diff --git a/src/core_plugins/kibana/common/field_formats/types/source.js b/src/core_plugins/kibana/common/field_formats/types/source.js
index 81a6eb51eb20d..61509a746c163 100644
--- a/src/core_plugins/kibana/common/field_formats/types/source.js
+++ b/src/core_plugins/kibana/common/field_formats/types/source.js
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ export function createSourceFormat(FieldFormat) {
   SourceFormat.prototype._convert = {
     text: (value) => toJson(value),
     html: function sourceToHtml(source, field, hit) {
-      if (!field) return this.getConverterFor('text')(source, field, hit);
+      if (!field) return _.escape(this.getConverterFor('text')(source));
 
       const highlights = (hit && hit.highlight) || {};
       const formatted = field.indexPattern.formatHit(hit);
diff --git a/src/core_plugins/kibana/public/field_formats/__tests__/_source.js b/src/core_plugins/kibana/public/field_formats/__tests__/_source.js
index 09a84ae775430..4726c3993771e 100644
--- a/src/core_plugins/kibana/public/field_formats/__tests__/_source.js
+++ b/src/core_plugins/kibana/public/field_formats/__tests__/_source.js
@@ -43,8 +43,9 @@ describe('_source formatting', function () {
     }));
 
     it('should use the text content type if a field is not passed', function () {
-      const hit = _.first(hits);
-      expect(convertHtml(hit._source)).to.be(`<span ng-non-bindable>${JSON.stringify(hit._source)}</span>`);
+      const hit = { 'foo': 'bar', 'number': 42, 'hello': '<h1>World</h1>', 'also': 'with "quotes" or \'single quotes\'' };
+      // eslint-disable-next-line
+      expect(convertHtml(hit)).to.be('<span ng-non-bindable>{&quot;foo&quot;:&quot;bar&quot;,&quot;number&quot;:42,&quot;hello&quot;:&quot;&lt;h1&gt;World&lt;/h1&gt;&quot;,&quot;also&quot;:&quot;with \\&quot;quotes\\&quot; or &#39;single quotes&#39;&quot;}</span>');
     });
 
     it('uses the _source, field, and hit to create a <dl>', function () {
diff --git a/test/functional/apps/visualize/_data_table.js b/test/functional/apps/visualize/_data_table.js
index d6940437f24ee..9901df941bef1 100644
--- a/test/functional/apps/visualize/_data_table.js
+++ b/test/functional/apps/visualize/_data_table.js
@@ -178,5 +178,19 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
         '2015-09-20', '4,757',
       ]);
     });
+
+    it('should show correct data for a data table with top hits', async () => {
+      await PageObjects.visualize.navigateToNewVisualization();
+      await PageObjects.visualize.clickDataTable();
+      await PageObjects.visualize.clickNewSearch();
+      await PageObjects.header.setAbsoluteRange(fromTime, toTime);
+      await PageObjects.visualize.clickMetricEditor();
+      await PageObjects.visualize.selectAggregation('Top Hit', 'metrics');
+      await PageObjects.visualize.selectField('_source', 'metrics');
+      await PageObjects.visualize.clickGo();
+      const data = await PageObjects.visualize.getTableVisData();
+      log.debug(data);
+      expect(data.length).to.be.greaterThan(0);
+    });
   });
 }