diff --git a/outputs/kinesis/kinesis_output.go b/outputs/kinesis/kinesis_output.go
index 6d0544290..739062f23 100644
--- a/outputs/kinesis/kinesis_output.go
+++ b/outputs/kinesis/kinesis_output.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
+	"os"
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
@@ -29,10 +30,6 @@ type KinesisOutput struct {
 
 var sampleConfig = `
   # Amazon REGION of kinesis endpoint.
-  # Most AWS services have a region specific endpoint this will be used by
-  # telegraf to output data.
-  # Authentication is provided by an IAMS role, SharedCredentials or Environment
-  # Variables.
   region = "ap-southeast-2"
   # Kinesis StreamName must exist prior to starting telegraf.
   streamname = "StreamName"
@@ -53,11 +50,21 @@ func (k *KinesisOutput) Description() string {
 	return "Configuration for the AWS Kinesis output."
 }
 
+func checkstream(l []*string, s string) bool {
+	// Check if the StreamName exists in the slice returned from the ListStreams API request.
+	for _, stream := range l {
+		if *stream == s {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 func (k *KinesisOutput) Connect() error {
 	// We attempt first to create a session to Kinesis using an IAMS role, if that fails it will fall through to using
 	// environment variables, and then Shared Credentials.
 	if k.Debug {
-		log.Printf("Establishing a connection to Kinesis in %+v", k.Region)
+		log.Printf("kinesis_output: Establishing a connection to Kinesis in %+v", k.Region)
 	}
 	Config := &aws.Config{
 		Region: aws.String(k.Region),
@@ -70,8 +77,27 @@ func (k *KinesisOutput) Connect() error {
 	}
 	svc := kinesis.New(session.New(Config))
 
-	k.svc = svc
-	return nil
+	KinesisParams := &kinesis.ListStreamsInput{
+		Limit: aws.Int64(100),
+	}
+
+	resp, err := svc.ListStreams(KinesisParams)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("kinesis_output: Error in ListSteams API call : %+v \n", err)
+	}
+
+	if checkstream(resp.StreamNames, k.StreamName) {
+		if k.Debug {
+			log.Printf("kinesis_output: Stream Exists")
+		}
+		k.svc = svc
+		return nil
+	} else {
+		log.Printf("kinesis_output : You have configured a StreamName %+v which does not exist. exiting.", k.StreamName)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+	return err
 }
 
 func (k *KinesisOutput) Close() error {
@@ -102,14 +128,14 @@ func writekinesis(k *KinesisOutput, r []*kinesis.PutRecordsRequestEntry) time.Du
 	if k.Debug {
 		resp, err := k.svc.PutRecords(payload)
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Printf("Unable to write to Kinesis : %+v \n", err.Error())
+			log.Printf("kinesis_output: Unable to write to Kinesis : %+v \n", err.Error())
 		}
 		log.Printf("%+v \n", resp)
 
 	} else {
 		_, err := k.svc.PutRecords(payload)
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Printf("Unable to write to Kinesis : %+v \n", err.Error())
+			log.Printf("kinesis_output: Unable to write to Kinesis : %+v \n", err.Error())
 		}
 	}
 	return time.Since(start)