diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/observability/public/components/shared/exploratory_view/series_editor/columns/operation_type_select.test.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/observability/public/components/shared/exploratory_view/series_editor/columns/operation_type_select.test.tsx
index ced4d3af057f..f33eb3d515c1 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/observability/public/components/shared/exploratory_view/series_editor/columns/operation_type_select.test.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/observability/public/components/shared/exploratory_view/series_editor/columns/operation_type_select.test.tsx
@@ -54,13 +54,6 @@ describe('OperationTypeSelect', function () {
 
     fireEvent.click(screen.getByTestId('operationTypeSelect'));
 
-    expect(setSeries).toHaveBeenCalledWith(0, {
-      operationType: 'median',
-      dataType: 'ux',
-      time: { from: 'now-15m', to: 'now' },
-      name: 'performance-distribution',
-    });
-
     fireEvent.click(screen.getByText('95th Percentile'));
     expect(setSeries).toHaveBeenCalledWith(0, {
       operationType: '95th',
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/observability/public/components/shared/exploratory_view/series_editor/columns/operation_type_select.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/observability/public/components/shared/exploratory_view/series_editor/columns/operation_type_select.tsx
index a223a74d74ae..5d949b91278f 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/observability/public/components/shared/exploratory_view/series_editor/columns/operation_type_select.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/observability/public/components/shared/exploratory_view/series_editor/columns/operation_type_select.tsx
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  * 2.0.
  */
 
-import React, { useEffect } from 'react';
+import React from 'react';
 import { i18n } from '@kbn/i18n';
 import { EuiSuperSelect } from '@elastic/eui';
 
@@ -30,12 +30,6 @@ export function OperationTypeSelect({
     setSeries(seriesId, { ...series, operationType: value });
   };
 
-  useEffect(() => {
-    setSeries(seriesId, { ...series, operationType: operationType || defaultOperationType });
-    // We only want to call this when defaultOperationType changes
-    // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
-  }, [defaultOperationType]);
-
   return (
     <OperationTypeComponent
       onChange={onChange}
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/observability/public/components/shared/exploratory_view/views/view_actions.test.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/observability/public/components/shared/exploratory_view/views/view_actions.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..934d8f7fdbfe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/observability/public/components/shared/exploratory_view/views/view_actions.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License
+ * 2.0; you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License
+ * 2.0.
+ */
+
+import React from 'react';
+import { screen, waitFor, fireEvent } from '@testing-library/dom';
+import { render } from '../rtl_helpers';
+import * as hooks from '../hooks/use_series_storage';
+import { ViewActions } from './view_actions';
+import { AllSeries } from '../hooks/use_series_storage';
+
+describe('ViewActions', () => {
+  const applyChanges = jest.fn();
+
+  const mockSeriesStorage = (allSeries: AllSeries, urlAllSeries: AllSeries) => {
+    jest.clearAllMocks();
+    jest.spyOn(hooks, 'useSeriesStorage').mockReturnValue({
+      ...jest.requireActual('../hooks/use_series_storage'),
+      allSeries,
+      applyChanges,
+      storage: { get: jest.fn().mockReturnValue(urlAllSeries) } as any,
+    });
+  };
+
+  const assertApplyIsEnabled = async () => {
+    render(<ViewActions />);
+
+    const applyBtn = screen.getByText(/Apply changes/i);
+
+    const btnComponent = screen.getByTestId('seriesChangesApplyButton');
+
+    expect(btnComponent.classList).not.toContain('euiButton-isDisabled');
+
+    fireEvent.click(applyBtn);
+
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(applyChanges).toBeCalledTimes(1);
+    });
+  };
+
+  it('renders ViewActions', async () => {
+    mockSeriesStorage([], []);
+    render(<ViewActions />);
+
+    expect(screen.getByText(/Apply changes/i)).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('apply button is disabled when no changes', async () => {
+    mockSeriesStorage([], []);
+
+    render(<ViewActions />);
+    const applyBtn = screen.getByText(/Apply changes/i);
+
+    const btnComponent = screen.getByTestId('seriesChangesApplyButton');
+
+    expect(btnComponent.classList).toContain('euiButton-isDisabled');
+
+    fireEvent.click(applyBtn);
+
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(applyChanges).toBeCalledTimes(0);
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('should call apply changes when series length is different', async function () {
+    mockSeriesStorage([], [{ name: 'testSeries' } as any]);
+
+    await assertApplyIsEnabled();
+  });
+
+  it('should call apply changes when series content is different', async function () {
+    mockSeriesStorage([{ name: 'testSeriesChange' } as any], [{ name: 'testSeries' } as any]);
+
+    await assertApplyIsEnabled();
+  });
+
+  it('should call apply changes when series content is different as in undefined', async function () {
+    mockSeriesStorage(
+      [{ name: undefined } as any],
+      [{ name: 'testSeries', operationType: undefined } as any]
+    );
+
+    await assertApplyIsEnabled();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/observability/public/components/shared/exploratory_view/views/view_actions.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/observability/public/components/shared/exploratory_view/views/view_actions.tsx
index ee2668aa0c39..e85ce8ff40c6 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/observability/public/components/shared/exploratory_view/views/view_actions.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/observability/public/components/shared/exploratory_view/views/view_actions.tsx
@@ -8,22 +8,41 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import { EuiButton, EuiFlexGroup, EuiFlexItem } from '@elastic/eui';
 import { i18n } from '@kbn/i18n';
-import { isEqual } from 'lodash';
+import { isEqual, pickBy } from 'lodash';
 import { allSeriesKey, convertAllShortSeries, useSeriesStorage } from '../hooks/use_series_storage';
 
 interface Props {
   onApply?: () => void;
 }
 
+export function removeUndefinedProps<T extends object>(obj: T): Partial<T> {
+  return pickBy(obj, (value) => value !== undefined);
+}
+
 export function ViewActions({ onApply }: Props) {
   const { allSeries, storage, applyChanges } = useSeriesStorage();
 
-  const noChanges = isEqual(allSeries, convertAllShortSeries(storage.get(allSeriesKey) ?? []));
+  const urlAllSeries = convertAllShortSeries(storage.get(allSeriesKey) ?? []);
+
+  let noChanges = allSeries.length === urlAllSeries.length;
+
+  if (noChanges) {
+    noChanges = !allSeries.some(
+      (series, index) =>
+        !isEqual(removeUndefinedProps(series), removeUndefinedProps(urlAllSeries[index]))
+    );
+  }
 
   return (
     <EuiFlexGroup justifyContent="flexEnd" alignItems="center">
       <EuiFlexItem grow={false}>
-        <EuiButton onClick={() => applyChanges(onApply)} isDisabled={noChanges} fill size="s">
+        <EuiButton
+          onClick={() => applyChanges(onApply)}
+          isDisabled={noChanges}
+          fill
+          size="s"
+          data-test-subj={'seriesChangesApplyButton'}
+        >
           {i18n.translate('xpack.observability.expView.seriesBuilder.apply', {
             defaultMessage: 'Apply changes',
           })}