diff --git a/dev-tools/packer/platforms/centos/run.sh.j2 b/dev-tools/packer/platforms/centos/run.sh.j2
index 1c35281e0dca..d5df40c6e11d 100644
--- a/dev-tools/packer/platforms/centos/run.sh.j2
+++ b/dev-tools/packer/platforms/centos/run.sh.j2
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ RPM_VERSION=`echo ${VERSION} | sed 's/-/_/g'`
 fpm --force -s dir -t rpm \
         -n {{.beat_name}} -v ${RPM_VERSION} \
         --architecture {{.rpm_arch}} \
-        --vendor "Elastic" \
-        --license "ASL 2.0" \
+        --vendor "{{.beat_vendor}}"  \
+        --license "{{.beat_license}}"  \
         --description "{{.beat_description}}" \
         --url {{.beat_url}} \
         --rpm-init /tmp/{{.beat_name}}.init \
diff --git a/dev-tools/packer/platforms/centos/systemd.j2 b/dev-tools/packer/platforms/centos/systemd.j2
index 457f289fa83a..8f14e9effcea 100644
--- a/dev-tools/packer/platforms/centos/systemd.j2
+++ b/dev-tools/packer/platforms/centos/systemd.j2
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [Unit]
 Description={{.beat_name}}
-Documentation=https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/beats/{{.beat_name}}/current/index.html
+Documentation={{.beat_doc_url}}
 Wants=network-online.target
 After=network-online.target
 
diff --git a/dev-tools/packer/platforms/debian/run.sh.j2 b/dev-tools/packer/platforms/debian/run.sh.j2
index 6815062edb3f..95ff01792bee 100644
--- a/dev-tools/packer/platforms/debian/run.sh.j2
+++ b/dev-tools/packer/platforms/debian/run.sh.j2
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ fi
 # create deb
 fpm --force -s dir -t deb \
         -n {{.beat_name}} -v ${VERSION} \
-        --vendor "Elastic" \
-        --license "ASL 2.0" \
+        --vendor "{{.beat_vendor}}"  \
+        --license "{{.beat_license}}"  \
         --architecture {{.deb_arch}} \
         --description "{{.beat_description}}" \
         --url {{.beat_url}} \
diff --git a/dev-tools/packer/platforms/debian/systemd.j2 b/dev-tools/packer/platforms/debian/systemd.j2
index 457f289fa83a..8f14e9effcea 100644
--- a/dev-tools/packer/platforms/debian/systemd.j2
+++ b/dev-tools/packer/platforms/debian/systemd.j2
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [Unit]
 Description={{.beat_name}}
-Documentation=https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/beats/{{.beat_name}}/current/index.html
+Documentation={{.beat_doc_url}}
 Wants=network-online.target
 After=network-online.target
 
diff --git a/dev-tools/packer/xgo-scripts/before_build.sh b/dev-tools/packer/xgo-scripts/before_build.sh
index 58f5b04bc3e4..9cd82ddabb07 100755
--- a/dev-tools/packer/xgo-scripts/before_build.sh
+++ b/dev-tools/packer/xgo-scripts/before_build.sh
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ go install github.com/tsg/gotpl
 cat ${LIBBEAT_PATH}/docs/version.asciidoc >> ${PREFIX}/package.yml
 # Make variable naming of doc-branch compatible with gotpl. Generate and copy README.md into homedir
 sed -i -e 's/:doc-branch/doc_branch/g' ${PREFIX}/package.yml
-/go/bin/gotpl ${LIBBEAT_PATH}/../dev-tools/packer/readme.md.j2 < ${PREFIX}/package.yml > ${PREFIX}/homedir/README.md
+/go/bin/gotpl /templates/readme.md.j2 < ${PREFIX}/package.yml > ${PREFIX}/homedir/README.md
 
 # Copy template
 cp $BEATNAME.template.json $PREFIX/$BEATNAME.template.json
diff --git a/libbeat/scripts/Makefile b/libbeat/scripts/Makefile
index b46c21c8674e..3e6a699f899c 100755
--- a/libbeat/scripts/Makefile
+++ b/libbeat/scripts/Makefile
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
-
 ### VARIABLE SETUP ###
-
+### Application using libbeat may override the following variables in their Makefile
 BEATNAME?=libbeat
 BEAT_DESCRIPTION?=Sends events to Elasticsearch or Logstash
+BEAT_VENDOR?=Elastic
+BEAT_LICENSE?=ASL 2.0
+BEAT_DOC_URL?=https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/beats/${BEATNAME}/current/index.html
 BEAT_DIR?=github.com/elastic/beats/${BEATNAME}
 ES_BEATS?=..
 GOPACKAGES?=${BEAT_DIR}/...
+PACKER_TEMPLATES_DIR?=${ES_BEATS}/dev-tools/packer
 
 # Makefile for a custom beat that includes this libbeat/scripts/Makefile:
 # if glide is used to manage vendor dependencies,
@@ -337,6 +340,7 @@ prepare-package:
 	# cross compile on ubuntu
 	docker run --rm \
 		-v $(abspath ${ES_BEATS}/dev-tools/packer/xgo-scripts):/scripts \
+		-v $(abspath ${PACKER_TEMPLATES_DIR}):/templates \
 		-v $(abspath ../):/source \
 		-v $(BUILD_DIR):/build \
 		-e PUREGO="yes" \
@@ -355,6 +359,7 @@ prepare-package-cgo:
 	# cross compile on ubuntu
 	docker run --rm \
 		-v $(abspath ${ES_BEATS}/dev-tools/packer/xgo-scripts):/scripts \
+		-v $(abspath ${PACKER_TEMPLATES_DIR}):/templates \
 		-v $(abspath ../):/source \
 		-v $(BUILD_DIR):/build \
 		-e PACK=${BEATNAME} \
@@ -369,6 +374,7 @@ prepare-package-cgo:
 	docker run --rm \
 		-v ${BUILD_DIR}:/build \
 		-v $(abspath ${ES_BEATS}/dev-tools/packer/xgo-scripts):/scripts \
+		-v $(abspath ${PACKER_TEMPLATES_DIR}):/templates \
 		-v $(abspath ..):/source \
 		-e PACK=${BEATNAME} \
 		-e BEFORE_BUILD=before_build.sh \
@@ -396,6 +402,9 @@ package: package-setup
 	echo "beat_url: https://${BEAT_DIR}" >> ${BUILD_DIR}/package.yml
 	echo "beat_repo: ${BEAT_DIR}" >> ${BUILD_DIR}/package.yml
 	echo "beat_description: ${BEAT_DESCRIPTION}" >> ${BUILD_DIR}/package.yml
+	echo "beat_vendor: ${BEAT_VENDOR}" >> ${BUILD_DIR}/package.yml
+	echo "beat_license: ${BEAT_LICENSE}" >> ${BUILD_DIR}/package.yml
+	echo "beat_doc_url: ${BEAT_DOC_URL}" >> ${BUILD_DIR}/package.yml
 	cat ${ES_BEATS}/dev-tools/packer/version.yml >> ${BUILD_DIR}/package.yml
 
 	if [ $(CGO) = true ]; then \