diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/jobs/new_job/utils/new_job_utils.ts b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/jobs/new_job/utils/new_job_utils.ts
index b7b6aa15ffe444..543e6898193a48 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/jobs/new_job/utils/new_job_utils.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/jobs/new_job/utils/new_job_utils.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ export function getDefaultDatafeedQuery() {
 
 export function createSearchItems(
   kibanaConfig: IUiSettingsClient,
-  indexPattern: IIndexPattern,
+  indexPattern: IIndexPattern | undefined,
   savedSearch: SavedSearchSavedObject | null
 ) {
   // query is only used by the data visualizer as it needs
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/routing/use_resolver.ts b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/routing/use_resolver.ts
index e4cd90145bee40..ff212ff874b2a2 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/routing/use_resolver.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/routing/use_resolver.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {
   getIndexPatternById,
   getIndexPatternsContract,
   getIndexPatternAndSavedSearch,
+  IndexPatternAndSavedSearch,
 } from '../util/index_utils';
 import { createSearchItems } from '../jobs/new_job/utils/new_job_utils';
 import { ResolverResults, Resolvers } from './resolvers';
@@ -52,36 +53,44 @@ export const useResolver = (
         return;
       }
 
-      if (indexPatternId !== undefined || savedSearchId !== undefined) {
-        try {
-          // note, currently we're using our own kibana context that requires a current index pattern to be set
-          // this means, if the page uses this context, useResolver must be passed a string for the index pattern id
-          // and loadIndexPatterns must be part of the resolvers.
-          const { indexPattern, savedSearch } =
-            savedSearchId !== undefined
-              ? await getIndexPatternAndSavedSearch(savedSearchId)
-              : { savedSearch: null, indexPattern: await getIndexPatternById(indexPatternId!) };
-
-          const { combinedQuery } = createSearchItems(config, indexPattern!, savedSearch);
+      try {
+        // note, currently we're using our own kibana context that requires a current index pattern to be set
+        // this means, if the page uses this context, useResolver must be passed a string for the index pattern id
+        // and loadIndexPatterns must be part of the resolvers.
+        let indexPatternAndSavedSearch: IndexPatternAndSavedSearch = {
+          savedSearch: null,
+          indexPattern: null,
+        };
 
-          setContext({
-            combinedQuery,
-            currentIndexPattern: indexPattern,
-            currentSavedSearch: savedSearch,
-            indexPatterns: getIndexPatternsContract()!,
-            kibanaConfig: config,
-          });
-        } catch (error) {
-          // an unexpected error has occurred. This could be caused by an incorrect index pattern or saved search ID
-          notifications.toasts.addError(new Error(error), {
-            title: i18n.translate('xpack.ml.useResolver.errorTitle', {
-              defaultMessage: 'An error has occurred',
-            }),
-          });
-          await redirectToJobsManagementPage();
+        if (savedSearchId !== undefined) {
+          indexPatternAndSavedSearch = await getIndexPatternAndSavedSearch(savedSearchId);
+        } else if (indexPatternId !== undefined) {
+          indexPatternAndSavedSearch.indexPattern = await getIndexPatternById(indexPatternId);
         }
-      } else {
-        setContext({});
+
+        const { savedSearch, indexPattern } = indexPatternAndSavedSearch;
+
+        const { combinedQuery } = createSearchItems(
+          config,
+          indexPattern !== null ? indexPattern : undefined,
+          savedSearch
+        );
+
+        setContext({
+          combinedQuery,
+          currentIndexPattern: indexPattern,
+          currentSavedSearch: savedSearch,
+          indexPatterns: getIndexPatternsContract(),
+          kibanaConfig: config,
+        });
+      } catch (error) {
+        // an unexpected error has occurred. This could be caused by an incorrect index pattern or saved search ID
+        notifications.toasts.addError(new Error(error), {
+          title: i18n.translate('xpack.ml.useResolver.errorTitle', {
+            defaultMessage: 'An error has occurred',
+          }),
+        });
+        await redirectToJobsManagementPage();
       }
     })();
   }, []);
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/util/index_utils.ts b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/util/index_utils.ts
index 42be3dd8252f95..de08553af9906c 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/util/index_utils.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/util/index_utils.ts
@@ -73,9 +73,12 @@ export function getIndexPatternIdFromName(name: string) {
   }
   return null;
 }
-
+export interface IndexPatternAndSavedSearch {
+  savedSearch: SavedSearchSavedObject | null;
+  indexPattern: IIndexPattern | null;
+}
 export async function getIndexPatternAndSavedSearch(savedSearchId: string) {
-  const resp: { savedSearch: SavedSearchSavedObject | null; indexPattern: IIndexPattern | null } = {
+  const resp: IndexPatternAndSavedSearch = {
     savedSearch: null,
     indexPattern: null,
   };