diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/server/lib/indices/generate_api_key.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/server/lib/indices/generate_api_key.test.ts
index 828ad73e03733..73dfce85f0114 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/server/lib/indices/generate_api_key.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/server/lib/indices/generate_api_key.test.ts
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ describe('generateApiKey lib function for connector clients', () => {
       name: 'index_name-connector',
       role_descriptors: {
         ['index-name-connector-role']: {
-          cluster: ['monitor'],
+          cluster: ['monitor', 'manage_connector'],
           index: [
             {
               names: ['index_name', '.search-acl-filter-index_name', `${CONNECTORS_INDEX}*`],
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ describe('generateApiKey lib function for connector clients', () => {
       name: 'search-test-connector',
       role_descriptors: {
         ['search-test-connector-role']: {
-          cluster: ['monitor'],
+          cluster: ['monitor', 'manage_connector'],
           index: [
             {
               names: ['search-test', '.search-acl-filter-search-test', `${CONNECTORS_INDEX}*`],
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ describe('generateApiKey lib function for connector clients', () => {
       name: 'index_name-connector',
       role_descriptors: {
         ['index-name-connector-role']: {
-          cluster: ['monitor'],
+          cluster: ['monitor', 'manage_connector'],
           index: [
             {
               names: ['index_name', '.search-acl-filter-index_name', `${CONNECTORS_INDEX}*`],
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ describe('generateApiKey lib function for native connectors', () => {
       name: 'index_name-connector',
       role_descriptors: {
         ['index-name-connector-role']: {
-          cluster: ['monitor'],
+          cluster: ['monitor', 'manage_connector'],
           index: [
             {
               names: ['index_name', '.search-acl-filter-index_name', `${CONNECTORS_INDEX}*`],
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ describe('generateApiKey lib function for native connectors', () => {
       name: 'search-test-connector',
       role_descriptors: {
         ['search-test-connector-role']: {
-          cluster: ['monitor'],
+          cluster: ['monitor', 'manage_connector'],
           index: [
             {
               names: ['search-test', '.search-acl-filter-search-test', `${CONNECTORS_INDEX}*`],
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ describe('generateApiKey lib function for native connectors', () => {
       name: 'index_name-connector',
       role_descriptors: {
         ['index-name-connector-role']: {
-          cluster: ['monitor'],
+          cluster: ['monitor', 'manage_connector'],
           index: [
             {
               names: ['index_name', '.search-acl-filter-index_name', `${CONNECTORS_INDEX}*`],
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/server/lib/indices/generate_api_key.ts b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/server/lib/indices/generate_api_key.ts
index 4c75cee5e4de7..9c1175dfa75d5 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/server/lib/indices/generate_api_key.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/server/lib/indices/generate_api_key.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export const generateApiKey = async (
     name: `${indexName}-connector`,
     role_descriptors: {
       [`${toAlphanumeric(indexName)}-connector-role`]: {
-        cluster: ['monitor'],
+        cluster: ['monitor', 'manage_connector'],
         index: [
           {
             names: [indexName, aclIndexName, `${CONNECTORS_INDEX}*`],