diff --git a/logstash-core/lib/logstash/universal_plugin.rb b/logstash-core/lib/logstash/universal_plugin.rb
index 3891bdc14..cf7879f56 100644
--- a/logstash-core/lib/logstash/universal_plugin.rb
+++ b/logstash-core/lib/logstash/universal_plugin.rb
@@ -1,13 +1 @@
-# encoding: utf-8
-module LogStash
-  class UniversalPlugin
-    def initialize
-    end
-
-    def register_hooks(hookManager)
-    end
-
-    def additionals_settings(settings)
-    end
-  end
-end
+# Keeping this file for backwards compatibility with plugins that include it directly.
diff --git a/logstash-core/src/main/java/org/logstash/RubyUtil.java b/logstash-core/src/main/java/org/logstash/RubyUtil.java
index 8f1bae0f0..9ce4826bc 100644
--- a/logstash-core/src/main/java/org/logstash/RubyUtil.java
+++ b/logstash-core/src/main/java/org/logstash/RubyUtil.java
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import org.logstash.log.LoggableExt;
 import org.logstash.log.LoggerExt;
 import org.logstash.log.SlowLoggerExt;
 import org.logstash.plugins.PluginFactoryExt;
+import org.logstash.plugins.UniversalPluginExt;
 
 /**
  * Utilities around interaction with the {@link Ruby} runtime.
@@ -150,6 +151,8 @@ public final class RubyUtil {
 
     public static final RubyClass CONFIGURATION_ERROR_CLASS;
 
+    public static final RubyClass UNIVERSAL_PLUGIN_CLASS;
+
     /**
      * Logstash Ruby Module.
      */
@@ -411,6 +414,8 @@ public final class RubyUtil {
             "PluginFactory", RUBY.getObject(), PluginFactoryExt.Plugins::new
         );
         PLUGIN_FACTORY_CLASS.defineAnnotatedMethods(PluginFactoryExt.Plugins.class);
+        UNIVERSAL_PLUGIN_CLASS =
+            setupLogstashClass(UniversalPluginExt::new, UniversalPluginExt.class);
         RUBY.getGlobalVariables().set("$LS_JARS_LOADED", RUBY.newString("true"));
         RubyJavaIntegration.setupRubyJavaIntegration(RUBY);
     }
diff --git a/logstash-core/src/main/java/org/logstash/plugins/UniversalPluginExt.java b/logstash-core/src/main/java/org/logstash/plugins/UniversalPluginExt.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f2d6f7f8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/logstash-core/src/main/java/org/logstash/plugins/UniversalPluginExt.java
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+package org.logstash.plugins;
+
+import org.jruby.Ruby;
+import org.jruby.RubyBasicObject;
+import org.jruby.RubyClass;
+import org.jruby.anno.JRubyClass;
+import org.jruby.anno.JRubyMethod;
+import org.jruby.runtime.ThreadContext;
+import org.jruby.runtime.builtin.IRubyObject;
+
+@JRubyClass(name = "UniversalPlugin")
+public final class UniversalPluginExt extends RubyBasicObject {
+
+    public UniversalPluginExt(final Ruby runtime, final RubyClass metaClass) {
+        super(runtime, metaClass);
+    }
+
+    @JRubyMethod
+    public IRubyObject initialize(final ThreadContext context) {
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    @JRubyMethod(name = "register_hooks")
+    public IRubyObject registerHooks(final ThreadContext context, final IRubyObject hookManager) {
+        return context.nil;
+    }
+
+    @JRubyMethod(name = "additionals_settings")
+    public IRubyObject additionalSettings(final ThreadContext context, final IRubyObject settings) {
+        return context.nil;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/x-pack/lib/config_management/extension.rb b/x-pack/lib/config_management/extension.rb
index 7559f5d95..9760c0ba0 100644
--- a/x-pack/lib/config_management/extension.rb
+++ b/x-pack/lib/config_management/extension.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 # you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
 
 require "logstash/environment"
-require "logstash/universal_plugin"
 require "config_management/hooks"
 require "config_management/elasticsearch_source"
 require "config_management/bootstrap_check"
diff --git a/x-pack/lib/monitoring/monitoring.rb b/x-pack/lib/monitoring/monitoring.rb
index a5cab7272..a4696f168 100644
--- a/x-pack/lib/monitoring/monitoring.rb
+++ b/x-pack/lib/monitoring/monitoring.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 # you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
 
 require "logstash/agent"
-require "logstash/universal_plugin"
 require "monitoring/internal_pipeline_source"
 require "logstash/config/pipeline_config"
 require 'helpers/elasticsearch_options'