diff --git a/docs/monitoring/cluster-alerts.asciidoc b/docs/monitoring/cluster-alerts.asciidoc
index 15df791ae274..fce76965dd9a 100644
--- a/docs/monitoring/cluster-alerts.asciidoc
+++ b/docs/monitoring/cluster-alerts.asciidoc
@@ -46,8 +46,6 @@ To receive email notifications for the Cluster Alerts:
 
 1. Configure an email account as described in
 {xpack-ref}/actions-email.html#configuring-email[Configuring Email Accounts].
-2. Navigate to the *Management* page in {kib}.
-3. Go to the *Advanced Settings* page, find the `xpack:defaultAdminEmail`
-setting, and enter your email address.
+2. Configure the `xpack.monitoring.cluster_alerts.email_notifications.email_address` setting in `kibana.yml` with your email address.
 
 Email notifications are sent only when Cluster Alerts are triggered and resolved.
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/__tests__/deprecations.js b/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/__tests__/deprecations.js
index 8eb6473cfd31..6b8668b156a8 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/__tests__/deprecations.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/__tests__/deprecations.js
@@ -112,4 +112,66 @@ describe('monitoring plugin deprecations', function () {
     expect(log.called).to.be(false);
   });
 
+  describe('cluster_alerts.email_notifications.email_address', function () {
+    it(`shouldn't log when email notifications are disabled`, function () {
+      const settings = {
+        cluster_alerts: {
+          email_notifications: {
+            enabled: false
+          }
+        }
+      };
+
+      const log = sinon.spy();
+      transformDeprecations(settings, log);
+      expect(log.called).to.be(false);
+    });
+
+    it(`shouldn't log when cluster alerts are disabled`, function () {
+      const settings = {
+        cluster_alerts: {
+          enabled: false,
+          email_notifications: {
+            enabled: true
+          }
+        }
+      };
+
+      const log = sinon.spy();
+      transformDeprecations(settings, log);
+      expect(log.called).to.be(false);
+    });
+
+    it(`shouldn't log when email_address is specified`, function () {
+      const settings = {
+        cluster_alerts: {
+          enabled: true,
+          email_notifications: {
+            enabled: true,
+            email_address: 'foo@bar.com'
+          }
+        }
+      };
+
+      const log = sinon.spy();
+      transformDeprecations(settings, log);
+      expect(log.called).to.be(false);
+    });
+
+    it(`should log when email_address is missing, but alerts/notifications are both enabled`, function () {
+      const settings = {
+        cluster_alerts: {
+          enabled: true,
+          email_notifications: {
+            enabled: true
+          }
+        }
+      };
+
+      const log = sinon.spy();
+      transformDeprecations(settings, log);
+      expect(log.called).to.be(true);
+    });
+  });
+
 });
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/common/constants.js b/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/common/constants.js
index 718606d8b6be..7bc8164130ad 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/common/constants.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/common/constants.js
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ export const CALCULATE_DURATION_UNTIL = 'until';
 /**
  * In order to show ML Jobs tab in the Elasticsearch section / tab navigation, license must be supported
  */
-export const ML_SUPPORTED_LICENSES = [ 'trial', 'platinum' ];
+export const ML_SUPPORTED_LICENSES = ['trial', 'platinum'];
 
 /**
  * Metadata service URLs for the different cloud services that have constant URLs (e.g., unlike GCP, which is a constant prefix).
@@ -135,7 +135,12 @@ export const DEFAULT_NO_DATA_MESSAGE_WITH_FILTER = (
 );
 
 export const TABLE_ACTION_UPDATE_FILTER = 'UPDATE_FILTER';
-export const TABLE_ACTION_RESET_PAGING  = 'RESET_PAGING';
+export const TABLE_ACTION_RESET_PAGING = 'RESET_PAGING';
 
 export const DEBOUNCE_SLOW_MS = 17; // roughly how long it takes to render a frame at 60fps
 export const DEBOUNCE_FAST_MS = 10; // roughly how long it takes to render a frame at 100fps
+
+/**
+ * Configuration key for setting the email address used for cluster alert notifications.
+ */
+export const CLUSTER_ALERTS_ADDRESS_CONFIG_KEY = 'cluster_alerts.email_notifications.email_address';
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/config.js b/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/config.js
index 02ac28728206..431aed95182f 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/config.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/config.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import { XPACK_INFO_API_DEFAULT_POLL_FREQUENCY_IN_MILLIS } from '../../server/li
  */
 export const config = (Joi) => {
   const { array, boolean, number, object, string } = Joi;
-  const DEFAULT_REQUEST_HEADERS = [ 'authorization' ];
+  const DEFAULT_REQUEST_HEADERS = ['authorization'];
 
