diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/com/amadeus/dataio/pipes/kafka/streaming/KafkaOutput.scala b/core/src/main/scala/com/amadeus/dataio/pipes/kafka/streaming/KafkaOutput.scala
index 4303c7a..bf69f90 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/com/amadeus/dataio/pipes/kafka/streaming/KafkaOutput.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/com/amadeus/dataio/pipes/kafka/streaming/KafkaOutput.scala
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import scala.util.Try
  */
 case class KafkaOutput(
     brokers: String,
-    topic: String,
+    topic: Option[String],
     trigger: Option[Trigger],
     timeout: Long,
     mode: String,
@@ -42,12 +42,17 @@ case class KafkaOutput(
 
     val queryName = createQueryName()
 
+    var fullOptions = options + ("kafka.bootstrap.servers" -> brokers)
+
+    fullOptions = topic match {
+      case Some(kafkaTopic) => options + ("topic" -> kafkaTopic)
+      case _                => options
+    }
+
     var streamWriter = data.writeStream
       .queryName(queryName)
       .format("kafka")
-      .option("kafka.bootstrap.servers", brokers)
-      .option("topic", topic)
-      .options(options)
+      .options(fullOptions)
       .outputMode(mode)
 
     streamWriter = trigger match {
@@ -68,9 +73,11 @@ case class KafkaOutput(
    */
   private[streaming] def createQueryName(): String = {
 
-    outputName match {
-      case Some(name) => s"QN_${name}_${topic}_${java.util.UUID.randomUUID}"
-      case _          => s"QN_${topic}_${java.util.UUID.randomUUID}"
+    (outputName, topic) match {
+      case (Some(name), Some(kafkaTopic)) => s"QN_${name}_${kafkaTopic}_${java.util.UUID.randomUUID}"
+      case (Some(name), None)             => s"QN_${name}_${java.util.UUID.randomUUID}"
+      case (None, Some(kafkaTopic))       => s"QN_${kafkaTopic}_${java.util.UUID.randomUUID}"
+      case _                              => s"QN_KafkaOutput_${java.util.UUID.randomUUID}"
     }
 
   }
@@ -89,10 +96,7 @@ object KafkaOutput {
    */
   def apply(implicit config: Config): KafkaOutput = {
     val brokers = getBroker
-    val topic = getTopic match {
-      case Some(topicToUse) if topicToUse.nonEmpty => topicToUse
-      case _                                       => throw new IllegalArgumentException("No topic specified for Kafka source")
-    }
+    val topic   = getTopic
 
     val trigger = getStreamingTrigger
 
diff --git a/core/src/test/scala/com/amadeus/dataio/pipes/kafka/streaming/KafkaOutputTest.scala b/core/src/test/scala/com/amadeus/dataio/pipes/kafka/streaming/KafkaOutputTest.scala
index 1dd87e6..3f9f8d1 100644
--- a/core/src/test/scala/com/amadeus/dataio/pipes/kafka/streaming/KafkaOutputTest.scala
+++ b/core/src/test/scala/com/amadeus/dataio/pipes/kafka/streaming/KafkaOutputTest.scala
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class KafkaOutputTest extends AnyWordSpec with Matchers {
 
       kafkaStreamOutput.outputName shouldEqual Some("my-test-kafka-output")
       kafkaStreamOutput.brokers shouldEqual "bktv001:9000, bktv002.amadeus.net:8000"
-      kafkaStreamOutput.topic shouldEqual "test.topic"
+      kafkaStreamOutput.topic shouldEqual Some("test.topic")
       kafkaStreamOutput.trigger shouldEqual Some(Trigger.ProcessingTime(Duration("60 seconds")))
     }
 
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class KafkaOutputTest extends AnyWordSpec with Matchers {
 
       kafkaStreamOutput.outputName shouldEqual None
       kafkaStreamOutput.brokers shouldEqual "bktv001:9000, bktv002.amadeus.net:8000"
-      kafkaStreamOutput.topic shouldEqual "test.topic"
+      kafkaStreamOutput.topic shouldEqual Some("test.topic")
       kafkaStreamOutput.options shouldEqual Map(
         "failOnDataLoss"                   -> "false",
         "maxOffsetsPerTrigger"             -> "20000000",
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ class KafkaOutputTest extends AnyWordSpec with Matchers {
 
       kafkaStreamOutput.outputName shouldEqual None
       kafkaStreamOutput.brokers shouldEqual "bktv001:9000, bktv002.amadeus.net:8000"
-      kafkaStreamOutput.topic shouldEqual "test.topic"
+      kafkaStreamOutput.topic shouldEqual Some("test.topic")
       kafkaStreamOutput.options shouldEqual Map(
         "failOnDataLoss"                   -> "false",
         "maxOffsetsPerTrigger"             -> "20000000",
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ class KafkaOutputTest extends AnyWordSpec with Matchers {
 
       kafkaStreamOutput.outputName shouldEqual None
       kafkaStreamOutput.brokers shouldEqual "bktv001:9000, bktv002.amadeus.net:8000"
-      kafkaStreamOutput.topic shouldEqual "test.topic"
+      kafkaStreamOutput.topic shouldEqual Some("test.topic")
       kafkaStreamOutput.options shouldEqual Map(
         "failOnDataLoss"                   -> "false",
         "maxOffsetsPerTrigger"             -> "20000000",
@@ -139,17 +139,14 @@ class KafkaOutputTest extends AnyWordSpec with Matchers {
       kafkaStreamOutput.trigger shouldEqual None
     }
 
