diff --git a/changelogs/head.asciidoc b/changelogs/head.asciidoc
index 8d9d6b48c18..d1cb19979a2 100644
--- a/changelogs/head.asciidoc
+++ b/changelogs/head.asciidoc
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ https://github.com/elastic/apm-server/compare/8.6\...main[View commits]
 - `transaction.success_count` has been moved to `event.success_count` {pull}9819[9819]
 - Stop indexing transaction metrics to `metrics-apm.internal` {pull}9846[9846]
 - Stop indexing span destination metrics to `metrics-apm.internal` {pull}9926[9926]
+- Service metrics and service summary aggregations are always enabled {pull}9926[9926]
 
 [float]
 ==== Deprecations
diff --git a/internal/beater/config/aggregation.go b/internal/beater/config/aggregation.go
index 4cf0fee75ff..938a9800228 100644
--- a/internal/beater/config/aggregation.go
+++ b/internal/beater/config/aggregation.go
@@ -45,9 +45,8 @@ type ServiceDestinationAggregationConfig struct {
 
 // ServiceAggregationConfig holds configuration related to service metrics aggregation.
 type ServiceAggregationConfig struct {
-	Enabled                        bool `config:"enabled"`
-	MaxGroups                      int  `config:"max_groups"` // if <= 0 then will be set based on memory limits
-	HDRHistogramSignificantFigures int  `config:"hdrhistogram_significant_figures" validate:"min=1, max=5"`
+	MaxGroups                      int `config:"max_groups"` // if <= 0 then will be set based on memory limits
+	HDRHistogramSignificantFigures int `config:"hdrhistogram_significant_figures" validate:"min=1, max=5"`
 }
 
 func defaultAggregationConfig() AggregationConfig {
@@ -59,10 +58,6 @@ func defaultAggregationConfig() AggregationConfig {
 			MaxGroups: defaultServiceDestinationAggregationMaxGroups,
 		},
 		Service: ServiceAggregationConfig{
-			// NOTE(axw) service metrics are in technical preview,
-			// disabled by default. Once proven, they may be always
-			// enabled in a future release, without configuration.
-			Enabled:                        false,
 			HDRHistogramSignificantFigures: defaultServiceAggregationHDRHistogramSignificantFigures,
 		},
 	}
diff --git a/x-pack/apm-server/main.go b/x-pack/apm-server/main.go
index 27014fbd54b..aba0f3e5e2b 100644
--- a/x-pack/apm-server/main.go
+++ b/x-pack/apm-server/main.go
@@ -137,34 +137,32 @@ func newProcessors(args beater.ServerParams) ([]namedProcessor, error) {
 	}
 	processors = append(processors, namedProcessor{name: spanName, processor: spanAggregator})
 
-	if args.Config.Aggregation.Service.Enabled {
-		const serviceName = "service metrics aggregation"
-		args.Logger.Infof("creating %s with config: %+v", serviceName, args.Config.Aggregation.Service)
-		serviceAggregator, err := servicemetrics.NewAggregator(servicemetrics.AggregatorConfig{
-			BatchProcessor:                 args.BatchProcessor,
-			Interval:                       metricsInterval,
-			RollUpIntervals:                rollUpMetricsIntervals,
-			MaxGroups:                      args.Config.Aggregation.Service.MaxGroups,
-			HDRHistogramSignificantFigures: args.Config.Aggregation.Service.HDRHistogramSignificantFigures,
-		})
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "error creating %s", serviceName)
-		}
-		processors = append(processors, namedProcessor{name: serviceName, processor: serviceAggregator})
-
-		const serviceSummaryName = "service summary aggregation"
-		args.Logger.Infof("creating %s with config: %+v", serviceSummaryName, args.Config.Aggregation.Service)
-		serviceSummaryAggregator, err := servicesummarymetrics.NewAggregator(servicesummarymetrics.AggregatorConfig{
-			BatchProcessor:  args.BatchProcessor,
-			Interval:        metricsInterval,
-			RollUpIntervals: rollUpMetricsIntervals,
-			MaxGroups:       args.Config.Aggregation.Service.MaxGroups,
-		})
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "error creating %s", serviceSummaryName)
-		}
-		processors = append(processors, namedProcessor{name: serviceSummaryName, processor: serviceSummaryAggregator})
+	const serviceName = "service metrics aggregation"
+	args.Logger.Infof("creating %s with config: %+v", serviceName, args.Config.Aggregation.Service)
+	serviceAggregator, err := servicemetrics.NewAggregator(servicemetrics.AggregatorConfig{
+		BatchProcessor:                 args.BatchProcessor,
+		Interval:                       metricsInterval,
+		RollUpIntervals:                rollUpMetricsIntervals,
+		MaxGroups:                      args.Config.Aggregation.Service.MaxGroups,
+		HDRHistogramSignificantFigures: args.Config.Aggregation.Service.HDRHistogramSignificantFigures,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "error creating %s", serviceName)
+	}
+	processors = append(processors, namedProcessor{name: serviceName, processor: serviceAggregator})
+
+	const serviceSummaryName = "service summary aggregation"
+	args.Logger.Infof("creating %s with config: %+v", serviceSummaryName, args.Config.Aggregation.Service)
+	serviceSummaryAggregator, err := servicesummarymetrics.NewAggregator(servicesummarymetrics.AggregatorConfig{
+		BatchProcessor:  args.BatchProcessor,
+		Interval:        metricsInterval,
+		RollUpIntervals: rollUpMetricsIntervals,
+		MaxGroups:       args.Config.Aggregation.Service.MaxGroups,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "error creating %s", serviceSummaryName)
 	}
+	processors = append(processors, namedProcessor{name: serviceSummaryName, processor: serviceSummaryAggregator})
 
 	if args.Config.Sampling.Tail.Enabled {
 		const name = "tail sampler"