diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/datapanel.test.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/datapanel.test.tsx
index 0d60bd588f71..4a79f30a17a0 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/datapanel.test.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/datapanel.test.tsx
@@ -324,8 +324,11 @@ describe('IndexPattern Data Panel', () => {
       };
     }
 
-    async function testExistenceLoading(stateChanges?: unknown, propChanges?: unknown) {
-      const props = testProps();
+    async function testExistenceLoading(
+      stateChanges?: unknown,
+      propChanges?: unknown,
+      props = testProps()
+    ) {
       const inst = mountWithIntl(<IndexPatternDataPanel {...props} />);
 
       await act(async () => {
@@ -536,6 +539,25 @@ describe('IndexPattern Data Panel', () => {
       expect(core.http.post).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
       expect(overlapCount).toEqual(0);
     });
+
+    it("should default to empty dsl if query can't be parsed", async () => {
+      const props = {
+        ...testProps(),
+        query: {
+          language: 'kuery',
+          query: '@timestamp : NOT *',
+        },
+      };
+      await testExistenceLoading(undefined, undefined, props);
+
+      expect((props.core.http.post as jest.Mock).mock.calls[0][1].body).toContain(
+        JSON.stringify({
+          must_not: {
+            match_all: {},
+          },
+        })
+      );
+    });
   });
 
   describe('displaying field list', () => {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/datapanel.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/datapanel.tsx
index eb7940634d78..91c068c2b4fa 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/datapanel.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/datapanel.tsx
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import {
 } from '@elastic/eui';
 import { i18n } from '@kbn/i18n';
 import { FormattedMessage } from '@kbn/i18n/react';
-import { DataPublicPluginStart } from 'src/plugins/data/public';
+import { DataPublicPluginStart, EsQueryConfig, Query, Filter } from 'src/plugins/data/public';
 import { DatasourceDataPanelProps, DataType, StateSetter } from '../types';
 import { ChildDragDropProvider, DragContextState } from '../drag_drop';
 import { FieldItem } from './field_item';
@@ -74,6 +74,27 @@ const fieldTypeNames: Record<DataType, string> = {
   ip: i18n.translate('xpack.lens.datatypes.ipAddress', { defaultMessage: 'IP' }),
 };
 
+// Wrapper around esQuery.buildEsQuery, handling errors (e.g. because a query can't be parsed) by
+// returning a query dsl object not matching anything
+function buildSafeEsQuery(
+  indexPattern: IIndexPattern,
+  query: Query,
+  filters: Filter[],
+  queryConfig: EsQueryConfig
+) {
+  try {
+    return esQuery.buildEsQuery(indexPattern, query, filters, queryConfig);
+  } catch (e) {
+    return {
+      bool: {
+        must_not: {
+          match_all: {},
+        },
+      },
+    };
+  }
+}
+
 export function IndexPatternDataPanel({
   setState,
   state,
@@ -106,7 +127,7 @@ export function IndexPatternDataPanel({
       timeFieldName: indexPatterns[id].timeFieldName,
     }));
 
-  const dslQuery = esQuery.buildEsQuery(
+  const dslQuery = buildSafeEsQuery(
     indexPatterns[currentIndexPatternId] as IIndexPattern,
     query,
     filters,
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/field_item.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/field_item.tsx
index 815725f4331a..fabf9e9e9bff 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/field_item.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/field_item.tsx
@@ -198,10 +198,12 @@ export const InnerFieldItem = function InnerFieldItem(props: FieldItemProps) {
               className={`lnsFieldItem__info ${infoIsOpen ? 'lnsFieldItem__info-isOpen' : ''}`}
               data-test-subj={`lnsFieldListPanelField-${field.name}`}
               onClick={() => {
-                togglePopover();
+                if (exists) {
+                  togglePopover();
+                }
               }}
               onKeyPress={(event) => {
-                if (event.key === 'ENTER') {
+                if (exists && event.key === 'ENTER') {
                   togglePopover();
                 }
               }}