diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/file_datavisualizer/components/file_datavisualizer_view/file_datavisualizer_view.js b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/file_datavisualizer/components/file_datavisualizer_view/file_datavisualizer_view.js
index e3c7708cc1d0a..efa3bd1f83ff8 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/file_datavisualizer/components/file_datavisualizer_view/file_datavisualizer_view.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/file_datavisualizer/components/file_datavisualizer_view/file_datavisualizer_view.js
@@ -308,6 +308,7 @@ export class FileDataVisualizerView extends Component {
               fileContents={fileContents}
               fileSize={fileSize}
               indexPatterns={this.props.indexPatterns}
+              kibanaConfig={this.props.kibanaConfig}
               showBottomBar={this.showBottomBar}
               hideBottomBar={this.hideBottomBar}
             />
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/file_datavisualizer/components/import_view/import_view.js b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/file_datavisualizer/components/import_view/import_view.js
index 1297387c09e3c..a178cd4aba8b9 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/file_datavisualizer/components/import_view/import_view.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/file_datavisualizer/components/import_view/import_view.js
@@ -170,7 +170,11 @@ export class ImportView extends Component {
                   if (success && createIndexPattern) {
                     const indexPatternName = (indexPattern === '') ? index : indexPattern;
 
-                    const indexPatternResp = await createKibanaIndexPattern(indexPatternName, this.props.indexPatterns);
+                    const indexPatternResp = await createKibanaIndexPattern(
+                      indexPatternName,
+                      this.props.indexPatterns,
+                      this.props.kibanaConfig,
+                    );
                     success = indexPatternResp.success;
                     this.setState({
                       indexPatternCreatedStatus: indexPatternResp.success ? IMPORT_STATUS.COMPLETE : IMPORT_STATUS.FAILED,
@@ -427,7 +431,7 @@ export class ImportView extends Component {
   }
 }
 
-async function createKibanaIndexPattern(indexPatternName, indexPatterns, timeFieldName = DEFAULT_TIME_FIELD) {
+async function createKibanaIndexPattern(indexPatternName, indexPatterns, kibanaConfig, timeFieldName = DEFAULT_TIME_FIELD) {
   try {
     const emptyPattern = await indexPatterns.get();
 
@@ -438,6 +442,13 @@ async function createKibanaIndexPattern(indexPatternName, indexPatterns, timeFie
     });
 
     const id = await emptyPattern.create();
+
+    // check if there's a default index pattern, if not,
+    // set the newly created one as the default index pattern.
+    if (!kibanaConfig.get('defaultIndex')) {
+      await kibanaConfig.set('defaultIndex', id);
+    }
+
     return {
       success: true,
       id,
@@ -503,5 +514,3 @@ function isIndexPatternNameValid(name, indexPatternNames, index) {
 
   return '';
 }
-
-
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/file_datavisualizer/file_datavisualizer.js b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/file_datavisualizer/file_datavisualizer.js
index 408e9028a2cf0..f59788329da34 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/file_datavisualizer/file_datavisualizer.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/file_datavisualizer/file_datavisualizer.js
@@ -9,10 +9,10 @@ import { FileDataVisualizerView } from './components/file_datavisualizer_view';
 
 import React from 'react';
 
-export function FileDataVisualizerPage({ indexPatterns }) {
+export function FileDataVisualizerPage({ indexPatterns, kibanaConfig }) {
   return (
     <div className="file-datavisualizer-container">
-      <FileDataVisualizerView indexPatterns={indexPatterns} />
+      <FileDataVisualizerView indexPatterns={indexPatterns} kibanaConfig={kibanaConfig} />
     </div>
   );
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/file_datavisualizer/file_datavisualizer_directive.js b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/file_datavisualizer/file_datavisualizer_directive.js
index 1b33ababbefa6..5ccce13309927 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/file_datavisualizer/file_datavisualizer_directive.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/file_datavisualizer/file_datavisualizer_directive.js
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ import { FileDataVisualizerPage } from './file_datavisualizer';
 module.directive('fileDatavisualizerPage', function ($injector) {
   const reactDirective = $injector.get('reactDirective');
   const indexPatterns = $injector.get('indexPatterns');
+  const kibanaConfig = $injector.get('config');
 
-  return reactDirective(FileDataVisualizerPage, undefined, { restrict: 'E' }, { indexPatterns });
+  return reactDirective(FileDataVisualizerPage, undefined, { restrict: 'E' }, { indexPatterns, kibanaConfig });
 });