diff --git a/plugins/inputs/ntpq/ntpq.go b/plugins/inputs/ntpq/ntpq.go
index d7b1b4f5b..80b5dcd0f 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/ntpq/ntpq.go
+++ b/plugins/inputs/ntpq/ntpq.go
@@ -21,30 +21,11 @@ var tagHeaders map[string]string = map[string]string{
 	"t":      "type",
 }
 
-// Mapping of the ntpq tag key to the index in the command output
-var tagI map[string]int = map[string]int{
-	"remote":  -1,
-	"refid":   -1,
-	"stratum": -1,
-	"type":    -1,
-}
-
-// Mapping of float metrics to their index in the command output
-var floatI map[string]int = map[string]int{
-	"delay":  -1,
-	"offset": -1,
-	"jitter": -1,
-}
-
-// Mapping of int metrics to their index in the command output
-var intI map[string]int = map[string]int{
-	"when":  -1,
-	"poll":  -1,
-	"reach": -1,
-}
-
 type NTPQ struct {
-	runQ func() ([]byte, error)
+	runQ   func() ([]byte, error)
+	tagI   map[string]int
+	floatI map[string]int
+	intI   map[string]int
 
 	DNSLookup bool `toml:"dns_lookup"`
 }
@@ -101,19 +82,19 @@ func (n *NTPQ) Gather(acc telegraf.Accumulator) error {
 			for i, field := range fields {
 				// Check if field is a tag:
 				if tagKey, ok := tagHeaders[field]; ok {
-					tagI[tagKey] = i
+					n.tagI[tagKey] = i
 					continue
 				}
 
 				// check if field is a float metric:
-				if _, ok := floatI[field]; ok {
-					floatI[field] = i
+				if _, ok := n.floatI[field]; ok {
+					n.floatI[field] = i
 					continue
 				}
 
 				// check if field is an int metric:
-				if _, ok := intI[field]; ok {
-					intI[field] = i
+				if _, ok := n.intI[field]; ok {
+					n.intI[field] = i
 					continue
 				}
 			}
@@ -125,7 +106,7 @@ func (n *NTPQ) Gather(acc telegraf.Accumulator) error {
 			mFields := make(map[string]interface{})
 
 			// Get tags from output
-			for key, index := range tagI {
+			for key, index := range n.tagI {
 				if index == -1 {
 					continue
 				}
@@ -133,7 +114,7 @@ func (n *NTPQ) Gather(acc telegraf.Accumulator) error {
 			}
 
 			// Get integer metrics from output
-			for key, index := range intI {
+			for key, index := range n.intI {
 				if index == -1 || index >= len(fields) {
 					continue
 				}
@@ -183,7 +164,7 @@ func (n *NTPQ) Gather(acc telegraf.Accumulator) error {
 			}
 
 			// get float metrics from output
-			for key, index := range floatI {
+			for key, index := range n.floatI {
 				if index == -1 || index >= len(fields) {
 					continue
 				}
@@ -223,10 +204,40 @@ func (n *NTPQ) runq() ([]byte, error) {
 	return cmd.Output()
 }
 
+func newNTPQ() *NTPQ {
+	// Mapping of the ntpq tag key to the index in the command output
+	tagI := map[string]int{
+		"remote":  -1,
+		"refid":   -1,
+		"stratum": -1,
+		"type":    -1,
+	}
+
+	// Mapping of float metrics to their index in the command output
+	floatI := map[string]int{
+		"delay":  -1,
+		"offset": -1,
+		"jitter": -1,
+	}
+
+	// Mapping of int metrics to their index in the command output
+	intI := map[string]int{
+		"when":  -1,
+		"poll":  -1,
+		"reach": -1,
+	}
+
+	n := &NTPQ{
+		tagI:   tagI,
+		floatI: floatI,
+		intI:   intI,
+	}
+	n.runQ = n.runq
+	return n
+}
+
 func init() {
 	inputs.Add("ntpq", func() telegraf.Input {
-		n := &NTPQ{}
-		n.runQ = n.runq
-		return n
+		return newNTPQ()
 	})
 }
diff --git a/plugins/inputs/ntpq/ntpq_test.go b/plugins/inputs/ntpq/ntpq_test.go
index 016a9e5bd..b0db77e45 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/ntpq/ntpq_test.go
+++ b/plugins/inputs/ntpq/ntpq_test.go
@@ -16,9 +16,8 @@ func TestSingleNTPQ(t *testing.T) {
 		ret: []byte(singleNTPQ),
 		err: nil,
 	}
-	n := &NTPQ{
-		runQ: tt.runqTest,
-	}
+	n := newNTPQ()
+	n.runQ = tt.runqTest
 
 	acc := testutil.Accumulator{}
 	assert.NoError(t, acc.GatherError(n.Gather))
@@ -46,9 +45,8 @@ func TestBadIntNTPQ(t *testing.T) {
 		ret: []byte(badIntParseNTPQ),
 		err: nil,
 	}
-	n := &NTPQ{
-		runQ: tt.runqTest,
-	}
+	n := newNTPQ()
+	n.runQ = tt.runqTest
 
 	acc := testutil.Accumulator{}
 	assert.Error(t, acc.GatherError(n.Gather))
@@ -75,9 +73,8 @@ func TestBadFloatNTPQ(t *testing.T) {
 		ret: []byte(badFloatParseNTPQ),
 		err: nil,
 	}
-	n := &NTPQ{
-		runQ: tt.runqTest,
-	}
+	n := newNTPQ()
+	n.runQ = tt.runqTest
 
