diff --git a/x-pack/filebeat/input/awss3/acks.go b/x-pack/filebeat/input/awss3/acks.go
index f4817f06db81..a3850c01e87a 100644
--- a/x-pack/filebeat/input/awss3/acks.go
+++ b/x-pack/filebeat/input/awss3/acks.go
@@ -93,7 +93,9 @@ func (ah *awsACKHandler) run() {
 			// Run finalization asynchronously so we don't block the SQS worker
 			// or the queue by ignoring the ack handler's input channels. Ordering
 			// is no longer important at this point.
-			go result.ackCallback()
+			if result.ackCallback != nil {
+				go result.ackCallback()
+			}
 		}
 
 		// If the input is closed and all acks are completed, we're done
diff --git a/x-pack/filebeat/input/awss3/input_benchmark_test.go b/x-pack/filebeat/input/awss3/input_benchmark_test.go
index ce3708fb16be..6d8288ceafad 100644
--- a/x-pack/filebeat/input/awss3/input_benchmark_test.go
+++ b/x-pack/filebeat/input/awss3/input_benchmark_test.go
@@ -164,10 +164,18 @@ func (c constantS3) ListObjectsPaginator(string, string) s3Pager {
 var _ beat.Pipeline = (*fakePipeline)(nil)
 
 // fakePipeline returns new ackClients.
-type fakePipeline struct{}
+type fakePipeline struct {
+	ackHandler *awsACKHandler
+}
+
+func newFakePipeline() *fakePipeline {
+	return &fakePipeline{ackHandler: newAWSACKHandler()}
+}
 
 func (c *fakePipeline) ConnectWith(beat.ClientConfig) (beat.Client, error) {
-	return &ackClient{}, nil
+	return &ackClient{
+		ackHandler: c.ackHandler,
+	}, nil
 }
 
 func (c *fakePipeline) Connect() (beat.Client, error) {
@@ -177,13 +185,14 @@ func (c *fakePipeline) Connect() (beat.Client, error) {
 var _ beat.Client = (*ackClient)(nil)
 
 // ackClient is a fake beat.Client that ACKs the published messages.
-type ackClient struct{}
+type ackClient struct {
+	ackHandler *awsACKHandler
+}
 
 func (c *ackClient) Close() error { return nil }
 
 func (c *ackClient) Publish(event beat.Event) {
-	// Fake the ACK handling.
-	event.Private.(*awscommon.EventACKTracker).ACK()
+	c.ackHandler.Add(1, nil)
 }
 
 func (c *ackClient) PublishAll(event []beat.Event) {
@@ -216,6 +225,7 @@ func benchmarkInputSQS(t *testing.T, workerCount int) testing.BenchmarkResult {
 		config.NumberOfWorkers = workerCount
 		sqsReader := newSQSReaderInput(config, aws.Config{})
 		sqsReader.log = log.Named("sqs")
+		sqsReader.pipeline = newFakePipeline()
 		sqsReader.metrics = newInputMetrics("test_id", monitoring.NewRegistry(), workerCount)
 		sqsReader.sqs, err = newConstantSQS()
 		require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -306,7 +316,7 @@ func benchmarkInputS3(t *testing.T, numberOfWorkers int) testing.BenchmarkResult
 		client := pubtest.NewChanClientWithCallback(100, func(event beat.Event) {
 			event.Private.(*awscommon.EventACKTracker).ACK()
 		})
-		pipeline := pubtest.PublisherWithClient(client)
+		pipeline := newFakePipeline()
 
 		defer func() {
 			_ = client.Close()