   return object({
     ccs: object({
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ export const config = (Joi) => {
       enabled: boolean().default(true),
       index: string().default('.monitoring-alerts-6'),
       email_notifications: object({
-        enabled: boolean().default(true)
+        enabled: boolean().default(true),
+        email_address: string().email(),
       }).default()
     }).default(),
     xpack_api_polling_frequency_millis: number().default(XPACK_INFO_API_DEFAULT_POLL_FREQUENCY_IN_MILLIS),
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/deprecations.js b/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/deprecations.js
index 8e882975a29c..a6b91d4a6d60 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/deprecations.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/deprecations.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
  */
 
 import { get, has, set } from 'lodash';
+import { CLUSTER_ALERTS_ADDRESS_CONFIG_KEY } from './common/constants';
 
 /**
  * Re-writes deprecated user-defined config settings and logs warnings as a
@@ -29,12 +30,19 @@ export const deprecations = ({ rename }) => {
       delete settings.elasticsearch.ssl.verify;
 
       log('Config key "xpack.monitoring.elasticsearch.ssl.verify" is deprecated. ' +
-          'It has been replaced with "xpack.monitoring.elasticsearch.ssl.verificationMode"');
+        'It has been replaced with "xpack.monitoring.elasticsearch.ssl.verificationMode"');
     },
     (settings, log) => {
       if (has(settings, 'report_stats')) {
         log('Config key "xpack.monitoring.report_stats" is deprecated and will be removed in 7.0. ' +
-            'Use "xpack.xpack_main.telemetry.enabled" instead.');
+          'Use "xpack.xpack_main.telemetry.enabled" instead.');
+      }
+    },
+    (settings, log) => {
+      const clusterAlertsEnabled = get(settings, 'cluster_alerts.enabled');
+      const emailNotificationsEnabled = clusterAlertsEnabled && get(settings, 'cluster_alerts.email_notifications.enabled');
+      if (emailNotificationsEnabled && !get(settings, CLUSTER_ALERTS_ADDRESS_CONFIG_KEY)) {
+        log(`Config key "${CLUSTER_ALERTS_ADDRESS_CONFIG_KEY}" will be required for email notifications to work in 7.0."`);
       }
     },
   ];
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/server/kibana_monitoring/collectors/__tests__/check_for_email_value.js b/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/server/kibana_monitoring/collectors/__tests__/check_for_email_value.js
index a2bc6f4b9419..4189903684a9 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/server/kibana_monitoring/collectors/__tests__/check_for_email_value.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/server/kibana_monitoring/collectors/__tests__/check_for_email_value.js
@@ -8,27 +8,31 @@ import expect from 'expect.js';
 import { checkForEmailValue } from '../get_settings_collector';
 
 describe('getSettingsCollector / checkForEmailValue', () => {
+  const mockLogger = {
+    warn: () => { }
+  };
+
   it('ignores shouldUseNull=true value and returns email if email value if one is set', async () => {
     const shouldUseNull = true;
     const getDefaultAdminEmailMock = () => 'test@elastic.co';
-    expect(await checkForEmailValue(undefined, undefined, shouldUseNull, getDefaultAdminEmailMock)).to.be('test@elastic.co');
+    expect(await checkForEmailValue(undefined, undefined, mockLogger, shouldUseNull, getDefaultAdminEmailMock)).to.be('test@elastic.co');
   });
 
   it('ignores shouldUseNull=false value and returns email if email value if one is set', async () => {
     const shouldUseNull = false;
     const getDefaultAdminEmailMock = () => 'test@elastic.co';
-    expect(await checkForEmailValue(undefined, undefined, shouldUseNull, getDefaultAdminEmailMock)).to.be('test@elastic.co');
+    expect(await checkForEmailValue(undefined, undefined, mockLogger, shouldUseNull, getDefaultAdminEmailMock)).to.be('test@elastic.co');
   });
 
