diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/infra/common/saved_objects/metrics_explorer_view.ts b/x-pack/plugins/infra/common/saved_objects/metrics_explorer_view.ts
index 88bbc945e32dc7..a92809022c7e8b 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/infra/common/saved_objects/metrics_explorer_view.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/infra/common/saved_objects/metrics_explorer_view.ts
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@ export const metricsExplorerViewSavedObjectType: SavedObjectsType = {
           aggregation: {
             type: 'keyword',
           },
+          source: {
+            type: 'keyword',
+          },
         },
       },
       chartOptions: {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/components/saved_views/toolbar_control.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/components/saved_views/toolbar_control.tsx
index 9ef8af1fd1b620..f5fb22a17d2008 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/components/saved_views/toolbar_control.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/components/saved_views/toolbar_control.tsx
@@ -166,8 +166,8 @@ export function SavedViewsToolbarControls<ViewState>(props: Props<ViewState>) {
                   <EuiDescriptionListDescription>
                     {currentView
                       ? currentView.name
-                      : i18n.translate('xpack.infra.savedView.defaultView', {
-                          defaultMessage: 'Default view',
+                      : i18n.translate('xpack.infra.savedView.unknownView', {
+                          defaultMessage: 'Unknown',
                         })}
                   </EuiDescriptionListDescription>
                 </EuiDescriptionList>
@@ -190,6 +190,7 @@ export function SavedViewsToolbarControls<ViewState>(props: Props<ViewState>) {
             <EuiListGroupItem
               iconType={'refresh'}
               onClick={openUpdateModal}
+              disabled={!currentView || currentView.id === '0'}
               label={i18n.translate('xpack.infra.savedView.updateView', {
                 defaultMessage: 'Update view',
               })}
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/containers/metrics_explorer/with_metrics_explorer_options_url_state.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/containers/metrics_explorer/with_metrics_explorer_options_url_state.tsx
index b0823f8717a844..22f7d3d3cd50a1 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/containers/metrics_explorer/with_metrics_explorer_options_url_state.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/containers/metrics_explorer/with_metrics_explorer_options_url_state.tsx
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ function isMetricExplorerOptions(subject: any): subject is MetricsExplorerOption
     limit: t.number,
     groupBy: t.string,
     filterQuery: t.string,
+    source: t.string,
   });
 
   const Options = t.intersection([OptionsRequired, OptionsOptional]);
@@ -156,6 +157,7 @@ const mapToUrlState = (value: any): MetricsExplorerUrlState | undefined => {
   const finalState = {};
   if (value) {
     if (value.options && isMetricExplorerOptions(value.options)) {
+      value.options.source = 'url';
       set(finalState, 'options', value.options);
     }
     if (value.timerange && isMetricExplorerTimeOption(value.timerange)) {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/containers/saved_view/saved_view.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/containers/saved_view/saved_view.tsx
index e496972530aba9..d0d51f0d2c6593 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/containers/saved_view/saved_view.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/containers/saved_view/saved_view.tsx
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ export const useSavedView = (props: Props) => {
   const setDefault = useCallback(() => {
     setCurrentView({
       name: i18n.translate('xpack.infra.savedView.defaultViewNameHosts', {
-        defaultMessage: 'Hosts',
+        defaultMessage: 'Default view',
       }),
       id: '0',
       isDefault: !defaultViewId || defaultViewId === '0', // If there is no default view then hosts is the default
@@ -209,11 +209,11 @@ export const useSavedView = (props: Props) => {
   useEffect(() => {
     const shouldLoadDefault = props.shouldLoadDefault;
 
-    if (loadingDefaultView || currentView) {
+    if (loadingDefaultView || currentView || !shouldLoadDefault) {
       return;
     }
 
-    if (shouldLoadDefault && !currentView && defaultViewId !== '0') {
+    if (defaultViewId !== '0') {
       loadDefaultView();
     } else {
       setDefault();
@@ -242,6 +242,7 @@ export const useSavedView = (props: Props) => {
     errorOnUpdate,
     errorOnFind,
     errorOnCreate: createError,
+    shouldLoadDefault: props.shouldLoadDefault,
     makeDefault,
     deleteView,
     loadingDefaultView,
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/index.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/index.tsx
index af5297675daaf7..58b9505dabe4cc 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/index.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/index.tsx
@@ -6,10 +6,11 @@
 
 import { i18n } from '@kbn/i18n';
 
