diff --git a/agent/agent.go b/agent/agent.go
index 6a6005b79..4aedfc055 100644
--- a/agent/agent.go
+++ b/agent/agent.go
@@ -200,13 +200,6 @@ func (a *Agent) initPlugins() error {
 				input.LogName(), err)
 		}
 	}
-	for _, parser := range a.Config.Parsers {
-		err := parser.Init()
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("could not initialize parser %s::%s: %v",
-				parser.Config.DataFormat, parser.Config.Parent, err)
-		}
-	}
 	for _, processor := range a.Config.Processors {
 		err := processor.Init()
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 6b93e75f6..a60a997c7 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -69,10 +69,11 @@ type Config struct {
 	Inputs      []*models.RunningInput
 	Outputs     []*models.RunningOutput
 	Aggregators []*models.RunningAggregator
-	Parsers     []*models.RunningParser
 	// Processors have a slice wrapper type because they need to be sorted
 	Processors    models.RunningProcessors
 	AggProcessors models.RunningProcessors
+	// Parsers are created by their inputs during gather. Config doesn't keep track of them
+	// like the other plugins because they need to be garbage collected (See issue #11809)
 
 	Deprecations map[string][]int64
 	version      *semver.Version
@@ -98,7 +99,6 @@ func NewConfig() *Config {
 		Tags:          make(map[string]string),
 		Inputs:        make([]*models.RunningInput, 0),
 		Outputs:       make([]*models.RunningOutput, 0),
-		Parsers:       make([]*models.RunningParser, 0),
 		Processors:    make([]*models.RunningProcessor, 0),
 		AggProcessors: make([]*models.RunningProcessor, 0),
 		InputFilters:  make([]string, 0),
@@ -242,15 +242,6 @@ func (c *Config) AggregatorNames() []string {
 	return PluginNameCounts(name)
 }
 
-// ParserNames returns a list of strings of the configured parsers.
-func (c *Config) ParserNames() []string {
-	var name []string
-	for _, parser := range c.Parsers {
-		name = append(name, parser.Config.DataFormat)
-	}
-	return PluginNameCounts(name)
-}
-
 // ProcessorNames returns a list of strings of the configured processors.
 func (c *Config) ProcessorNames() []string {
 	var name []string
@@ -725,9 +716,8 @@ func (c *Config) addParser(parentname string, table *ast.Table) (*models.Running
 	}
 
 	running := models.NewRunningParser(parser, conf)
-	c.Parsers = append(c.Parsers, running)
-
-	return running, nil
+	err = running.Init()
+	return running, err
 }
 
 func (c *Config) addProcessor(name string, table *ast.Table) error {
@@ -888,12 +878,7 @@ func (c *Config) addInput(name string, table *ast.Table) error {
 			return errors.New("parser not found")
 		}
 		t.SetParserFunc(func() (telegraf.Parser, error) {
-			parser, err := c.addParser(name, table)
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, err
-			}
-			err = parser.Init()
-			return parser, err
+			return c.addParser(name, table)
 		})
 	}
 
@@ -903,12 +888,7 @@ func (c *Config) addInput(name string, table *ast.Table) error {
 			return errors.New("parser not found")
 		}
 		t.SetParserFunc(func() (parsers.Parser, error) {
-			parser, err := c.addParser(name, table)
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, err
-			}
-			err = parser.Init()
-			return parser, err
+			return c.addParser(name, table)
 		})
 	}
 
diff --git a/config/config_test.go b/config/config_test.go
index 0223832dc..066410587 100644
--- a/config/config_test.go
+++ b/config/config_test.go
@@ -497,7 +497,6 @@ func TestConfig_ParserInterfaceNewFormat(t *testing.T) {
 		require.True(t, ok)
 		// Get the parser set with 'SetParser()'
 		if p, ok := input.Parser.(*models.RunningParser); ok {
-			require.NoError(t, p.Init())
 			actual = append(actual, p.Parser)
 		} else {
 			actual = append(actual, input.Parser)
@@ -618,7 +617,6 @@ func TestConfig_ParserInterfaceOldFormat(t *testing.T) {
 		require.True(t, ok)
 		// Get the parser set with 'SetParser()'
 		if p, ok := input.Parser.(*models.RunningParser); ok {
-			require.NoError(t, p.Init())
 			actual = append(actual, p.Parser)
 		} else {
 			actual = append(actual, input.Parser)