diff --git a/plugins/inputs/proxmox/README.md b/plugins/inputs/proxmox/README.md
index 24e39ade2..db9f57e97 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/proxmox/README.md
+++ b/plugins/inputs/proxmox/README.md
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ Telegraf minimum version: Telegraf 1.16.0
   ## API connection configuration. The API token was introduced in Proxmox v6.2. Required permissions for user and token: PVEAuditor role on /.
   base_url = "https://localhost:8006/api2/json"
   api_token = "USER@REALM!TOKENID=UUID"
-  ## Optional node name config
-  # node_name = "localhost"
+  ## Node name, defaults to OS hostname
+  # node_name = ""
 
   ## Optional TLS Config
   # tls_ca = "/etc/telegraf/ca.pem"
diff --git a/plugins/inputs/proxmox/proxmox.go b/plugins/inputs/proxmox/proxmox.go
index 7c1435684..810c45c58 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/proxmox/proxmox.go
+++ b/plugins/inputs/proxmox/proxmox.go
@@ -3,19 +3,22 @@ package proxmox
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
-	"github.com/influxdata/telegraf"
-	"github.com/influxdata/telegraf/plugins/inputs"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/influxdata/telegraf"
+	"github.com/influxdata/telegraf/plugins/inputs"
 )
 
 var sampleConfig = `
   ## API connection configuration. The API token was introduced in Proxmox v6.2. Required permissions for user and token: PVEAuditor role on /.
   base_url = "https://localhost:8006/api2/json"
   api_token = "USER@REALM!TOKENID=UUID"
+  ## Node name, defaults to OS hostname
+  # node_name = ""
 
   ## Optional TLS Config
   # tls_ca = "/etc/telegraf/ca.pem"
@@ -49,9 +52,10 @@ func (px *Proxmox) Gather(acc telegraf.Accumulator) error {
 }
 
 func (px *Proxmox) Init() error {
-
+	// Set hostname as default node name for backwards compatibility
 	if px.NodeName == "" {
-		return errors.New("node_name must be configured")
+		hostname, _ := os.Hostname()
+		px.NodeName = hostname
 	}
 
 	tlsCfg, err := px.ClientConfig.TLSConfig()
@@ -69,15 +73,11 @@ func (px *Proxmox) Init() error {
 }
 
 func init() {
-	px := Proxmox{
-		requestFunction: performRequest,
-	}
-
-	// Set hostname as default node name for backwards compatibility
-	hostname, _ := os.Hostname()
-	px.NodeName = hostname
-
-	inputs.Add("proxmox", func() telegraf.Input { return &px })
+	inputs.Add("proxmox", func() telegraf.Input {
+		return &Proxmox{
+			requestFunction: performRequest,
+		}
+	})
 }
 
 func getNodeSearchDomain(px *Proxmox) error {
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ func getNodeSearchDomain(px *Proxmox) error {
 	}
 
 	if nodeDns.Data.Searchdomain == "" {
-		return errors.New("node_name not found")
+		return errors.New("search domain is not set")
 	}
 	px.nodeSearchDomain = nodeDns.Data.Searchdomain
 
@@ -141,20 +141,28 @@ func gatherVmData(px *Proxmox, acc telegraf.Accumulator, rt ResourceType) {
 	for _, vmStat := range vmStats.Data {
 		vmConfig, err := getVmConfig(px, vmStat.ID, rt)
 		if err != nil {
-			px.Log.Error("Error getting VM config: %v", err)
+			px.Log.Errorf("Error getting VM config: %v", err)
 			return
 		}
+
+		if vmConfig.Data.Template == 1 {
+			px.Log.Debugf("Ignoring template VM %s (%s)", vmStat.ID, vmStat.Name)
+			continue
+		}
+
 		tags := getTags(px, vmStat.Name, vmConfig, rt)
 		currentVMStatus, err := getCurrentVMStatus(px, rt, vmStat.ID)
 		if err != nil {
-			px.Log.Error("Error getting VM curent VM status: %v", err)
+			px.Log.Errorf("Error getting VM curent VM status: %v", err)
 			return
 		}
+
 		fields, err := getFields(currentVMStatus)
 		if err != nil {
-			px.Log.Error("Error getting VM measurements: %v", err)
+			px.Log.Errorf("Error getting VM measurements: %v", err)
 			return
 		}
+
 		acc.AddFields("proxmox", fields, tags)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/plugins/inputs/proxmox/proxmox_test.go b/plugins/inputs/proxmox/proxmox_test.go
index 524a105e7..226705329 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/proxmox/proxmox_test.go
+++ b/plugins/inputs/proxmox/proxmox_test.go
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 package proxmox
 
 import (
-	"github.com/bmizerany/assert"
-	"github.com/influxdata/telegraf/testutil"
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"net/url"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/bmizerany/assert"
+	"github.com/influxdata/telegraf/testutil"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
 var nodeSearchDomainTestData = `{"data":{"search":"test.example.com","dns1":"1.0.0.1"}}`
diff --git a/plugins/inputs/proxmox/structs.go b/plugins/inputs/proxmox/structs.go
index 461e71d76..b137603ea 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/proxmox/structs.go
+++ b/plugins/inputs/proxmox/structs.go
@@ -2,11 +2,12 @@ package proxmox
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/url"
+
 	"github.com/influxdata/telegraf"
 	"github.com/influxdata/telegraf/internal"
 	"github.com/influxdata/telegraf/plugins/common/tls"
-	"net/http"
-	"net/url"
 )
 
 type Proxmox struct {
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ type VmConfig struct {
 	Data struct {
 		Searchdomain string `json:"searchdomain"`
 		Hostname     string `json:"hostname"`
+		Template     int    `json:"template"`
 	} `json:"data"`
 }