diff --git a/src/core_plugins/tagcloud/public/tag_cloud.js b/src/core_plugins/tagcloud/public/tag_cloud.js
index e1e34691b8e0b..96a59108a8c3f 100644
--- a/src/core_plugins/tagcloud/public/tag_cloud.js
+++ b/src/core_plugins/tagcloud/public/tag_cloud.js
@@ -129,8 +129,23 @@ class TagCloud extends EventEmitter {
 
     const job = this._queue.pop();
     this._inFlight = true;
-    this._onLayoutEnd(job);
 
+    if (job.words.length) {
+      this._onLayoutEnd(job);
+    } else {
+      this._emptyCloud(job);
+    }
+
+  }
+
+  _emptyCloud(job) {
+    this._svgGroup.selectAll('text').remove();
+    this._cloudWidth = 0;
+    this._cloudHeight = 0;
+    this._allInViewBox = true;
+    this._inFlight = false;
+    this._currentJob = job;
+    this._processQueue();
   }
 
   _onLayoutEnd(job) {
diff --git a/src/core_plugins/tagcloud/public/tag_cloud_controller.js b/src/core_plugins/tagcloud/public/tag_cloud_controller.js
index db945c44224a1..7f9181b16e72d 100644
--- a/src/core_plugins/tagcloud/public/tag_cloud_controller.js
+++ b/src/core_plugins/tagcloud/public/tag_cloud_controller.js
@@ -21,13 +21,23 @@ module.controller('KbnTagCloudController', function ($scope, $element, Private,
     clickHandler({point: {aggConfigResult: aggConfigResult}});
   });
   tagCloud.on('renderComplete', () => {
+
+    const truncatedMessage = containerNode.querySelector('.tagcloud-truncated-message');
+    const incompleteMessage = containerNode.querySelector('.tagcloud-incomplete-message');
+
+    if (!$scope.vis.aggs[0] || !$scope.vis.aggs[1]) {
+      incompleteMessage.style.display = 'none';
+      truncatedMessage.style.display = 'none';
+      return;
+    }
+
     const bucketName = containerNode.querySelector('.tagcloud-custom-label');
     bucketName.innerHTML = `${$scope.vis.aggs[0].makeLabel()} - ${$scope.vis.aggs[1].makeLabel()}`;
 
-    const truncatedMessage = containerNode.querySelector('.tagcloud-truncated-message');
+
     truncatedMessage.style.display = truncated ? 'block' : 'none';
 
-    const incompleteMessage = containerNode.querySelector('.tagcloud-incomplete-message');
+
     const status = tagCloud.getStatus();
 
     if (TagCloud.STATUS.COMPLETE === status) {
@@ -41,11 +51,13 @@ module.controller('KbnTagCloudController', function ($scope, $element, Private,
   $scope.$watch('esResponse', async function (response) {
 
     if (!response) {
+      tagCloud.setData([]);
       return;
     }
 
     const tagsAggId = _.first(_.pluck($scope.vis.aggs.bySchemaName.segment, 'id'));
     if (!tagsAggId || !response.aggregations) {
+      tagCloud.setData([]);
       return;
     }