diff --git a/ui/src/data_explorer/containers/DataExplorer.js b/ui/src/data_explorer/containers/DataExplorer.js
index e1e1297451..25d2408982 100644
--- a/ui/src/data_explorer/containers/DataExplorer.js
+++ b/ui/src/data_explorer/containers/DataExplorer.js
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import {setAutoRefresh} from 'shared/actions/app'
 import * as dataExplorerActionCreators from 'src/data_explorer/actions/view'
 import {writeLineProtocolAsync} from 'src/data_explorer/actions/view/write'
 import {buildRawText} from 'src/utils/influxql'
+import defaultQueryConfig from 'src/utils/defaultQueryConfig'
 
 class DataExplorer extends Component {
   constructor(props) {
@@ -33,8 +34,9 @@ class DataExplorer extends Component {
 
   getActiveQuery = () => {
     const {queryConfigs} = this.props
+
     if (queryConfigs.length === 0) {
-      this.props.queryConfigActions.addQuery()
+      queryConfigs.push(defaultQueryConfig())
     }
 
     return queryConfigs[0]
diff --git a/ui/src/utils/defaultQueryConfig.js b/ui/src/utils/defaultQueryConfig.js
index 16915dff95..47810d910d 100644
--- a/ui/src/utils/defaultQueryConfig.js
+++ b/ui/src/utils/defaultQueryConfig.js
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
+import uuid from 'node-uuid'
+
 import {NULL_STRING} from 'shared/constants/queryFillOptions'
 
-const defaultQueryConfig = ({id, isKapacitorRule = false}) => {
+const defaultQueryConfig = (
+  {id, isKapacitorRule = false} = {id: uuid.v4()}
+) => {
   const queryConfig = {
     id,
     database: null,