diff --git a/x-pack/test/functional/apps/dashboard_mode/dashboard_empty_screen.js b/x-pack/test/functional/apps/dashboard_mode/dashboard_empty_screen.js
index b74df71701026..bd35374643e9b 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/functional/apps/dashboard_mode/dashboard_empty_screen.js
+++ b/x-pack/test/functional/apps/dashboard_mode/dashboard_empty_screen.js
@@ -40,21 +40,18 @@ export default function ({ getPageObjects, getService }) {
         operation: 'date_histogram',
         field: '@timestamp',
       });
-      await PageObjects.lens.closeDimensionEditor();
 
       await PageObjects.lens.configureDimension({
         dimension: 'lnsXY_yDimensionPanel > lns-empty-dimension',
         operation: 'avg',
         field: 'bytes',
       });
-      await PageObjects.lens.closeDimensionEditor();
 
       await PageObjects.lens.configureDimension({
         dimension: 'lnsXY_splitDimensionPanel > lns-empty-dimension',
         operation: 'terms',
         field: 'ip',
       });
-      await PageObjects.lens.closeDimensionEditor();
       await PageObjects.lens.save(title, saveAsNew, redirectToOrigin);
     }
 
diff --git a/x-pack/test/functional/apps/lens/rollup.ts b/x-pack/test/functional/apps/lens/rollup.ts
index 8e1dc231b6b1a..f6882c8aed214 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/functional/apps/lens/rollup.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/functional/apps/lens/rollup.ts
@@ -34,21 +34,18 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
         operation: 'date_histogram',
         field: '@timestamp',
       });
-      await PageObjects.lens.closeDimensionEditor();
 
       await PageObjects.lens.configureDimension({
         dimension: 'lnsXY_yDimensionPanel > lns-empty-dimension',
         operation: 'sum',
         field: 'bytes',
       });
-      await PageObjects.lens.closeDimensionEditor();
 
       await PageObjects.lens.configureDimension({
         dimension: 'lnsXY_splitDimensionPanel > lns-empty-dimension',
         operation: 'terms',
         field: 'geo.src',
       });
-      await PageObjects.lens.closeDimensionEditor();
       expect(await find.allByCssSelector('.echLegendItem')).to.have.length(2);
 
       await PageObjects.lens.save('Afancilenstest');
diff --git a/x-pack/test/functional/apps/lens/smokescreen.ts b/x-pack/test/functional/apps/lens/smokescreen.ts
index 1ed3a0864c244..d26c92a2bcd63 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/functional/apps/lens/smokescreen.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/functional/apps/lens/smokescreen.ts
@@ -25,21 +25,18 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
         operation: 'date_histogram',
         field: '@timestamp',
       });
-      await PageObjects.lens.closeDimensionEditor();
 
       await PageObjects.lens.configureDimension({
         dimension: 'lnsXY_yDimensionPanel > lns-empty-dimension',
         operation: 'avg',
         field: 'bytes',
       });
-      await PageObjects.lens.closeDimensionEditor();
 
       await PageObjects.lens.configureDimension({
         dimension: 'lnsXY_splitDimensionPanel > lns-empty-dimension',
         operation: 'terms',
         field: '@message.raw',
       });
-      await PageObjects.lens.closeDimensionEditor();
 
       await PageObjects.lens.switchToVisualization('lnsDatatable');
       await PageObjects.lens.removeDimension('lnsDatatable_column');
@@ -50,7 +47,6 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
         operation: 'terms',
         field: 'ip',
       });
-      await PageObjects.lens.closeDimensionEditor();
 
       await PageObjects.lens.save('Afancilenstest');
 
@@ -78,6 +74,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
         dimension: 'lnsXY_splitDimensionPanel > lns-dimensionTrigger',
         operation: 'filters',
         isPreviousIncompatible: true,
+        keepOpen: true,
       });
       await PageObjects.lens.addFilterToAgg(`geo.src : CN`);
 
@@ -110,14 +107,12 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
         field: '@timestamp',
       });
 
-      await PageObjects.lens.closeDimensionEditor();
       await PageObjects.lens.configureDimension({
         dimension: 'lnsXY_yDimensionPanel > lns-empty-dimension',
         operation: 'avg',
         field: 'bytes',
       });
 
-      await PageObjects.lens.closeDimensionEditor();
       await PageObjects.lens.createLayer();
 
       expect(await PageObjects.lens.hasChartSwitchWarning('line')).to.eql(false);
@@ -132,7 +127,6 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
         1
       );
 
