diff --git a/src/plugins/data/public/index_patterns/index_patterns/ensure_default_index_pattern.tsx b/src/plugins/data/public/index_patterns/index_patterns/ensure_default_index_pattern.tsx
index 2088bd8c925df..8cb0b81ec48aa 100644
--- a/src/plugins/data/public/index_patterns/index_patterns/ensure_default_index_pattern.tsx
+++ b/src/plugins/data/public/index_patterns/index_patterns/ensure_default_index_pattern.tsx
@@ -33,32 +33,26 @@ export const createEnsureDefaultIndexPattern = (core: CoreStart) => {
   let timeoutId: NodeJS.Timeout | undefined;
 
   /**
-   * Checks whether a default index pattern is set and exists and defines
-   * one otherwise.
+   * Checks whether a default index pattern is set and exists.
+   * If this is not the case returns the first index pattern of the existing index patterns
    *
    * If there are no index patterns, redirect to management page and show
    * banner. In this case the promise returned from this function will never
    * resolve to wait for the URL change to happen.
    */
-  return async function ensureDefaultIndexPattern(this: IndexPatternsContract, history: History) {
+  return async function ensureDefaultIndexPattern(this: IndexPatternsContract) {
     const patterns = await this.getIds();
-    let defaultId = core.uiSettings.get('defaultIndex');
-    let defined = !!defaultId;
+    const defaultId = core.uiSettings.get('defaultIndex');
+    const defined = !!defaultId;
     const exists = contains(patterns, defaultId);
 
-    if (defined && !exists) {
-      core.uiSettings.remove('defaultIndex');
-      defaultId = defined = false;
-    }
-
-    if (defined) {
-      return;
+    if (defined && exists) {
+      return defaultId;
     }
 
     // If there is any index pattern created, set the first as default
     if (patterns.length >= 1) {
-      defaultId = patterns[0];
-      core.uiSettings.set('defaultIndex', defaultId);
+      return patterns[0];
     } else {
       const canManageIndexPatterns = core.application.capabilities.management.kibana.index_patterns;
       const redirectTarget = canManageIndexPatterns ? '/management/kibana/indexPatterns' : '/home';
diff --git a/src/plugins/data/public/index_patterns/index_patterns/index_patterns.ts b/src/plugins/data/public/index_patterns/index_patterns/index_patterns.ts
index 32b31d4f2758d..08bbe26c37793 100644
--- a/src/plugins/data/public/index_patterns/index_patterns/index_patterns.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/data/public/index_patterns/index_patterns/index_patterns.ts
@@ -151,14 +151,29 @@ export class IndexPatternsService {
     }
     return this.savedObjectsCache;
   };
-
+  /**
+   * Returns the default index pattern, configured in index pattern management.
+   * In case no index pattern is configured  or the configured default index pattern doesn't exist
+   * the first index pattern of the cached list is returned
+   */
   getDefault = async () => {
+    const getFallbackIndexPattern = async () => {
+      const list = await this.getCache();
+      if (list && list.length) {
+        return await this.get(list[0].id);
+      }
+      return null;
+    };
     const defaultIndexPatternId = this.config.get('defaultIndex');
-    if (defaultIndexPatternId) {
-      return await this.get(defaultIndexPatternId);
+    if (!defaultIndexPatternId) {
+      return await getFallbackIndexPattern();
     }
 
-    return null;
+    try {
+      return await this.get(defaultIndexPatternId);
+    } catch (e) {
+      return await getFallbackIndexPattern();
+    }
   };
 
   get = async (id: string): Promise<IndexPattern> => {
diff --git a/src/plugins/vis_type_timeseries/public/application/editor_controller.js b/src/plugins/vis_type_timeseries/public/application/editor_controller.js
index f21b5f947bca7..34961c6256411 100644
--- a/src/plugins/vis_type_timeseries/public/application/editor_controller.js
+++ b/src/plugins/vis_type_timeseries/public/application/editor_controller.js
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import { render, unmountComponentAtNode } from 'react-dom';
 import { fetchIndexPatternFields } from './lib/fetch_fields';
-import { getSavedObjectsClient, getUISettings, getI18n } from '../services';
+import { getUISettings, getI18n, getDataStart } from '../services';
 import { VisEditor } from './components/vis_editor_lazy';
 
 export class EditorController {
@@ -37,17 +37,8 @@ export class EditorController {
     };
   }
 
-  fetchDefaultIndexPattern = async () => {
-    const indexPattern = await getSavedObjectsClient().client.get(
-      'index-pattern',
-      getUISettings().get('defaultIndex')
-    );
-
-    return indexPattern.attributes;
-  };
-
   fetchDefaultParams = async () => {
-    const { title, timeFieldName } = await this.fetchDefaultIndexPattern();
+    const { title, timeFieldName } = await getDataStart().indexPatterns.getDefault();
 
     this.state.vis.params.default_index_pattern = title;
     this.state.vis.params.default_timefield = timeFieldName;