diff --git a/plugins/parsers/avro/README.md b/plugins/parsers/avro/README.md
index 36089f441..a36e05915 100644
--- a/plugins/parsers/avro/README.md
+++ b/plugins/parsers/avro/README.md
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ The message is supposed to be encoded as follows:
   ## be used for the measurement timestamp.
   # avro_timestamp = ""
   ## If avro_timestamp is specified, avro_timestamp_format must be set
-  ## to one of 'unix', 'unix_ms', 'unix_us', or 'unix_ns'
+  ## to one of 'unix', 'unix_ms', 'unix_us', or 'unix_ns'.  It will
+  ## default to 'unix'.
   # avro_timestamp_format = "unix"
 
   ## Used to separate parts of array structures.  As above, the default
diff --git a/plugins/parsers/avro/parser.go b/plugins/parsers/avro/parser.go
index 44011581c..0b7d95dc9 100644
--- a/plugins/parsers/avro/parser.go
+++ b/plugins/parsers/avro/parser.go
@@ -53,13 +53,13 @@ func (p *Parser) Init() error {
 	if (p.Schema == "" && p.SchemaRegistry == "") || (p.Schema != "" && p.SchemaRegistry != "") {
 		return errors.New("exactly one of 'schema_registry' or 'schema' must be specified")
 	}
-	if p.TimestampFormat == "" {
-		if p.Timestamp != "" {
-			return errors.New("if 'timestamp' field is specified, 'timestamp_format' must be as well")
-		}
-		if p.TimestampFormat != "unix" && p.TimestampFormat != "unix_us" && p.TimestampFormat != "unix_ms" && p.TimestampFormat != "unix_ns" {
-			return fmt.Errorf("invalid timestamp format '%v'", p.TimestampFormat)
-		}
+	switch p.TimestampFormat {
+	case "":
+		p.TimestampFormat = "unix"
+	case "unix", "unix_ns", "unix_us", "unix_ms":
+		// Valid values
+	default:
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid timestamp format '%v'", p.TimestampFormat)
 	}
 	if p.SchemaRegistry != "" {
 		p.registryObj = newSchemaRegistry(p.SchemaRegistry)
diff --git a/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/bad-timestamp-format/expected.err b/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/bad-timestamp-format/expected.err
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a0674214f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/bad-timestamp-format/expected.err
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+could not instantiate parser: invalid timestamp format 'unix_ps'
diff --git a/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/bad-timestamp-format/expected.out b/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/bad-timestamp-format/expected.out
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/bad-timestamp-format/message.avro b/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/bad-timestamp-format/message.avro
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/bad-timestamp-format/telegraf.conf b/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/bad-timestamp-format/telegraf.conf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b4a89fad7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/bad-timestamp-format/telegraf.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+[[ inputs.file ]]
+  files = ["./testdata/bad-timestamp-format/message.avro"]
+  data_format = "avro"
+
+  avro_measurement = "measurement"
+  avro_tags = [ "tag" ]
+  avro_timestamp = "timestamp"
+  avro_timestamp_format = "unix_ps"
+  avro_schema = '''
+{
+  "type":"record",
+  "name":"Value",
+  "namespace":"com.example",
+  "fields":[
+      {
+	  "name":"tag",
+	  "type":"string"
+      },
+      {
+	  "name":"field",
+	  "type":"long"
+      },
+      {
+	  "name":"timestamp",
+	  "type":"long"
+      }
+  ]
+}
+'''	
diff --git a/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/no-timestamp-format/expected.err b/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/no-timestamp-format/expected.err
deleted file mode 100644
index 8bebe6fb3..000000000
--- a/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/no-timestamp-format/expected.err
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-could not instantiate parser: if 'timestamp' field is specified, 'timestamp_format' must be as well
diff --git a/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/no-timestamp-format/expected.out b/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/no-timestamp-format/expected.out
index e69de29bb..c831d4ad4 100644
--- a/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/no-timestamp-format/expected.out
+++ b/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/no-timestamp-format/expected.out
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+measurement,tag=test_tag field=19i,timestamp=1664296121000000i 1664296121000000
diff --git a/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/no-timestamp-format/message.avro b/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/no-timestamp-format/message.avro
index e69de29bb..5e4d4d9b0 100644
--- a/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/no-timestamp-format/message.avro
+++ b/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/no-timestamp-format/message.avro
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+test_tag&�������
\ No newline at end of file