diff --git a/src/legacy/core_plugins/data/public/expressions/expression_renderer.tsx b/src/legacy/core_plugins/data/public/expressions/expression_renderer.tsx
index 80b5bacfc5adb..78fb43772504c 100644
--- a/src/legacy/core_plugins/data/public/expressions/expression_renderer.tsx
+++ b/src/legacy/core_plugins/data/public/expressions/expression_renderer.tsx
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import React from 'react';
 import { Ast } from '@kbn/interpreter/common';
 
 import { ExpressionRunnerOptions, ExpressionRunner } from './expression_runner';
+import { Result } from './expressions_service';
 
 // Accept all options of the runner as props except for the
 // dom element which is provided by the component itself
@@ -30,12 +31,19 @@ export type ExpressionRendererProps = Pick<
   Exclude<keyof ExpressionRunnerOptions, 'element'>
 > & {
   expression: string | Ast;
+  /**
+   * If an element is specified, but the response of the expression run can't be rendered
+   * because it isn't a valid response or the specified renderer isn't available,
+   * this callback is called with the given result.
+   */
+  onRenderFailure?: (result: Result) => void;
 };
 
 export type ExpressionRenderer = React.FC<ExpressionRendererProps>;
 
 export const createRenderer = (run: ExpressionRunner): ExpressionRenderer => ({
   expression,
+  onRenderFailure,
   ...options
 }: ExpressionRendererProps) => {
   const mountpoint: React.MutableRefObject<null | HTMLDivElement> = useRef(null);
@@ -43,7 +51,11 @@ export const createRenderer = (run: ExpressionRunner): ExpressionRenderer => ({
   useEffect(
     () => {
       if (mountpoint.current) {
-        run(expression, { ...options, element: mountpoint.current });
+        run(expression, { ...options, element: mountpoint.current }).catch(result => {
+          if (onRenderFailure) {
+            onRenderFailure(result);
+          }
+        });
       }
     },
     [expression, mountpoint.current]
diff --git a/src/legacy/core_plugins/data/public/expressions/expression_runner.ts b/src/legacy/core_plugins/data/public/expressions/expression_runner.ts
index 26951ea605bf2..bfad401ae8620 100644
--- a/src/legacy/core_plugins/data/public/expressions/expression_runner.ts
+++ b/src/legacy/core_plugins/data/public/expressions/expression_runner.ts
@@ -52,8 +52,12 @@ export const createRunFn = (
     },
   });
 
+  if (response.type === 'error') {
+    throw response;
+  }
+
   if (element) {
-    if (response.type === 'render' && response.as) {
+    if (response.type === 'render' && response.as && renderersRegistry.get(response.as) !== null) {
       renderersRegistry.get(response.as).render(element, response.value, {
         onDestroy: fn => {
           // TODO implement
@@ -63,8 +67,7 @@ export const createRunFn = (
         },
       });
     } else {
-      // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
-      console.log('Unexpected result of expression', response);
+      throw response;
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/legacy/core_plugins/data/public/expressions/expressions_service.test.tsx b/src/legacy/core_plugins/data/public/expressions/expressions_service.test.tsx
index 9a464da2731c8..fdd0d73763681 100644
--- a/src/legacy/core_plugins/data/public/expressions/expressions_service.test.tsx
+++ b/src/legacy/core_plugins/data/public/expressions/expressions_service.test.tsx
@@ -39,18 +39,22 @@ const waitForInterpreterRun = async () => {
   await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve));
 };
 
