diff --git a/ui/src/data_explorer/reducers/queryConfigs.js b/ui/src/data_explorer/reducers/queryConfigs.js
index 84dbbffd82..5db58324b9 100644
--- a/ui/src/data_explorer/reducers/queryConfigs.js
+++ b/ui/src/data_explorer/reducers/queryConfigs.js
@@ -101,7 +101,9 @@ const queryConfigs = (state = {}, action) => {
 
     case 'DE_APPLY_FUNCS_TO_FIELD': {
       const {queryId, fieldFunc} = action.payload
-      const nextQueryConfig = applyFuncsToField(state[queryId], fieldFunc, true)
+      const nextQueryConfig = applyFuncsToField(state[queryId], fieldFunc, {
+        preventAutoGroupBy: true,
+      })
 
       return Object.assign({}, state, {
         [queryId]: nextQueryConfig,
diff --git a/ui/src/kapacitor/reducers/queryConfigs.js b/ui/src/kapacitor/reducers/queryConfigs.js
index cdc652c273..5ef770e2e7 100644
--- a/ui/src/kapacitor/reducers/queryConfigs.js
+++ b/ui/src/kapacitor/reducers/queryConfigs.js
@@ -105,9 +105,10 @@ const queryConfigs = (state = {}, action) => {
 
     case 'KAPA_APPLY_FUNCS_TO_FIELD': {
       const {queryId, fieldFunc} = action.payload
-      // this 3rd arg (isKapacitorRule) makes sure 'auto' is not added as
-      // default group by in Kapacitor rule
-      const nextQueryConfig = applyFuncsToField(state[queryId], fieldFunc, true)
+      const nextQueryConfig = applyFuncsToField(state[queryId], fieldFunc, {
+        preventAutoGroupBy: true,
+        isKapacitorRule: true,
+      })
 
       return Object.assign({}, state, {
         [queryId]: nextQueryConfig,
diff --git a/ui/src/utils/queryTransitions.js b/ui/src/utils/queryTransitions.js
index ce0d1c12cb..dc694684cc 100644
--- a/ui/src/utils/queryTransitions.js
+++ b/ui/src/utils/queryTransitions.js
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ export function toggleTagAcceptance(query) {
 export function applyFuncsToField(
   query,
   {field, funcs},
-  preventAutoGroupBy = false
+  {preventAutoGroupBy = false, isKapacitorRule = false}
 ) {
   const shouldRemoveFuncs = funcs.length === 0
   const nextFields = query.fields.map(f => {
@@ -130,13 +130,16 @@ export function applyFuncsToField(
     time: shouldRemoveFuncs ? null : defaultGroupBy,
   })
 
-  const nextFill = NULL_STRING
+  const nextQuery = {...query, fields: nextFields, groupBy: nextGroupBy}
 
-  return Object.assign({}, query, {
-    fields: nextFields,
-    groupBy: nextGroupBy,
-    fill: nextFill,
-  })
+  // fill is not valid for kapacitor query configs since there is no actual
+  // query and all alert rules create stream-based tasks currently
+  if (!isKapacitorRule) {
+    const nextFill = NULL_STRING
+    Object.assign(nextQuery, {fill: nextFill})
+  }
+
+  return nextQuery
 }
 
 export function updateRawQuery(query, rawText) {