 	acc := testutil.Accumulator{}
 	assert.Error(t, acc.GatherError(n.Gather))
@@ -104,9 +101,8 @@ func TestDaysNTPQ(t *testing.T) {
 		ret: []byte(whenDaysNTPQ),
 		err: nil,
 	}
-	n := &NTPQ{
-		runQ: tt.runqTest,
-	}
+	n := newNTPQ()
+	n.runQ = tt.runqTest
 
 	acc := testutil.Accumulator{}
 	assert.NoError(t, acc.GatherError(n.Gather))
@@ -134,9 +130,8 @@ func TestHoursNTPQ(t *testing.T) {
 		ret: []byte(whenHoursNTPQ),
 		err: nil,
 	}
-	n := &NTPQ{
-		runQ: tt.runqTest,
-	}
+	n := newNTPQ()
+	n.runQ = tt.runqTest
 
 	acc := testutil.Accumulator{}
 	assert.NoError(t, acc.GatherError(n.Gather))
@@ -164,9 +159,8 @@ func TestMinutesNTPQ(t *testing.T) {
 		ret: []byte(whenMinutesNTPQ),
 		err: nil,
 	}
-	n := &NTPQ{
-		runQ: tt.runqTest,
-	}
+	n := newNTPQ()
+	n.runQ = tt.runqTest
 
 	acc := testutil.Accumulator{}
 	assert.NoError(t, acc.GatherError(n.Gather))
@@ -194,9 +188,8 @@ func TestBadWhenNTPQ(t *testing.T) {
 		ret: []byte(whenBadNTPQ),
 		err: nil,
 	}
-	n := &NTPQ{
-		runQ: tt.runqTest,
-	}
+	n := newNTPQ()
+	n.runQ = tt.runqTest
 
 	acc := testutil.Accumulator{}
 	assert.Error(t, acc.GatherError(n.Gather))
@@ -226,9 +219,8 @@ func TestParserNTPQ(t *testing.T) {
 		err: nil,
 	}
 
-	n := &NTPQ{
-		runQ: tt.runqTest,
-	}
+	n := newNTPQ()
+	n.runQ = tt.runqTest
 	acc := testutil.Accumulator{}
 	assert.NoError(t, acc.GatherError(n.Gather))
 
@@ -289,9 +281,8 @@ func TestMultiNTPQ(t *testing.T) {
 		ret: []byte(multiNTPQ),
 		err: nil,
 	}
-	n := &NTPQ{
-		runQ: tt.runqTest,
-	}
+	n := newNTPQ()
+	n.runQ = tt.runqTest
 
 	acc := testutil.Accumulator{}
 	assert.NoError(t, acc.GatherError(n.Gather))
@@ -330,14 +321,12 @@ func TestMultiNTPQ(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestBadHeaderNTPQ(t *testing.T) {
-	resetVars()
 	tt := tester{
 		ret: []byte(badHeaderNTPQ),
 		err: nil,
 	}
-	n := &NTPQ{
-		runQ: tt.runqTest,
-	}
+	n := newNTPQ()
+	n.runQ = tt.runqTest
 
 	acc := testutil.Accumulator{}
 	assert.NoError(t, acc.GatherError(n.Gather))
@@ -360,14 +349,12 @@ func TestBadHeaderNTPQ(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestMissingDelayColumnNTPQ(t *testing.T) {
-	resetVars()
 	tt := tester{
 		ret: []byte(missingDelayNTPQ),
 		err: nil,
 	}
-	n := &NTPQ{
-		runQ: tt.runqTest,
-	}
+	n := newNTPQ()
+	n.runQ = tt.runqTest
 
 	acc := testutil.Accumulator{}
 	assert.NoError(t, acc.GatherError(n.Gather))
@@ -393,9 +380,8 @@ func TestFailedNTPQ(t *testing.T) {
 		ret: []byte(singleNTPQ),
 		err: fmt.Errorf("Test failure"),
 	}
-	n := &NTPQ{
-		runQ: tt.runqTest,
-	}
+	n := newNTPQ()
+	n.runQ = tt.runqTest
 
 	acc := testutil.Accumulator{}
 	assert.Error(t, acc.GatherError(n.Gather))
@@ -445,9 +431,8 @@ func TestNoRefID(t *testing.T) {
 		ret: []byte(noRefID),
 		err: nil,
 	}
-	n := &NTPQ{
-		runQ: tt.runqTest,
-	}
+	n := newNTPQ()
+	n.runQ = tt.runqTest
 
 	acc := testutil.Accumulator{
 		TimeFunc: func() time.Time { return now },
@@ -466,38 +451,6 @@ func (t *tester) runqTest() ([]byte, error) {
 	return t.ret, t.err
 }
 
-func resetVars() {
-	// Mapping of ntpq header names to tag keys
-	tagHeaders = map[string]string{
-		"remote": "remote",
-		"refid":  "refid",
-		"st":     "stratum",
-		"t":      "type",
-	}
-
-	// Mapping of the ntpq tag key to the index in the command output
-	tagI = map[string]int{
-		"remote":  -1,
-		"refid":   -1,
-		"stratum": -1,
-		"type":    -1,
-	}
-
-	// Mapping of float metrics to their index in the command output
-	floatI = map[string]int{
-		"delay":  -1,
-		"offset": -1,
-		"jitter": -1,
-	}
-
-	// Mapping of int metrics to their index in the command output
-	intI = map[string]int{
-		"when":  -1,
-		"poll":  -1,
-		"reach": -1,
-	}
-}
-
 var singleNTPQ = `     remote           refid      st t when poll reach   delay   offset  jitter
 ==============================================================================
 *uschi5-ntp-002. 10.177.80.46     2 u  101  256   37   51.016  233.010  17.462