diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/public/rule_types/components/data_view_select_popover.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/public/rule_types/components/data_view_select_popover.tsx
index 0f7544e0ecd89..7180db27afdc6 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/public/rule_types/components/data_view_select_popover.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/public/rule_types/components/data_view_select_popover.tsx
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ import { useTriggerUiActionServices } from '../es_query/util';
 import { EsQueryRuleMetaData } from '../es_query/types';
 
 export interface DataViewSelectPopoverProps {
-  dataView: DataView;
+  dataView?: DataView;
   metadata?: EsQueryRuleMetaData;
   onSelectDataView: (selectedDataView: DataView) => void;
   onChangeMetaData: (metadata: EsQueryRuleMetaData) => void;
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ export const DataViewSelectPopover: React.FunctionComponent<DataViewSelectPopove
             defaultMessage: 'data view',
           })}
           value={
-            dataView.getName() ??
+            dataView?.getName() ??
             i18n.translate('xpack.stackAlerts.components.ui.alertParams.dataViewPlaceholder', {
               defaultMessage: 'Select a data view',
             })
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ export const DataViewSelectPopover: React.FunctionComponent<DataViewSelectPopove
           onClick={() => {
             setDataViewPopoverOpen(true);
           }}
-          isInvalid={!dataView.id}
+          isInvalid={!dataView?.id}
         />
       }
       isOpen={dataViewPopoverOpen}
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ export const DataViewSelectPopover: React.FunctionComponent<DataViewSelectPopove
           </EuiFlexGroup>
         </EuiPopoverTitle>
         <DataViewSelector
-          currentDataViewId={dataView.id}
+          currentDataViewId={dataView?.id}
           dataViewsList={allDataViewItems}
           setPopoverIsOpen={setDataViewPopoverOpen}
           onChangeDataView={onChangeDataView}
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/public/rule_types/es_query/expression/search_source_expression.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/public/rule_types/es_query/expression/search_source_expression.tsx
index fa08ceb8019e0..0a9e17cee766d 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/public/rule_types/es_query/expression/search_source_expression.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/public/rule_types/es_query/expression/search_source_expression.tsx
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ export const SearchSourceExpression = ({
 
       data.search.searchSource
         .create(initialSearchConfiguration)
-        .then((fetchedSearchSource) => setSearchSource(fetchedSearchSource))
+        .then(setSearchSource)
         .catch(setParamsError);
     };
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/public/rule_types/es_query/expression/search_source_expression_form.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/public/rule_types/es_query/expression/search_source_expression_form.tsx
index 7717d5c3b6838..a439748500a48 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/public/rule_types/es_query/expression/search_source_expression_form.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/public/rule_types/es_query/expression/search_source_expression_form.tsx
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ const HIDDEN_FILTER_PANEL_OPTIONS: SearchBarProps['hiddenFilterPanelOptions'] =
 ];
 
 interface LocalState {
-  index: DataView;
+  index?: DataView;
   filter: Filter[];
   query: Query;
   thresholdComparator: CommonRuleParams['thresholdComparator'];
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ export const SearchSourceExpressionForm = (props: SearchSourceExpressionFormProp
       return { ...currentState, [action.type]: action.payload };
     },
     {
-      index: searchSource.getField('index')!,
+      index: searchSource.getField('index'),
       query: searchSource.getField('query')! as Query,
       filter: mapAndFlattenFilters(searchSource.getField('filter') as Filter[]),
       threshold: ruleParams.threshold ?? DEFAULT_VALUES.THRESHOLD,
diff --git a/x-pack/test/functional_with_es_ssl/apps/discover/search_source_alert.ts b/x-pack/test/functional_with_es_ssl/apps/discover/search_source_alert.ts
index 1b6d7ad9c3187..22518669681ed 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/functional_with_es_ssl/apps/discover/search_source_alert.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/functional_with_es_ssl/apps/discover/search_source_alert.ts
@@ -151,9 +151,6 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
     supertest.delete(`/api/actions/connector/${id}`).set('kbn-xsrf', 'foo').expect(204, '');
 
