diff --git a/plugins/outputs/http/README.md b/plugins/outputs/http/README.md
index d90192b70..909779262 100644
--- a/plugins/outputs/http/README.md
+++ b/plugins/outputs/http/README.md
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 # HTTP Output Plugin
 
 This plugin sends metrics in a HTTP message encoded using one of the output
-data formats. For data_formats that support batching, metrics are sent in batch format.
+data formats. For data_formats that support batching, metrics are sent in
+batch format by default.
 
 ### Configuration:
 
@@ -49,6 +50,11 @@ data formats. For data_formats that support batching, metrics are sent in batch
   ## https://github.com/influxdata/telegraf/blob/master/docs/DATA_FORMATS_OUTPUT.md
   # data_format = "influx"
 
+  ## Use batch serialization format (default) instead of line based format.
+  ## Batch format is more efficient and should be used unless line based
+  ## format is really needed.
+  # use_batch_format = true
+
   ## HTTP Content-Encoding for write request body, can be set to "gzip" to
   ## compress body or "identity" to apply no encoding.
   # content_encoding = "identity"
diff --git a/plugins/outputs/http/http.go b/plugins/outputs/http/http.go
index c94052ea9..b866c6021 100644
--- a/plugins/outputs/http/http.go
+++ b/plugins/outputs/http/http.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
 	"strings"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/influxdata/telegraf"
 	"github.com/influxdata/telegraf/internal"
@@ -64,6 +63,11 @@ var sampleConfig = `
   ## https://github.com/influxdata/telegraf/blob/master/docs/DATA_FORMATS_OUTPUT.md
   # data_format = "influx"
 
+  ## Use batch serialization format (default) instead of line based format.
+  ## Batch format is more efficient and should be used unless line based
+  ## format is really needed.
+  # use_batch_format = true
+
   ## HTTP Content-Encoding for write request body, can be set to "gzip" to
   ## compress body or "identity" to apply no encoding.
   # content_encoding = "identity"
@@ -80,9 +84,9 @@ var sampleConfig = `
 `
 
 const (
-	defaultClientTimeout = 5 * time.Second
-	defaultContentType   = "text/plain; charset=utf-8"
-	defaultMethod        = http.MethodPost
+	defaultContentType    = "text/plain; charset=utf-8"
+	defaultMethod         = http.MethodPost
+	defaultUseBatchFormat = true
 )
 
 type HTTP struct {
@@ -92,6 +96,7 @@ type HTTP struct {
 	Password        string            `toml:"password"`
 	Headers         map[string]string `toml:"headers"`
 	ContentEncoding string            `toml:"content_encoding"`
+	UseBatchFormat  bool              `toml:"use_batch_format"`
 	httpconfig.HTTPClientConfig
 	Log telegraf.Logger `toml:"-"`
 
@@ -136,12 +141,30 @@ func (h *HTTP) SampleConfig() string {
 }
 
 func (h *HTTP) Write(metrics []telegraf.Metric) error {
-	reqBody, err := h.serializer.SerializeBatch(metrics)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
+	var reqBody []byte
+
+	if h.UseBatchFormat {
+		var err error
+		reqBody, err = h.serializer.SerializeBatch(metrics)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		return h.write(reqBody)
 	}
 
-	return h.write(reqBody)
+	for _, metric := range metrics {
+		var err error
+		reqBody, err = h.serializer.Serialize(metric)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		if err := h.write(reqBody); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (h *HTTP) write(reqBody []byte) error {
@@ -205,8 +228,9 @@ func (h *HTTP) write(reqBody []byte) error {
 func init() {
 	outputs.Add("http", func() telegraf.Output {
 		return &HTTP{
-			Method: defaultMethod,
-			URL:    defaultURL,
+			Method:         defaultMethod,
+			URL:            defaultURL,
+			UseBatchFormat: defaultUseBatchFormat,
 		}
 	})
 }
diff --git a/plugins/outputs/http/http_test.go b/plugins/outputs/http/http_test.go
index d6803eed3..a5fc49b84 100644
--- a/plugins/outputs/http/http_test.go
+++ b/plugins/outputs/http/http_test.go
@@ -15,7 +15,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/influxdata/telegraf/metric"
 	httpconfig "github.com/influxdata/telegraf/plugins/common/http"
 	oauth "github.com/influxdata/telegraf/plugins/common/oauth"
+	"github.com/influxdata/telegraf/plugins/serializers"
 	"github.com/influxdata/telegraf/plugins/serializers/influx"
+	"github.com/influxdata/telegraf/plugins/serializers/json"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
@@ -32,6 +34,15 @@ func getMetric() telegraf.Metric {
 	return m
 }
 
+func getMetrics(n int) []telegraf.Metric {
+	m := make([]telegraf.Metric, n)
+	for n > 0 {
+		n--
+		m[n] = getMetric()
+	}
+	return m
+}
+
 func TestInvalidMethod(t *testing.T) {
 	plugin := &HTTP{
 		URL:    "",
@@ -455,3 +466,51 @@ func TestDefaultUserAgent(t *testing.T) {
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 	})
 }
+
+func TestBatchedUnbatched(t *testing.T) {
+	ts := httptest.NewServer(http.NotFoundHandler())
+	defer ts.Close()
+
+	u, err := url.Parse(fmt.Sprintf("http://%s", ts.Listener.Addr().String()))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	client := &HTTP{
+		URL:    u.String(),
+		Method: defaultMethod,
+	}
+
+	var s = map[string]serializers.Serializer{
+		"influx": influx.NewSerializer(),
+		"json": func(s serializers.Serializer, err error) serializers.Serializer {
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			return s
+		}(json.NewSerializer(time.Second, "")),
+	}
+
+	for name, serializer := range s {
+		var requests int
+		ts.Config.Handler = http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+			requests++
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+		})
+
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			for _, mode := range [...]bool{false, true} {
+				requests = 0
+				client.UseBatchFormat = mode
+				client.SetSerializer(serializer)
+
+				err = client.Connect()
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+				err = client.Write(getMetrics(3))
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+
+				if client.UseBatchFormat {
+					require.Equal(t, requests, 1, "batched")
+				} else {
+					require.Equal(t, requests, 3, "unbatched")
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}