diff --git a/manifests/guestagent.pp b/manifests/guestagent.pp
index 07b577b3..6c3db5f1 100644
--- a/manifests/guestagent.pp
+++ b/manifests/guestagent.pp
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 #
 # [*enabled*]
 #   (optional) Whether to enable the trove guest agent service
-#   Defaults to true
+#   Defaults to false
 #
 # [*manage_service*]
 #   (optional) Whether to start/stop the service
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@
 #   Defaults to undef.
 #
 class trove::guestagent(
-  $enabled                 = true,
+  $enabled                 = false,
   $manage_service          = true,
   $package_ensure          = 'present',
   $debug                   = $::os_service_default,
diff --git a/manifests/taskmanager.pp b/manifests/taskmanager.pp
index 6a926d6d..61e73653 100644
--- a/manifests/taskmanager.pp
+++ b/manifests/taskmanager.pp
@@ -128,10 +128,7 @@ Please configure options directly with the trove::guestagent class using hiera."
         require => Anchor['trove::install::end'],
       }
     } else {
-      class {'trove::guestagent':
-        enabled        => false,
-        manage_service => false,
-      }
+      include trove::guestagent
     }
 
     trove_config {
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/guestagent-disable-service-3c4100c486de4c2e.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/guestagent-disable-service-3c4100c486de4c2e.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..08e26c35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/guestagent-disable-service-3c4100c486de4c2e.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    Now the ``trove-guestagent`` service is disabled by default, because this
+    service should be run in instances instead of in hosts. The service can be
+    still enabled by setting the ``trove::guestagent::enabled`` parameter to
+    ``true`` but this requires careful consideration.
diff --git a/spec/classes/trove_guestagent_spec.rb b/spec/classes/trove_guestagent_spec.rb
index 38a08033..ab0e13fb 100644
--- a/spec/classes/trove_guestagent_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/trove_guestagent_spec.rb
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@ describe 'trove::guestagent' do
       it 'installs trove-guestagent package and service' do
         is_expected.to contain_service('trove-guestagent').with(
           :name      => platform_params[:guestagent_service_name],
-          :ensure    => 'running',
+          :ensure    => 'stopped',
           :hasstatus => true,
-          :enable    => true
+          :enable    => false
         )
         is_expected.to contain_package('trove-guestagent').with(
           :name   => platform_params[:guestagent_package_name],
diff --git a/spec/classes/trove_taskmanager_spec.rb b/spec/classes/trove_taskmanager_spec.rb
index 21e7cca4..fa40522d 100644
--- a/spec/classes/trove_taskmanager_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/trove_taskmanager_spec.rb
@@ -62,10 +62,7 @@ describe 'trove::taskmanager' do
       end
 
       it 'configures trove-taskmanager with trove::guestagent' do
-        is_expected.to contain_class('trove::guestagent').with(
-          :enabled         => false,
-          :manage_service  => false,
-        )
+        is_expected.to contain_class('trove::guestagent')
       end
     end
   end