   it('returns a null if no email value is set and null is allowed', async () => {
     const shouldUseNull = true;
     const getDefaultAdminEmailMock = () => null;
-    expect(await checkForEmailValue(undefined, undefined, shouldUseNull, getDefaultAdminEmailMock)).to.be(null);
+    expect(await checkForEmailValue(undefined, undefined, mockLogger, shouldUseNull, getDefaultAdminEmailMock)).to.be(null);
   });
 
   it('returns undefined if no email value is set and null is not allowed', async () => {
     const shouldUseNull = false;
     const getDefaultAdminEmailMock = () => null;
-    expect(await checkForEmailValue(undefined, undefined, shouldUseNull, getDefaultAdminEmailMock)).to.be(undefined);
+    expect(await checkForEmailValue(undefined, undefined, mockLogger, shouldUseNull, getDefaultAdminEmailMock)).to.be(undefined);
   });
 });
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/server/kibana_monitoring/collectors/__tests__/get_default_admin_email.js b/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/server/kibana_monitoring/collectors/__tests__/get_default_admin_email.js
index 7796cb9621d7..434f6bc41f58 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/server/kibana_monitoring/collectors/__tests__/get_default_admin_email.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/server/kibana_monitoring/collectors/__tests__/get_default_admin_email.js
@@ -9,16 +9,23 @@ import sinon from 'sinon';
 import { set } from 'lodash';
 
 import { XPACK_DEFAULT_ADMIN_EMAIL_UI_SETTING } from '../../../../../../server/lib/constants';
-import { getDefaultAdminEmail } from '../get_settings_collector';
+import { getDefaultAdminEmail, resetDeprecationWarning } from '../get_settings_collector';
+import { CLUSTER_ALERTS_ADDRESS_CONFIG_KEY } from '../../../../common/constants';
 
 describe('getSettingsCollector / getDefaultAdminEmail', () => {
-  function setup({ enabled = true, docExists = true, adminEmail = 'admin@email.com' }) {
+  function setup({ enabled = true, docExists = true, defaultAdminEmail = 'default-admin@email.com', adminEmail = null }) {
     const config = { get: sinon.stub() };
 
     config.get
       .withArgs('xpack.monitoring.cluster_alerts.email_notifications.enabled')
       .returns(enabled);
 
+    if (adminEmail) {
+      config.get
+        .withArgs(`xpack.monitoring.${CLUSTER_ALERTS_ADDRESS_CONFIG_KEY}`)
+        .returns(adminEmail);
+    }
+
     config.get
       .withArgs('kibana.index')
       .returns('.kibana');
@@ -29,8 +36,8 @@ describe('getSettingsCollector / getDefaultAdminEmail', () => {
 
     const doc = {};
     if (docExists) {
-      if (adminEmail) {
-        set(doc, ['_source', 'config', XPACK_DEFAULT_ADMIN_EMAIL_UI_SETTING], adminEmail);
+      if (defaultAdminEmail) {
+        set(doc, ['_source', 'config', XPACK_DEFAULT_ADMIN_EMAIL_UI_SETTING], defaultAdminEmail);
       } else {
         set(doc, '_source.config', {});
       }
@@ -46,41 +53,131 @@ describe('getSettingsCollector / getDefaultAdminEmail', () => {
       }))
       .returns(doc);
 
+    const log = {
+      warn: sinon.stub()
+    };
+
     return {
       config,
-      callCluster
+      callCluster,
+      log,
     };
   }
 