+const RENDERER_ID = 'mockId';
+
 describe('expressions_service', () => {
+  let interpretAstMock: jest.Mocked<Interpreter>['interpretAst'];
   let interpreterMock: jest.Mocked<Interpreter>;
   let renderFunctionMock: jest.Mocked<RenderFunction>;
   let setupPluginsMock: ExpressionsServiceDependencies;
-  const expressionResult: Result = { type: 'render', as: 'abc', value: {} };
+  const expressionResult: Result = { type: 'render', as: RENDERER_ID, value: {} };
 
   let api: ExpressionsSetup;
   let testExpression: string;
   let testAst: Ast;
 
   beforeEach(() => {
-    interpreterMock = { interpretAst: jest.fn(_ => Promise.resolve(expressionResult)) };
+    interpretAstMock = jest.fn(_ => Promise.resolve(expressionResult));
+    interpreterMock = { interpretAst: interpretAstMock };
     renderFunctionMock = ({
       render: jest.fn(),
     } as unknown) as jest.Mocked<RenderFunction>;
@@ -58,7 +62,7 @@ describe('expressions_service', () => {
       interpreter: {
         getInterpreter: () => Promise.resolve({ interpreter: interpreterMock }),
         renderersRegistry: ({
-          get: () => renderFunctionMock,
+          get: (id: string) => (id === RENDERER_ID ? renderFunctionMock : null),
         } as unknown) as RenderFunctionsRegistry,
       },
     };
@@ -101,6 +105,47 @@ describe('expressions_service', () => {
       );
     });
 
+    it('should return the result of the interpreter run', async () => {
+      const response = await api.run(testAst, {});
+      expect(response).toBe(expressionResult);
+    });
+
+    it('should reject the promise if the response is not renderable but an element is passed', async () => {
+      const unexpectedResult = { type: 'datatable', value: {} };
+      interpretAstMock.mockReturnValue(Promise.resolve(unexpectedResult));
+      expect(
+        api.run(testAst, {
+          element: document.createElement('div'),
+        })
+      ).rejects.toBe(unexpectedResult);
+    });
+
+    it('should reject the promise if the renderer is not known', async () => {
+      const unexpectedResult = { type: 'render', as: 'unknown_id' };
+      interpretAstMock.mockReturnValue(Promise.resolve(unexpectedResult));
+      expect(
+        api.run(testAst, {
+          element: document.createElement('div'),
+        })
+      ).rejects.toBe(unexpectedResult);
+    });
+
+    it('should not reject the promise on unknown renderer if the runner is not rendering', async () => {
+      const unexpectedResult = { type: 'render', as: 'unknown_id' };
+      interpretAstMock.mockReturnValue(Promise.resolve(unexpectedResult));
+      expect(api.run(testAst, {})).resolves.toBe(unexpectedResult);
+    });
+
+    it('should reject the promise if the response is an error', async () => {
+      const errorResult = { type: 'error', error: {} };
+      interpretAstMock.mockReturnValue(Promise.resolve(errorResult));
+      expect(api.run(testAst, {})).rejects.toBe(errorResult);
+    });
+
+    it('should reject the promise if there are syntax errors', async () => {
+      expect(api.run('|||', {})).rejects.toBeInstanceOf(Error);
+    });
+
     it('should call the render function with the result and element', async () => {
       const element = document.createElement('div');
 
@@ -213,5 +258,19 @@ describe('expressions_service', () => {
       expect(renderFunctionMock.render).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
       expect(interpreterMock.interpretAst).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     });
+
+    it('should call onRenderFailure if the result can not be rendered', async () => {
+      const errorResult = { type: 'error', error: {} };
+      interpretAstMock.mockReturnValue(Promise.resolve(errorResult));
+      const renderFailureSpy = jest.fn();
+
+      const ExpressionRenderer = api.ExpressionRenderer;
+
+      mount(<ExpressionRenderer expression={testExpression} onRenderFailure={renderFailureSpy} />);
+
+      await waitForInterpreterRun();
+
+      expect(renderFailureSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(errorResult);
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/legacy/core_plugins/data/public/expressions/expressions_service.ts b/src/legacy/core_plugins/data/public/expressions/expressions_service.ts
index 308fd44d6bc08..f22caf3d43ece 100644
--- a/src/legacy/core_plugins/data/public/expressions/expressions_service.ts
+++ b/src/legacy/core_plugins/data/public/expressions/expressions_service.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ export interface Result {
   type: string;
   as?: string;
   value?: unknown;
+  error?: unknown;
 }
 
 interface RenderHandlers {