   const defineSearchSourceAlert = async (alertName: string) => {
-    await testSubjects.click('discoverAlertsButton');
-    await testSubjects.click('discoverCreateAlertButton');
-
     await retry.waitFor('rule name value is correct', async () => {
       await testSubjects.setValue('ruleNameInput', alertName);
       const ruleName = await testSubjects.getAttribute('ruleNameInput', 'value');
@@ -175,6 +172,24 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
     await testSubjects.click('saveRuleButton');
   };
 
+  const openDiscoverAlertFlyout = async () => {
+    await testSubjects.click('discoverAlertsButton');
+    await testSubjects.click('discoverCreateAlertButton');
+  };
+
+  const openManagementAlertFlyout = async () => {
+    await PageObjects.common.navigateToApp('management');
+    await PageObjects.header.waitUntilLoadingHasFinished();
+    await testSubjects.click('triggersActions');
+    await PageObjects.header.waitUntilLoadingHasFinished();
+    await testSubjects.click('createFirstRuleButton');
+    await PageObjects.header.waitUntilLoadingHasFinished();
+    await testSubjects.click('.es-query-SelectOption');
+    await PageObjects.header.waitUntilLoadingHasFinished();
+    await testSubjects.click('queryFormType_searchSource');
+    await PageObjects.header.waitUntilLoadingHasFinished();
+  };
+
   const getResultsLink = async () => {
     // getting the link
     await dataGrid.clickRowToggle();
@@ -237,15 +252,8 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
       log.debug('create output index');
       await createOutputDataIndex();
 
-      log.debug('create data views');
-      const sourceDataViewResponse = await createDataView(SOURCE_DATA_INDEX);
-      const outputDataViewResponse = await createDataView(OUTPUT_DATA_INDEX);
-
       log.debug('create connector');
       connectorId = await createConnector();
-
-      sourceDataViewId = sourceDataViewResponse.body.data_view.id;
-      outputDataViewId = outputDataViewResponse.body.data_view.id;
     });
 
     after(async () => {
@@ -257,6 +265,21 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
       await security.testUser.restoreDefaults();
     });
 
+    it('should create an alert when there is no data view', async () => {
+      await openManagementAlertFlyout();
+
+      // should not have data view selected by default
+      const dataViewSelector = await testSubjects.find('selectDataViewExpression');
+      expect(await dataViewSelector.getVisibleText()).to.eql('DATA VIEW\nSelect a data view');
+
+      log.debug('create data views');
+      const sourceDataViewResponse = await createDataView(SOURCE_DATA_INDEX);
+      const outputDataViewResponse = await createDataView(OUTPUT_DATA_INDEX);
+
+      sourceDataViewId = sourceDataViewResponse.body.data_view.id;
+      outputDataViewId = outputDataViewResponse.body.data_view.id;
+    });
+
     it('should navigate to alert results via view in app link', async () => {
       await PageObjects.common.navigateToApp('discover');
       await PageObjects.discover.waitUntilSearchingHasFinished();
@@ -264,6 +287,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
       await PageObjects.timePicker.setCommonlyUsedTime('Last_15 minutes');
 
       // create an alert
+      await openDiscoverAlertFlyout();
       await defineSearchSourceAlert(RULE_NAME);
       await PageObjects.header.waitUntilLoadingHasFinished();
 
@@ -377,6 +401,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
       await PageObjects.discover.addRuntimeField('runtime-message-field', `emit('mock-message')`);
 
       // create an alert
+      await openDiscoverAlertFlyout();
       await defineSearchSourceAlert('test-adhoc-alert');
       await PageObjects.header.waitUntilLoadingHasFinished();
       sourceAdHocDataViewId = await PageObjects.discover.getCurrentDataViewId();