-import React from 'react';
+import React, { useContext } from 'react';
 import { Route, RouteComponentProps, Switch } from 'react-router-dom';
 
 import { EuiErrorBoundary, EuiFlexItem, EuiFlexGroup, EuiButtonEmpty } from '@elastic/eui';
+import { IIndexPattern } from 'src/plugins/data/common';
 import { DocumentTitle } from '../../components/document_title';
 import { HelpCenterContent } from '../../components/help_center_content';
 import { RoutedTabs } from '../../components/navigation/routed_tabs';
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ import { WaffleFiltersProvider } from './inventory_view/hooks/use_waffle_filters
 import { InventoryAlertDropdown } from '../../alerting/inventory/components/alert_dropdown';
 import { MetricsAlertDropdown } from '../../alerting/metric_threshold/components/alert_dropdown';
 import { SavedView } from '../../containers/saved_view/saved_view';
+import { SourceConfigurationFields } from '../../graphql/types';
 
 const ADD_DATA_LABEL = i18n.translate('xpack.infra.metricsHeaderAddDataButtonLabel', {
   defaultMessage: 'Add data',
@@ -137,19 +139,10 @@ export const InfrastructurePage = ({ match }: RouteComponentProps) => {
                           <MetricsExplorerOptionsContainer.Provider>
                             <WithMetricsExplorerOptionsUrlState />
                             {configuration ? (
-                              <SavedView.Provider
-                                shouldLoadDefault={
-                                  true /* TODO need to look at the URL and make sure there is no state already there.*/
-                                }
-                                viewType={'metrics-explorer-view'}
-                                defaultViewState={DEFAULT_METRICS_EXPLORER_VIEW_STATE}
-                              >
-                                <MetricsExplorerPage
-                                  derivedIndexPattern={createDerivedIndexPattern('metrics')}
-                                  source={configuration}
-                                  {...props}
-                                />
-                              </SavedView.Provider>
+                              <PageContent
+                                configuration={configuration}
+                                createDerivedIndexPattern={createDerivedIndexPattern}
+                              />
                             ) : (
                               <SourceLoadingPage />
                             )}
@@ -168,3 +161,25 @@ export const InfrastructurePage = ({ match }: RouteComponentProps) => {
     </EuiErrorBoundary>
   );
 };
+
+const PageContent = (props: {
+  configuration: SourceConfigurationFields.Fragment;
+  createDerivedIndexPattern: (type: 'logs' | 'metrics' | 'both') => IIndexPattern;
+}) => {
+  const { createDerivedIndexPattern, configuration } = props;
+  const { options } = useContext(MetricsExplorerOptionsContainer.Context);
+
+  return (
+    <SavedView.Provider
+      shouldLoadDefault={options.source === 'default'}
+      viewType={'metrics-explorer-view'}
+      defaultViewState={DEFAULT_METRICS_EXPLORER_VIEW_STATE}
+    >
+      <MetricsExplorerPage
+        derivedIndexPattern={createDerivedIndexPattern('metrics')}
+        source={configuration}
+        {...props}
+      />
+    </SavedView.Provider>
+  );
+};
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/inventory_view/components/layout.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/inventory_view/components/layout.tsx
index 0cf6a54568df8e..3884ee5b7279ab 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/inventory_view/components/layout.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/inventory_view/components/layout.tsx
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ import { SavedViewsToolbarControls } from '../../../../components/saved_views/to
 
 export const Layout = () => {
   const { sourceId, source } = useSourceContext();
-  const { currentView } = useSavedViewContext();
+  const { currentView, shouldLoadDefault } = useSavedViewContext();
   const {
     metric,
     groupBy,
@@ -90,11 +90,11 @@ export const Layout = () => {
   }, [currentView, onViewChange]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    // load snapshot data after default view loaded
-    if (currentView != null) {
+    // load snapshot data after default view loaded, unless we're not loading a view
+    if (currentView != null || !shouldLoadDefault) {
       reload();
     }
-  }, [reload, currentView]);
+  }, [reload, currentView, shouldLoadDefault]);
 
   return (
     <>
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/inventory_view/hooks/use_waffle_options.ts b/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/inventory_view/hooks/use_waffle_options.ts
index 975e33cf2415fe..2e8337d932625a 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/inventory_view/hooks/use_waffle_options.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/inventory_view/hooks/use_waffle_options.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ export const DEFAULT_WAFFLE_OPTIONS_STATE: WaffleOptionsState = {
     steps: 10,
     reverseColors: false,
   },
+  source: 'default',
   sort: { by: 'name', direction: 'desc' },
 };
 
@@ -153,36 +154,44 @@ export const WaffleSortOptionRT = rt.type({
   direction: rt.keyof({ asc: null, desc: null }),
 });
 
