diff --git a/common/index.ts b/common/index.ts
index 805008b1e..6de69e8e3 100644
--- a/common/index.ts
+++ b/common/index.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ export const API_AUTH_LOGOUT = '/auth/logout';
 
 export const ERROR_MISSING_ROLE_PATH = '/missing-role';
 
+export const MAX_INTEGER = 2147483647;
+
 export enum AuthType {
   BASIC = 'basicauth',
   OPEN_ID = 'openid',
diff --git a/server/multitenancy/tenant_index.ts b/server/multitenancy/tenant_index.ts
index f80d1770d..ab30e0aaf 100644
--- a/server/multitenancy/tenant_index.ts
+++ b/server/multitenancy/tenant_index.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import {
 import { createIndexMap } from '../../../../src/core/server/saved_objects/migrations/core/build_index_map';
 import { mergeTypes } from '../../../../src/core/server/saved_objects/migrations/kibana/kibana_migrator';
 import { SecurityClient } from '../backend/opendistro_security_client';
+import { MAX_INTEGER } from '../../common';
 
 export async function setupIndexTemplate(
   esClient: ElasticsearchClient,
@@ -38,9 +39,11 @@ export async function setupIndexTemplate(
 ) {
   const mappings: IndexMapping = buildActiveMappings(mergeTypes(typeRegistry.getAllTypes()));
   try {
-    await esClient.indices.putTemplate({
+    await esClient.indices.putIndexTemplate({
       name: 'tenant_template',
       body: {
+        // Setting priority to the max value to avoid being overridden by custom index templates.
+        priority: MAX_INTEGER,
         index_patterns: [
           kibanaIndex + '_-*_*',
           kibanaIndex + '_0*_*',
@@ -54,10 +57,12 @@ export async function setupIndexTemplate(
           kibanaIndex + '_8*_*',
           kibanaIndex + '_9*_*',
         ],
-        settings: {
-          number_of_shards: 1,
+        template: {
+          settings: {
+            number_of_shards: 1,
+          },
+          mappings,
         },
-        mappings,
       },
     });
   } catch (error) {
diff --git a/server/multitenancy/test/tenant_index.test.ts b/server/multitenancy/test/tenant_index.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2a14c8277
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/multitenancy/test/tenant_index.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+/*
+ *   Copyright 2020 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
+ *
+ *   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License").
+ *   You may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ *   A copy of the License is located at
+ *
+ *       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ *   or in the "license" file accompanying this file. This file is distributed
+ *   on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either
+ *   express or implied. See the License for the specific language governing
+ *   permissions and limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+import { MAX_INTEGER } from '../../../common';
+
+describe('Tenant index template', () => {
+  const mockESClient = {
+    indices: {
+      putIndexTemplate: jest.fn().mockImplementation((template) => {
+        return template;
+      }),
+    },
+  };
+
+  const priority = MAX_INTEGER;
+
+  it('put template', () => {
+    const result = mockESClient.indices.putIndexTemplate({
+      name: 'test_index_template_a',
+      body: {
+        priority,
+        index_patterns: 'test_index_patterns_a',
+        template: {
+          settings: {
+            number_of_shards: 1,
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    expect(result.body.priority).toEqual(priority);
+  });
+});