-  describe('xpack.monitoring.cluster_alerts.email_notifications.enabled = false', () => {
-    it('returns null', async () => {
-      const { config, callCluster } = setup({ enabled: false });
-      expect(await getDefaultAdminEmail(config, callCluster)).to.be(null);
-      sinon.assert.notCalled(callCluster);
+  describe('using xpack:defaultAdminEmail', () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      resetDeprecationWarning();
+    });
+
+    describe('xpack.monitoring.cluster_alerts.email_notifications.enabled = false', () => {
+
+      it('returns null', async () => {
+        const { config, callCluster, log } = setup({ enabled: false });
+        expect(await getDefaultAdminEmail(config, callCluster, log)).to.be(null);
+        sinon.assert.notCalled(callCluster);
+      });
+
+      it('does not log a deprecation warning', async () => {
+        const { config, callCluster, log } = setup({ enabled: false });
+        await getDefaultAdminEmail(config, callCluster, log);
+        sinon.assert.notCalled(log.warn);
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe('doc does not exist', () => {
+      it('returns null', async () => {
+        const { config, callCluster, log } = setup({ docExists: false });
+        expect(await getDefaultAdminEmail(config, callCluster, log)).to.be(null);
+        sinon.assert.calledOnce(callCluster);
+      });
+
+      it('logs a deprecation warning', async () => {
+        const { config, callCluster, log } = setup({ docExists: false });
+        await getDefaultAdminEmail(config, callCluster, log);
+        sinon.assert.calledOnce(log.warn);
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe('value is not defined', () => {
+      it('returns null', async () => {
+        const { config, callCluster, log } = setup({ defaultAdminEmail: false });
+        expect(await getDefaultAdminEmail(config, callCluster, log)).to.be(null);
+        sinon.assert.calledOnce(callCluster);
+      });
+
+      it('logs a deprecation warning', async () => {
+        const { config, callCluster, log } = setup({ defaultAdminEmail: false });
+        await getDefaultAdminEmail(config, callCluster, log);
+        sinon.assert.calledOnce(log.warn);
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe('value is defined', () => {
+      it('returns value', async () => {
+        const { config, callCluster, log } = setup({ defaultAdminEmail: 'hello@world' });
+        expect(await getDefaultAdminEmail(config, callCluster, log)).to.be('hello@world');
+        sinon.assert.calledOnce(callCluster);
+      });
+
+      it('logs a deprecation warning', async () => {
+        const { config, callCluster, log } = setup({ defaultAdminEmail: 'hello@world' });
+        await getDefaultAdminEmail(config, callCluster, log);
+        sinon.assert.calledOnce(log.warn);
+      });
     });
   });
 
-  describe('doc does not exist', () => {
-    it('returns null', async () => {
-      const { config, callCluster } = setup({ docExists: false });
-      expect(await getDefaultAdminEmail(config, callCluster)).to.be(null);
-      sinon.assert.calledOnce(callCluster);
+  describe('using xpack.monitoring.cluster_alerts.email_notifications.email_address', () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      resetDeprecationWarning();
     });
-  });
 
-  describe('value is not defined', () => {
-    it('returns null', async () => {
-      const { config, callCluster } = setup({ adminEmail: false });
-      expect(await getDefaultAdminEmail(config, callCluster)).to.be(null);
-      sinon.assert.calledOnce(callCluster);
+    describe('xpack.monitoring.cluster_alerts.email_notifications.enabled = false', () => {
+      it('returns null', async () => {
+        const { config, callCluster, log } = setup({ enabled: false });
+        expect(await getDefaultAdminEmail(config, callCluster, log)).to.be(null);
+        sinon.assert.notCalled(callCluster);
+      });
+
+      it('does not log a deprecation warning', async () => {
+        const { config, callCluster, log } = setup({ enabled: false });
+        await getDefaultAdminEmail(config, callCluster, log);
+        sinon.assert.notCalled(log.warn);
+      });
     });
-  });
 
-  describe('value is defined', () => {
-    it('returns value', async () => {
-      const { config, callCluster } = setup({ adminEmail: 'hello@world' });
-      expect(await getDefaultAdminEmail(config, callCluster)).to.be('hello@world');
-      sinon.assert.calledOnce(callCluster);
+    describe('value is not defined', () => {
+      it('returns value from xpack:defaultAdminEmail', async () => {
+        const { config, callCluster, log } = setup({
+          defaultAdminEmail: 'default-admin@email.com',
+          adminEmail: false
+        });
+        expect(await getDefaultAdminEmail(config, callCluster, log)).to.be('default-admin@email.com');
+        sinon.assert.calledOnce(callCluster);
+      });
+
+      it('logs a deprecation warning', async () => {
+        const { config, callCluster, log } = setup({
+          defaultAdminEmail: 'default-admin@email.com',
+          adminEmail: false
+        });
+        await getDefaultAdminEmail(config, callCluster, log);
+        sinon.assert.calledOnce(log.warn);
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe('value is defined', () => {
+      it('returns value', async () => {
+        const { config, callCluster, log } = setup({ adminEmail: 'hello@world' });
+        expect(await getDefaultAdminEmail(config, callCluster, log)).to.be('hello@world');
+        sinon.assert.notCalled(callCluster);
+      });
+
+      it('does not log a deprecation warning', async () => {
+        const { config, callCluster, log } = setup({ adminEmail: 'hello@world' });
+        await getDefaultAdminEmail(config, callCluster, log);
+        sinon.assert.notCalled(log.warn);
+      });
     });
   });
 });
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/server/kibana_monitoring/collectors/get_settings_collector.js b/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/server/kibana_monitoring/collectors/get_settings_collector.js
index c0793a4bb6b9..0deafc2c4982 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/server/kibana_monitoring/collectors/get_settings_collector.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/monitoring/server/kibana_monitoring/collectors/get_settings_collector.js
@@ -6,24 +6,48 @@
 