-export const WaffleOptionsStateRT = rt.type({
-  metric: SnapshotMetricInputRT,
-  groupBy: SnapshotGroupByRT,
-  nodeType: ItemTypeRT,
-  view: rt.string,
-  customOptions: rt.array(
-    rt.type({
-      text: rt.string,
-      field: rt.string,
-    })
-  ),
-  boundsOverride: rt.type({
-    min: rt.number,
-    max: rt.number,
+export const WaffleOptionsStateRT = rt.intersection([
+  rt.type({
+    metric: SnapshotMetricInputRT,
+    groupBy: SnapshotGroupByRT,
+    nodeType: ItemTypeRT,
+    view: rt.string,
+    customOptions: rt.array(
+      rt.type({
+        text: rt.string,
+        field: rt.string,
+      })
+    ),
+    boundsOverride: rt.type({
+      min: rt.number,
+      max: rt.number,
+    }),
+    autoBounds: rt.boolean,
+    accountId: rt.string,
+    region: rt.string,
+    customMetrics: rt.array(SnapshotCustomMetricInputRT),
+    legend: WaffleLegendOptionsRT,
+    sort: WaffleSortOptionRT,
   }),
-  autoBounds: rt.boolean,
-  accountId: rt.string,
-  region: rt.string,
-  customMetrics: rt.array(SnapshotCustomMetricInputRT),
-  legend: WaffleLegendOptionsRT,
-  sort: WaffleSortOptionRT,
-});
+  rt.partial({ source: rt.string }),
+]);
 
 export type WaffleSortOption = rt.TypeOf<typeof WaffleSortOptionRT>;
 export type WaffleOptionsState = rt.TypeOf<typeof WaffleOptionsStateRT>;
 const encodeUrlState = (state: WaffleOptionsState) => {
   return WaffleOptionsStateRT.encode(state);
 };
-const decodeUrlState = (value: unknown) =>
-  pipe(WaffleOptionsStateRT.decode(value), fold(constant(undefined), identity));
+const decodeUrlState = (value: unknown) => {
+  const state = pipe(WaffleOptionsStateRT.decode(value), fold(constant(undefined), identity));
+  if (state) {
+    state.source = 'url';
+  }
+  return state;
+};
 
 export const WaffleOptions = createContainer(useWaffleOptions);
 export const [WaffleOptionsProvider, useWaffleOptionsContext] = WaffleOptions;
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/inventory_view/index.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/inventory_view/index.tsx
index 0ddfe62c8a8dff..4f5ec8ecaf9362 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/inventory_view/index.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/inventory_view/index.tsx
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import { Layout } from './components/layout';
 import { useLinkProps } from '../../../hooks/use_link_props';
 import { SavedView } from '../../../containers/saved_view/saved_view';
 import { DEFAULT_WAFFLE_VIEW_STATE } from './hooks/use_waffle_view_state';
-import { useHistory } from '../../../utils/history_context';
+import { useWaffleOptionsContext } from './hooks/use_waffle_options';
 
 export const SnapshotPage = () => {
   const uiCapabilities = useKibana().services.application?.capabilities;
@@ -39,10 +39,7 @@ export const SnapshotPage = () => {
   } = useContext(Source.Context);
   useTrackPageview({ app: 'infra_metrics', path: 'inventory' });
   useTrackPageview({ app: 'infra_metrics', path: 'inventory', delay: 15000 });
-
-  const history = useHistory();
-  const getQueryStringFromLocation = (location: Location) => location.search.substring(1);
-  const queryString = history?.location ? getQueryStringFromLocation(history.location) : '';
+  const { source: optionsSource } = useWaffleOptionsContext();
 
   const tutorialLinkProps = useLinkProps({
     app: 'home',
@@ -68,7 +65,7 @@ export const SnapshotPage = () => {
           <>
             <FilterBar />
             <SavedView.Provider
-              shouldLoadDefault={!queryString}
+              shouldLoadDefault={optionsSource === 'default'}
               viewType={'inventory-view'}
               defaultViewState={DEFAULT_WAFFLE_VIEW_STATE}
             >
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/metrics_explorer/hooks/use_metric_explorer_state.ts b/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/metrics_explorer/hooks/use_metric_explorer_state.ts
index 66cc77a576f994..4b46ed2efafc0f 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/metrics_explorer/hooks/use_metric_explorer_state.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/metrics_explorer/hooks/use_metric_explorer_state.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ export interface MetricExplorerViewState {
 
 export const useMetricsExplorerState = (
   source: SourceQuery.Query['source']['configuration'],
-  derivedIndexPattern: IIndexPattern
+  derivedIndexPattern: IIndexPattern,
+  shouldLoadImmediately = true
 ) => {
   const [refreshSignal, setRefreshSignal] = useState(0);
   const [afterKey, setAfterKey] = useState<string | null | Record<string, string | null>>(null);
@@ -40,13 +41,15 @@ export const useMetricsExplorerState = (
     setTimeRange,
     setOptions,
   } = useContext(MetricsExplorerOptionsContainer.Context);
-  const { loading, error, data } = useMetricsExplorerData(
+  const { loading, error, data, loadData } = useMetricsExplorerData(
     options,
     source,
     derivedIndexPattern,
     currentTimerange,
     afterKey,
-    refreshSignal
+    refreshSignal,
+    undefined,
+    shouldLoadImmediately
   );
 