-      await PageObjects.lens.closeDimensionEditor();
       await PageObjects.lens.configureDimension(
         {
           dimension: 'lnsXY_yDimensionPanel > lns-empty-dimension',
@@ -142,7 +136,6 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
         1
       );
 
-      await PageObjects.lens.closeDimensionEditor();
       expect(await PageObjects.lens.getLayerCount()).to.eql(2);
       await testSubjects.click('lnsLayerRemove');
       await testSubjects.click('lnsLayerRemove');
@@ -171,8 +164,6 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
 
       await testSubjects.existOrFail('indexPattern-dimension-formatDecimals');
 
-      await PageObjects.lens.closeDimensionEditor();
-
       expect(await PageObjects.lens.getDimensionTriggerText('lnsXY_yDimensionPanel')).to.eql(
         'Test of label'
       );
@@ -189,14 +180,12 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
         field: 'geo.dest',
       });
 
-      await PageObjects.lens.closeDimensionEditor();
       await PageObjects.lens.configureDimension({
         dimension: 'lnsXY_yDimensionPanel > lns-empty-dimension',
         operation: 'avg',
         field: 'bytes',
       });
 
-      await PageObjects.lens.closeDimensionEditor();
       await PageObjects.lens.createLayer();
 
       await PageObjects.lens.configureDimension(
@@ -208,7 +197,6 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
         1
       );
 
-      await PageObjects.lens.closeDimensionEditor();
       await PageObjects.lens.configureDimension(
         {
           dimension: 'lnsXY_yDimensionPanel > lns-empty-dimension',
@@ -218,7 +206,6 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
         1
       );
 
-      await PageObjects.lens.closeDimensionEditor();
       await PageObjects.lens.save('twolayerchart');
       await testSubjects.click('lnsSuggestion-asDonut > lnsSuggestion');
 
@@ -304,7 +291,6 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
         operation: 'date_histogram',
         field: '@timestamp',
       });
-      await PageObjects.lens.closeDimensionEditor();
 
       await PageObjects.lens.configureDimension({
         dimension: 'lnsPie_sizeByDimensionPanel > lns-empty-dimension',
@@ -312,7 +298,6 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
         field: 'bytes',
       });
 
-      await PageObjects.lens.closeDimensionEditor();
       expect(await PageObjects.lens.hasChartSwitchWarning('lnsDatatable')).to.eql(false);
       await PageObjects.lens.switchToVisualization('lnsDatatable');
 
diff --git a/x-pack/test/functional/page_objects/lens_page.ts b/x-pack/test/functional/page_objects/lens_page.ts
index a1e62afbe14c8..ec7281e53c5e1 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/functional/page_objects/lens_page.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/functional/page_objects/lens_page.ts
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ export function LensPageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderCont
         operation: string;
         field?: string;
         isPreviousIncompatible?: boolean;
+        keepOpen?: boolean;
       },
       layerIndex = 0
     ) {
@@ -107,6 +108,10 @@ export function LensPageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderCont
         await comboBox.openOptionsList(target);
         await comboBox.setElement(target, opts.field);
       }
+
+      if (!opts.keepOpen) {
+        this.closeDimensionEditor();
+      }
     },
 
     // closes the dimension editor flyout
@@ -127,7 +132,16 @@ export function LensPageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderCont
       await testSubjects.click('lns-newBucket-add');
       const queryInput = await testSubjects.find('indexPattern-filters-queryStringInput');
       await queryInput.type(queryString);
-      await PageObjects.common.pressEnterKey();
+      // Problem here is that after typing in the queryInput a dropdown will fetch the server
+      // with suggestions and show up. Depending on the cursor position and some other factors
+      // pressing Enter at this point may lead to auto-complete the queryInput with random stuff from the
+      // dropdown which was not intended originally.
+      // To close the Filter popover we need to move to the label input and then press Enter:
+      // solution is to press Tab 2 twice (first Tab will close the dropdown) instead of Enter to avoid
+      // race condition with the dropdown
+      await PageObjects.common.pressTabKey();
+      await PageObjects.common.pressTabKey();
+      // Now it is safe to press Enter as we're in the label input
       await PageObjects.common.pressEnterKey();
       await PageObjects.common.sleep(1000); // give time for debounced components to rerender
     },