diff --git a/ui/spec/shared/annotations/helpersSpec.js b/ui/spec/shared/annotations/helpersSpec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e925bc5a55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/spec/shared/annotations/helpersSpec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import {getAnnotations} from 'shared/annotations/helpers'
+import Dygraph from 'src/external/dygraph'
+const timeSeries = [
+  [1515628800000, 25],
+  [1515715200000, 13],
+  [1515801600000, 10],
+  [1515888000000, 5],
+  [1515974400000, null],
+  [1516060800000, 14],
+]
+
+const labels = ['time', 'test.label']
+
+const div = document.createElement('div')
+const graph = new Dygraph(div, timeSeries, {labels})
+
+const a1 = {
+  group: '',
+  name: 'anno1',
+  time: '1515716169000',
+  duration: '', // 1 hour
+  text: 'you have no swoggels',
+}
+
+const a2 = {
+  group: '',
+  name: 'anno1',
+  time: '1515716169000',
+  duration: '3600000', // 1 hour
+  text: 'you have no swoggels',
+}
+
+const annotations = [a1]
+
+describe.only('Shared.Annotations.Helpers', () => {
+  describe('getAnnotations', () => {
+    it('returns an empty array with no graph or annotations are provided', () => {
+      const actual = getAnnotations(undefined, annotations)
+      const expected = []
+
+      expect(actual).to.deep.equal(expected)
+    })
+
+    it('returns an annotation if it is in the time range', () => {
+      const actual = getAnnotations(graph, annotations)
+      const expected = annotations
+
+      expect(actual).to.deep.equal(expected)
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/ui/src/shared/annotations/helpers.js b/ui/src/shared/annotations/helpers.js
index 136b0ee672..0cf2b10470 100644
--- a/ui/src/shared/annotations/helpers.js
+++ b/ui/src/shared/annotations/helpers.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-export const getAnnotations = (graph, annotations) => {
+export const getAnnotations = (graph, annotations = []) => {
   if (!graph) {
     return []
   }
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ export const getAnnotations = (graph, annotations) => {
     if (+a.time < xStart || +a.time > xEnd) {
       return acc
     }
+
     // If annotation does not have duration, include in array
     if (!a.duration) {
       return [...acc, a]