   const handleRefresh = useCallback(() => {
@@ -144,7 +147,7 @@ export const useMetricsExplorerState = (
     handleLoadMore: setAfterKey,
     defaultViewState,
     onViewStateChange,
-
+    loadData,
     refreshSignal,
     afterKey,
   };
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/metrics_explorer/hooks/use_metrics_explorer_data.ts b/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/metrics_explorer/hooks/use_metrics_explorer_data.ts
index 5ed710414718a2..db1e4ec8e4db81 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/metrics_explorer/hooks/use_metrics_explorer_data.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/metrics_explorer/hooks/use_metrics_explorer_data.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 import DateMath from '@elastic/datemath';
 import { isEqual } from 'lodash';
-import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+import { useEffect, useState, useCallback } from 'react';
 import { HttpHandler } from 'src/core/public';
 import { IIndexPattern } from 'src/plugins/data/public';
 import { SourceQuery } from '../../../../../common/graphql/types';
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ export function useMetricsExplorerData(
   timerange: MetricsExplorerTimeOptions,
   afterKey: string | null | Record<string, string | null>,
   signal: any,
-  fetch?: HttpHandler
+  fetch?: HttpHandler,
+  shouldLoadImmediately = true
 ) {
   const kibana = useKibana();
   const fetchFn = fetch ? fetch : kibana.services.http?.fetch;
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ export function useMetricsExplorerData(
   const [lastOptions, setLastOptions] = useState<MetricsExplorerOptions | null>(null);
   const [lastTimerange, setLastTimerange] = useState<MetricsExplorerTimeOptions | null>(null);
 
-  useEffect(() => {
+  const loadData = useCallback(() => {
     (async () => {
       setLoading(true);
       try {
@@ -112,9 +113,15 @@ export function useMetricsExplorerData(
       }
       setLoading(false);
     })();
-
-    // TODO: fix this dependency list while preserving the semantics
     // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
   }, [options, source, timerange, signal, afterKey]);
-  return { error, loading, data };
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!shouldLoadImmediately) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    loadData();
+  }, [loadData, shouldLoadImmediately]);
+  return { error, loading, data, loadData };
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/metrics_explorer/hooks/use_metrics_explorer_options.ts b/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/metrics_explorer/hooks/use_metrics_explorer_options.ts
index a257f1f80238b9..0ebc6f74c82742 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/metrics_explorer/hooks/use_metrics_explorer_options.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/metrics_explorer/hooks/use_metrics_explorer_options.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ export interface MetricsExplorerOptions {
   aggregation: MetricsExplorerAggregation;
   forceInterval?: boolean;
   dropLastBucket?: boolean;
+  source?: string;
 }
 
 export interface MetricsExplorerTimeOptions {
@@ -83,6 +84,7 @@ export const DEFAULT_METRICS: MetricsExplorerOptionsMetric[] = [
 export const DEFAULT_OPTIONS: MetricsExplorerOptions = {
   aggregation: 'avg',
   metrics: DEFAULT_METRICS,
+  source: 'default',
 };
 
 export const DEFAULT_METRICS_EXPLORER_VIEW_STATE = {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/metrics_explorer/index.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/metrics_explorer/index.tsx
index d0b30deb2a5193..cd875ae54071cb 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/metrics_explorer/index.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/infra/public/pages/metrics/metrics_explorer/index.tsx
@@ -39,8 +39,9 @@ export const MetricsExplorerPage = ({ source, derivedIndexPattern }: MetricsExpl
     handleRefresh,
     handleLoadMore,
     onViewStateChange,
-  } = useMetricsExplorerState(source, derivedIndexPattern);
-  const { currentView } = useSavedViewContext();
+    loadData,
+  } = useMetricsExplorerState(source, derivedIndexPattern, false);
+  const { currentView, shouldLoadDefault } = useSavedViewContext();
 
   useTrackPageview({ app: 'infra_metrics', path: 'metrics_explorer' });
   useTrackPageview({ app: 'infra_metrics', path: 'metrics_explorer', delay: 15000 });
@@ -51,6 +52,13 @@ export const MetricsExplorerPage = ({ source, derivedIndexPattern }: MetricsExpl
     }
   }, [currentView, onViewStateChange]);
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (currentView != null || !shouldLoadDefault) {
+      // load metrics explorer data after default view loaded, unless we're not loading a view
+      loadData();
+    }
+  }, [loadData, currentView, shouldLoadDefault]);
+
   return (
     <EuiErrorBoundary>
       <DocumentTitle