured_metadata:
+                level:
+        - job_name: nginx
+          static_configs:
+          - targets:
+              - localhost
+            labels:
+              job: nginx
+              __path__: /var/log/nginx/access-promtail.log
+        - job_name: postfix-bounces
+          static_configs:
+          - targets:
+              - localhost
+            labels:
+              job: postfix-bounces
+              __path__: /var/log/mailman3/bounce.log
     snmp:
       enable: False
       mib_path: /usr/share/snmp/mibs
diff --git a/templates/promtail.yml.j2 b/templates/promtail.yml.j2
index 30c4240..28e4fcc 100644
--- a/templates/promtail.yml.j2
+++ b/templates/promtail.yml.j2
@@ -1,49 +1,8 @@
-server:
-  disable: true
-  http_listen_port: 9080
-  grpc_listen_port: 0
-
-positions:
-  filename: /var/lib/promtail/positions.yaml
-
-clients:
+{% if 'clients' not in prometheus_agent.agents.promtail.config %}
+{% set tmp = prometheus_agent.agents.promtail.config.setdefault('clients', []) %}
 {% for i in prometheus_agent.scrapers if prometheus_agent.scrapers[i].get("loki") %}
 {% set lokiconfig = {}|combine({ "external_labels": merged_prometheus_labels|combine( {"instance": inventory_hostname} ) }, prometheus_agent.scrapers[i]['loki'] ) %}
-  - {{ lokiconfig|to_json }}
+{% set tmp = prometheus_agent.agents.promtail.config.clients.append(lokiconfig) %}
 {% endfor %}
-
-scrape_configs:
-- job_name: system
-  static_configs:
-  - targets:
-      - localhost
-    labels:
-      job: varlogs
-      __path__: /var/log/*log
-- job_name: journal
-  journal:
-    max_age: 12h
-    labels:
-      job: systemd-journal
-  relabel_configs:
-    - source_labels: ['__journal__systemd_unit']
-      target_label: 'unit'
-    - source_labels: ['__journal_priority_keyword']
-      target_label: 'level'
-  pipeline_stages:
-    - structured_metadata:
-        level:
-- job_name: nginx
-  static_configs:
-  - targets:
-      - localhost
-    labels:
-      job: nginx
-      __path__: /var/log/nginx/access-promtail.log
-- job_name: postfix-bounces
-  static_configs:
-  - targets:
-      - localhost
-    labels:
-      job: postfix-bounces
-      __path__: /var/log/mailman3/bounce.log
+{% endif %}
+{{ prometheus_agent.agents.promtail.config|to_nice_yaml(indent=2) }}