diff --git a/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/PrelertPlugin.java b/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/PrelertPlugin.java
index 165f78b586d..8a291f586e3 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/PrelertPlugin.java
+++ b/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/PrelertPlugin.java
@@ -11,9 +11,11 @@ import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.client.Client;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.metadata.MetaData;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.service.ClusterService;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.ParseField;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.ParseFieldMatcher;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.ParseFieldMatcherSupplier;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.component.LifecycleListener;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.NamedWriteableRegistry;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Setting;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Setting.Property;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
@@ -156,6 +158,21 @@ public class PrelertPlugin extends Plugin implements ActionPlugin {
                         AutodetectProcessManager.MAX_RUNNING_JOBS_PER_NODE));
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public List<NamedWriteableRegistry.Entry> getNamedWriteables() {
+        return Collections.singletonList(new NamedWriteableRegistry.Entry(MetaData.Custom.class, "prelert", PrelertMetadata::new));
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public List<NamedXContentRegistry.Entry> getNamedXContent() {
+        NamedXContentRegistry.Entry entry = new NamedXContentRegistry.Entry(
+                MetaData.Custom.class,
+                new ParseField("prelert"),
+                parser -> PrelertMetadata.PRELERT_METADATA_PARSER.parse(parser, parseFieldMatcherSupplier).build()
+        );
+        return Collections.singletonList(entry);
+    }
+
     @Override
     public Collection<Object> createComponents(Client client, ClusterService clusterService, ThreadPool threadPool,
                                                ResourceWatcherService resourceWatcherService, ScriptService scriptService,
diff --git a/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/job/metadata/PrelertMetadata.java b/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/job/metadata/PrelertMetadata.java
index 812c73e5d06..b211437a43d 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/job/metadata/PrelertMetadata.java
+++ b/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/job/metadata/PrelertMetadata.java
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ public class PrelertMetadata implements MetaData.Custom {
     public static final PrelertMetadata EMPTY_METADATA = new PrelertMetadata(Collections.emptySortedMap(),
             Collections.emptySortedMap(), Collections.emptySortedMap());
 
-    static final ObjectParser<Builder, ParseFieldMatcherSupplier> PRELERT_METADATA_PARSER = new ObjectParser<>("prelert_metadata",
+    public static final ObjectParser<Builder, ParseFieldMatcherSupplier> PRELERT_METADATA_PARSER = new ObjectParser<>("prelert_metadata",
             Builder::new);
 
     static {