-    "throw an exception given missing topic but pattern" in {
+    "be initialized without topic" in {
 
       val config = ConfigFactory.parseMap(
         Map(
           "Output" -> Map(
             "Type"    -> "com.amadeus.dataio.output.streaming.KafkaOutput",
-            "Name"    -> "my-test-kafka",
             "Brokers" -> "bktv001:9000, bktv002.amadeus.net:8000",
-            "Pattern" -> "test.pattern",
             "Mode"    -> "append",
-            "Trigger" -> "AvailableNow",
             "Timeout" -> "24",
             "Options" -> Map(
               "failOnDataLoss"                       -> "false",
@@ -161,36 +158,18 @@ class KafkaOutputTest extends AnyWordSpec with Matchers {
         )
       )
 
-      intercept[IllegalArgumentException] {
-        KafkaOutput(config.getConfig("Output"))
-      }
-    }
-
-    "throw an exception given missing topic but assign" in {
+      val kafkaStreamOutput = KafkaOutput(config.getConfig("Output"))
 
-      val config = ConfigFactory.parseMap(
-        Map(
-          "Output" -> Map(
-            "Type"     -> "com.amadeus.dataio.output.streaming.KafkaOutput",
-            "Name"     -> "my-test-kafka",
-            "Brokers"  -> "bktv001:9000, bktv002.amadeus.net:8000",
-            "Assign"   -> "test.assign",
-            "Mode"     -> "append",
-            "Duration" -> "60 seconds",
-            "Timeout"  -> "24",
-            "Options" -> Map(
-              "failOnDataLoss"                       -> "false",
-              "maxOffsetsPerTrigger"                 -> "20000000",
-              "\"kafka.security.protocol\""          -> "SASL_PLAINTEXT",
-              "\"kafka.sasl.kerberos.service.name\"" -> "kafka"
-            )
-          )
-        )
+      kafkaStreamOutput.outputName shouldEqual None
+      kafkaStreamOutput.brokers shouldEqual "bktv001:9000, bktv002.amadeus.net:8000"
+      kafkaStreamOutput.topic shouldEqual None
+      kafkaStreamOutput.options shouldEqual Map(
+        "failOnDataLoss"                   -> "false",
+        "maxOffsetsPerTrigger"             -> "20000000",
+        "kafka.security.protocol"          -> "SASL_PLAINTEXT",
+        "kafka.sasl.kerberos.service.name" -> "kafka"
       )
-
-      intercept[IllegalArgumentException] {
-        KafkaOutput(config.getConfig("Output"))
-      }
+      kafkaStreamOutput.trigger shouldEqual None
     }
 
     "throw an exception given missing brokers" in {
@@ -229,7 +208,7 @@ class KafkaOutputTest extends AnyWordSpec with Matchers {
       val kafkaOutput =
         KafkaOutput(
           brokers = "bktv001:9000, bktv002.amadeus.net:8000",
-          topic = "test.topic",
+          topic = Some("test.topic"),
           trigger = Some(Trigger.AvailableNow()),
           timeout = 0,
           mode = "append",
@@ -247,7 +226,7 @@ class KafkaOutputTest extends AnyWordSpec with Matchers {
       val kafkaOutput =
         KafkaOutput(
           brokers = "bktv001:9000, bktv002.amadeus.net:8000",
-          topic = "test.topic",
+          topic = Some("test.topic"),
           trigger = Some(Trigger.AvailableNow()),
           timeout = 0,
           mode = "append",
@@ -259,5 +238,41 @@ class KafkaOutputTest extends AnyWordSpec with Matchers {
       queryName should fullyMatch regex "^QN_myTestOutput_test.topic_" + uuidPattern + "$"
 
     }
+
+    "return a query name based on output name" in {
+
+      val kafkaOutput =
+        KafkaOutput(
+          brokers = "bktv001:9000, bktv002.amadeus.net:8000",
+          topic = None,
+          trigger = Some(Trigger.AvailableNow()),
+          timeout = 0,
+          mode = "append",
+          outputName = Some("myTestOutput")
+        )
+
+      val queryName = kafkaOutput.createQueryName()
+
+      queryName should fullyMatch regex "^QN_myTestOutput_" + uuidPattern + "$"
+
+    }
+
+    "return a query name based without name or topic" in {
+
+      val kafkaOutput =
+        KafkaOutput(
+          brokers = "bktv001:9000, bktv002.amadeus.net:8000",
+          topic = None,
+          trigger = Some(Trigger.AvailableNow()),
+          timeout = 0,
+          mode = "append",
+          outputName = None
+        )
+
+      val queryName = kafkaOutput.createQueryName()
+
+      queryName should fullyMatch regex "^QN_KafkaOutput_" + uuidPattern + "$"
+
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/docs/content/advanced/advanced.md b/docs/content/advanced/advanced.md
index 598d55e..0aebf24 100644
--- a/docs/content/advanced/advanced.md
+++ b/docs/content/advanced/advanced.md
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@
 title: Advanced
 layout: default
 has_children: true
-nav_order: 6
+nav_order: 7
 ---
 # Advanced
diff --git a/docs/content/configuration/configuration.md b/docs/content/configuration/configuration.md
index f95e33c..0dae97f 100644
--- a/docs/content/configuration/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/content/configuration/configuration.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 title: Configuration
 layout: default
 has_children: true
-nav_order: 5
+nav_order: 6
 ---
 # Configuration