diff --git a/CHANGELOG.next.asciidoc b/CHANGELOG.next.asciidoc
index ac7dc75b7fd..43f2c61d86a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.next.asciidoc
+++ b/CHANGELOG.next.asciidoc
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ https://github.com/elastic/beats/compare/v7.0.0...7.0[Check the HEAD diff]
 *Metricbeat*
 
 - Update documentation with cloudwatch:ListMetrics permission. {pull}11987[11987]
+- Avoid generating hints-based configuration with empty hosts when no exposed port is suitable for the hosts hint. {issue}8264[8264] {pull}12086[12086]
 
 *Packetbeat*
 
diff --git a/metricbeat/autodiscover/builder/hints/metrics.go b/metricbeat/autodiscover/builder/hints/metrics.go
index 42b20062c20..2432e60c5f2 100644
--- a/metricbeat/autodiscover/builder/hints/metrics.go
+++ b/metricbeat/autodiscover/builder/hints/metrics.go
@@ -101,7 +101,11 @@ func (m *metricHints) CreateConfig(event bus.Event) []*common.Config {
 		return config
 	}
 
-	hsts := m.getHostsWithPort(hints, port)
+	hosts, ok := m.getHostsWithPort(hints, port)
+	if !ok {
+		return config
+	}
+
 	ns := m.getNamespace(hints)
 	msets := m.getMetricSets(hints, mod)
 	tout := m.getTimeout(hints)
@@ -112,7 +116,7 @@ func (m *metricHints) CreateConfig(event bus.Event) []*common.Config {
 	moduleConfig := common.MapStr{
 		"module":     mod,
 		"metricsets": msets,
-		"hosts":      hsts,
+		"hosts":      hosts,
 		"timeout":    tout,
 		"period":     ival,
 		"enabled":    true,
@@ -161,7 +165,7 @@ func (m *metricHints) getMetricSets(hints common.MapStr, module string) []string
 	return msets
 }
 
-func (m *metricHints) getHostsWithPort(hints common.MapStr, port int) []string {
+func (m *metricHints) getHostsWithPort(hints common.MapStr, port int) ([]string, bool) {
 	var result []string
 	thosts := builder.GetHintAsList(hints, m.Key, hosts)
 
@@ -175,7 +179,12 @@ func (m *metricHints) getHostsWithPort(hints common.MapStr, port int) []string {
 		}
 	}
 
-	return result
+	if len(thosts) > 0 && len(result) == 0 {
+		logp.Debug("hints.builder", "no hosts selected for port %d with hints: %+v", port, thosts)
+		return nil, false
+	}
+
+	return result, true
 }
 
 func (m *metricHints) getNamespace(hints common.MapStr) string {
diff --git a/metricbeat/autodiscover/builder/hints/metrics_test.go b/metricbeat/autodiscover/builder/hints/metrics_test.go
index 00019f0cbc2..1f3d37c86bf 100644
--- a/metricbeat/autodiscover/builder/hints/metrics_test.go
+++ b/metricbeat/autodiscover/builder/hints/metrics_test.go
@@ -67,6 +67,65 @@ func TestGenerateHints(t *testing.T) {
 			len:    0,
 			result: common.MapStr{},
 		},
+		{
+			message: "Hints without matching port should return nothing",
+			event: bus.Event{
+				"host": "1.2.3.4",
+				"port": 9090,
+				"hints": common.MapStr{
+					"metrics": common.MapStr{
+						"module": "mockmoduledefaults",
+						"hosts":  "${data.host}:8888",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			len:    0,
+			result: common.MapStr{},
+		},
+		{
+			message: "Hints with multiple hosts return only the matching one",
+			event: bus.Event{
+				"host": "1.2.3.4",
+				"port": 9090,
+				"hints": common.MapStr{
+					"metrics": common.MapStr{
+						"module": "mockmoduledefaults",
+						"hosts":  "${data.host}:8888,${data.host}:9090",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			len: 1,
+			result: common.MapStr{
+				"module":     "mockmoduledefaults",
+				"metricsets": []string{"default"},
+				"timeout":    "3s",
+				"period":     "1m",
+				"enabled":    true,
+				"hosts":      []interface{}{"1.2.3.4:9090"},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			message: "Hints with multiple hosts return only the one with the template",
+			event: bus.Event{
+				"host": "1.2.3.4",
+				"port": 9090,
+				"hints": common.MapStr{
+					"metrics": common.MapStr{
+						"module": "mockmoduledefaults",
+						"hosts":  "${data.host}:8888,${data.host}:${data.port}",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			len: 1,
+			result: common.MapStr{
+				"module":     "mockmoduledefaults",
+				"metricsets": []string{"default"},
+				"timeout":    "3s",
+				"period":     "1m",
+				"enabled":    true,
+				"hosts":      []interface{}{"1.2.3.4:9090"},
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			message: "Only module hint should return all metricsets",
 			event: bus.Event{
@@ -87,7 +146,7 @@ func TestGenerateHints(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 		{
-			message: "metricsets hint works",
+			message: "Metricsets hint works",
 			event: bus.Event{
 				"host": "1.2.3.4",
 				"hints": common.MapStr{