 import { get } from 'lodash';
 import { XPACK_DEFAULT_ADMIN_EMAIL_UI_SETTING } from '../../../../../server/lib/constants';
-import { KIBANA_SETTINGS_TYPE } from '../../../common/constants';
+import { CLUSTER_ALERTS_ADDRESS_CONFIG_KEY, KIBANA_SETTINGS_TYPE } from '../../../common/constants';
+
+let loggedDeprecationWarning = false;
+
+export function resetDeprecationWarning() {
+  loggedDeprecationWarning = false;
+}
 
 /*
  * Check if Cluster Alert email notifications is enabled in config
  * If so, use uiSettings API to fetch the X-Pack default admin email
  */
-export async function getDefaultAdminEmail(config, callCluster) {
+export async function getDefaultAdminEmail(config, callCluster, log) {
   if (!config.get('xpack.monitoring.cluster_alerts.email_notifications.enabled')) {
     return null;
   }
 
+  const emailAddressConfigKey = `xpack.monitoring.${CLUSTER_ALERTS_ADDRESS_CONFIG_KEY}`;
+  const configuredEmailAddress = config.get(emailAddressConfigKey);
+
+  if (configuredEmailAddress) {
+    return configuredEmailAddress;
+  }
+
+  // DEPRECATED (Remove below in 7.0): If an email address is not configured in kibana.yml, then fallback to xpack:defaultAdminEmail
+  if (!loggedDeprecationWarning) {
+    const message = (
+      `Monitoring is using ${XPACK_DEFAULT_ADMIN_EMAIL_UI_SETTING} for cluster alert notifications, ` +
+      `which will not be supported in Kibana 7.0. Please configure ${emailAddressConfigKey} in your kibana.yml settings`
+    );
+
+    log.warn(message);
+    loggedDeprecationWarning = true;
+  }
+
   const index = config.get('kibana.index');
   const version = config.get('pkg.version');
   const uiSettingsDoc = await callCluster('get', {
     index,
     type: 'doc',
     id: `config:${version}`,
-    ignore: [ 400, 404 ] // 400 if the index is closed, 404 if it does not exist
+    ignore: [400, 404] // 400 if the index is closed, 404 if it does not exist
   });
 
   return get(uiSettingsDoc, ['_source', 'config', XPACK_DEFAULT_ADMIN_EMAIL_UI_SETTING], null);
@@ -35,10 +59,11 @@ let shouldUseNull = true;
 export async function checkForEmailValue(
   config,
   callCluster,
+  log,
   _shouldUseNull = shouldUseNull,
   _getDefaultAdminEmail = getDefaultAdminEmail
 ) {
-  const defaultAdminEmail = await _getDefaultAdminEmail(config, callCluster);
+  const defaultAdminEmail = await _getDefaultAdminEmail(config, callCluster, log);
 
   // Allow null so clearing the advanced setting will be reflected in the data
   const isAcceptableNull = defaultAdminEmail === null && _shouldUseNull;
@@ -61,7 +86,7 @@ export function getSettingsCollector(server) {
     type: KIBANA_SETTINGS_TYPE,
     async fetch(callCluster) {
       let kibanaSettingsData;
-      const defaultAdminEmail = await checkForEmailValue(config, callCluster);
+      const defaultAdminEmail = await checkForEmailValue(config, callCluster, this.log);
 
       // skip everything if defaultAdminEmail === undefined
       if (defaultAdminEmail || (defaultAdminEmail === null && shouldUseNull)) {