diff --git a/src/actions/measurements.ts b/src/actions/measurements.ts
index 5a1591986..774527063 100644
--- a/src/actions/measurements.ts
+++ b/src/actions/measurements.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ import {
   Collection,
   isCollection,
   isMeasurement,
+  isMeasurementsDisplay,
+  measurementsDisplayValues,
   Measurement,
   MeasurementsDisplay,
   MeasurementsJson,
@@ -111,9 +113,8 @@ function getCollectionDefaultControl(
       break;
     }
     case 'measurementsDisplay': {
-      const expectedValues = ["mean", "raw"];
-      if (defaultControl !== undefined && !expectedValues.includes(defaultControl)) {
-        console.error(`Ignoring invalid ${displayDefaultKey} value ${defaultControl}, must be one of ${expectedValues}`)
+      if (defaultControl !== undefined && isMeasurementsDisplay(defaultControl)) {
+        console.error(`Ignoring invalid ${displayDefaultKey} value ${defaultControl}, must be one of ${measurementsDisplayValues}`)
         defaultControl = undefined;
       }
       break;
@@ -648,7 +649,7 @@ export const combineMeasurementsControlsAndQuery = (
     let newControlState = undefined;
     switch(queryKey) {
       case "m_display":
-        if (queryValue === "mean" || queryValue === "raw") {
+        if (isMeasurementsDisplay(queryValue)) {
           newControlState = queryValue;
         }
         break;
diff --git a/src/reducers/measurements/types.ts b/src/reducers/measurements/types.ts
index 1811a19b0..722c1e559 100644
--- a/src/reducers/measurements/types.ts
+++ b/src/reducers/measurements/types.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,10 @@ import { measurementIdSymbol } from "../../util/globals";
  * <https://github.com/nextstrain/augur/blob/3f72c40897a80132099729d5d00a6718e76e0e9e/augur/data/schema-measurements.json#L152>
  */
 type MeasurementMetadata = string | number | boolean
-export type MeasurementsDisplay = 'raw' | 'mean'
+
+export const measurementsDisplayValues = ["raw", "mean"];
+export type MeasurementsDisplay = (typeof measurementsDisplayValues)[number]
+export const isMeasurementsDisplay = (x: any): x is MeasurementsDisplay => measurementsDisplayValues.includes(x);
 
 interface JsonMeasurement {
   readonly strain: string