diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/editor_frame.test.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/editor_frame.test.tsx
index ad4f6e74c9e929..2f7a78197b2b26 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/editor_frame.test.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/editor_frame.test.tsx
@@ -1007,7 +1007,8 @@ describe('editor_frame', () => {
       expect(mockVisualization2.initialize).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
         expect.objectContaining({
           datasourceLayers: expect.objectContaining({ first: mockDatasource.publicAPIMock }),
-        })
+        }),
+        undefined
       );
       expect(mockVisualization2.getConfiguration).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
         expect.objectContaining({ state: { initial: true } })
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/workspace_panel/chart_switch.test.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/workspace_panel/chart_switch.test.tsx
index ceced2a7a353c5..c78de9d140f769 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/workspace_panel/chart_switch.test.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/workspace_panel/chart_switch.test.tsx
@@ -480,6 +480,34 @@ describe('chart_switch', () => {
     expect(frame.removeLayers).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
+  it('should not remove layers and initialize with existing state when switching between subtypes without data', () => {
+    const dispatch = jest.fn();
+    const frame = mockFrame(['a']);
+    frame.datasourceLayers.a.getTableSpec = jest.fn().mockReturnValue([]);
+    const visualizations = mockVisualizations();
+    visualizations.visC.getSuggestions = jest.fn().mockReturnValue([]);
+    visualizations.visC.switchVisualizationType = jest.fn(() => 'switched');
+
+    const component = mount(
+      <ChartSwitch
+        visualizationId="visC"
+        visualizationState={{ type: 'subvisC1' }}
+        visualizationMap={visualizations}
+        dispatch={dispatch}
+        framePublicAPI={frame}
+        datasourceMap={mockDatasourceMap()}
+        datasourceStates={mockDatasourceStates()}
+      />
+    );
+
+    switchTo('subvisC3', component);
+
+    expect(visualizations.visC.switchVisualizationType).toHaveBeenCalledWith('subvisC3', {
+      type: 'subvisC1',
+    });
+    expect(frame.removeLayers).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it('should switch to the updated datasource state', () => {
     const dispatch = jest.fn();
     const visualizations = mockVisualizations();
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/workspace_panel/chart_switch.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/workspace_panel/chart_switch.tsx
index 51b4a347af6f12..a0d803d05d98b8 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/workspace_panel/chart_switch.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/workspace_panel/chart_switch.tsx
@@ -160,12 +160,16 @@ export function ChartSwitch(props: Props) {
         : () => {
             return switchVisType(
               subVisualizationId,
-              newVisualization.initialize(props.framePublicAPI)
+              newVisualization.initialize(
+                props.framePublicAPI,
+                props.visualizationId === newVisualization.id ? props.visualizationState : undefined
+              )
             );
           },
       keptLayerIds: topSuggestion ? topSuggestion.keptLayerIds : [],
       datasourceState: topSuggestion ? topSuggestion.datasourceState : undefined,
       datasourceId: topSuggestion ? topSuggestion.datasourceId : undefined,
+      sameDatasources: dataLoss === 'nothing' && props.visualizationId === newVisualization.id,
     };
   }
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/xy_visualization/xy_suggestions.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/xy_visualization/xy_suggestions.test.ts
index f5828dbaeccc3e..7b3398658a5000 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/xy_visualization/xy_suggestions.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/xy_visualization/xy_suggestions.test.ts
@@ -408,6 +408,39 @@ describe('xy_suggestions', () => {
     expect(suggestion.hide).toBeTruthy();
   });
 
+  test('keeps existing seriesType for initial tables', () => {
+    const currentState: XYState = {
+      legend: { isVisible: true, position: 'bottom' },
+      fittingFunction: 'None',
+      preferredSeriesType: 'line',
+      layers: [
+        {
+          accessors: [],
+          layerId: 'first',
+          seriesType: 'line',
+          splitAccessor: undefined,
+          xAccessor: '',
+        },
+      ],
+    };
+    const suggestions = getSuggestions({
+      table: {
+        isMultiRow: true,
+        columns: [numCol('price'), dateCol('date')],
+        layerId: 'first',
+        changeType: 'initial',
+      },
+      state: currentState,
+      keptLayerIds: ['first'],
+    });
+
+    expect(suggestions).toHaveLength(1);
+
+    expect(suggestions[0].hide).toEqual(false);
+    expect(suggestions[0].state.preferredSeriesType).toEqual('line');
+    expect(suggestions[0].state.layers[0].seriesType).toEqual('line');
+  });
+
   test('makes a visible seriesType suggestion for unchanged table without split', () => {
     const currentState: XYState = {
       legend: { isVisible: true, position: 'bottom' },
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/xy_visualization/xy_suggestions.ts b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/xy_visualization/xy_suggestions.ts
index d7348f00bf8b8a..1be8d566a8b64b 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/xy_visualization/xy_suggestions.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/xy_visualization/xy_suggestions.ts
@@ -318,11 +318,7 @@ function getSeriesType(
     return closestSeriesType.startsWith('bar') ? closestSeriesType : defaultType;
   }
 
-  if (changeType === 'initial') {
-    return defaultType;
-  }
-
-  return closestSeriesType !== defaultType ? closestSeriesType : defaultType;
+  return closestSeriesType;
 }
 
 function getSuggestionTitle(