diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/apm/public/components/app/ServiceMap/LoadingOverlay.tsx b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/apm/public/components/app/ServiceMap/LoadingOverlay.tsx
index 89b0171724b54..e5fe752d68841 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/apm/public/components/app/ServiceMap/LoadingOverlay.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/apm/public/components/app/ServiceMap/LoadingOverlay.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import theme from '@elastic/eui/dist/eui_theme_light.json';
 import React from 'react';
 import { EuiProgress, EuiText, EuiSpacer } from '@elastic/eui';
 import styled from 'styled-components';
+import { i18n } from '@kbn/i18n';
 
 const Container = styled.div`
   position: relative;
@@ -29,26 +30,43 @@ const ProgressBarContainer = styled.div`
   max-width: 600px;
 `;
 
-const Content = styled.div<{ isLoading: boolean }>`
-  ${props =>
-    props.isLoading
-      ? `
-      pointer-events: none;
-      opacity: 0.5;
-    `
-      : ''}
-`;
+function Content({
+  isInteractive,
+  children
+}: {
+  isInteractive: boolean;
+  children: React.ReactNode;
+}) {
+  return (
+    <div
+      style={
+        // Necessary because React should only update the style of the DOM node,
+        // otherwise Cytoscape rendering repaints with visual bugs.
+        isInteractive
+          ? undefined
+          : {
+              pointerEvents: 'none',
+              opacity: 0.5
+            }
+      }
+    >
+      {children}
+    </div>
+  );
+}
 
 interface Props {
   children: React.ReactNode;
   isLoading: boolean;
   percentageLoaded: number;
+  isInteractive: boolean;
 }
 
 export const LoadingOverlay = ({
   children,
   isLoading,
-  percentageLoaded
+  percentageLoaded,
+  isInteractive
 }: Props) => (
   <Container>
     {isLoading && (
@@ -63,10 +81,13 @@ export const LoadingOverlay = ({
         </ProgressBarContainer>
         <EuiSpacer size="s" />
         <EuiText size="s" textAlign="center">
-          {'Loading service map... This might take a short while.'}
+          {i18n.translate('xpack.apm.loadingServiceMap', {
+            defaultMessage:
+              'Loading service map... This might take a short while.'
+          })}
         </EuiText>
       </Overlay>
     )}
-    <Content isLoading={isLoading}>{children}</Content>
+    <Content isInteractive={isInteractive}>{children}</Content>
   </Container>
 );
diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/apm/public/components/app/ServiceMap/index.tsx b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/apm/public/components/app/ServiceMap/index.tsx
index 3f0fb7a08f20a..bbbf70dc5832c 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/apm/public/components/app/ServiceMap/index.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/apm/public/components/app/ServiceMap/index.tsx
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ export function ServiceMap({ serviceName }: ServiceMapProps) {
 
   const [responses, setResponses] = useState<ServiceMapAPIResponse[]>([]);
   const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(true);
+  const [isInteractive, setIsInteractive] = useState(false);
   const percentageLoadedRef = useRef(0);
   const [percentageLoaded, setPercentageLoaded] = useState(
     percentageLoadedRef.current
@@ -151,7 +152,7 @@ export function ServiceMap({ serviceName }: ServiceMapProps) {
         const shouldGetNext = responses.length + 1 < MAX_REQUESTS && data.after;
 
         if (shouldGetNext) {
-          percentageLoadedRef.current += 10;
+          percentageLoadedRef.current += 30;
           setPercentageLoaded(percentageLoadedRef.current);
           await getNext({ after: data.after });
         }
@@ -164,6 +165,13 @@ export function ServiceMap({ serviceName }: ServiceMapProps) {
   useEffect(() => {
     percentageLoadedRef.current = 5;
     setPercentageLoaded(percentageLoadedRef.current);
+
+    // Allow user interaction after 5 seconds regardless of load status
+    setIsInteractive(false);
+    setTimeout(() => {
+      setIsInteractive(true);
+    }, 5000);
+
     getNext({ reset: true }).then(() => {
       percentageLoadedRef.current = 100;
       setPercentageLoaded(percentageLoadedRef.current);
@@ -288,33 +296,37 @@ export function ServiceMap({ serviceName }: ServiceMapProps) {
     );
   });
 
+  const updateMap = () => {
+    renderedElements.current = elements;
+    if (openToast.current) {
+      notifications.toasts.remove(openToast.current);
+    }
+    forceUpdate();
+  };
+
   if (renderedElements.current.length === 0) {
     renderedElements.current = elements;
   } else if (newData.length && !openToast.current) {
-    openToast.current = notifications.toasts.add({
-      title: i18n.translate('xpack.apm.newServiceMapData', {
-        defaultMessage: `Newly discovered connections are available.`
-      }),
-      onClose: () => {
-        openToast.current = null;
-      },
-      toastLifeTimeMs: 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000,
-      text: toMountPoint(
-        <EuiButton
-          onClick={() => {
-            renderedElements.current = elements;
-            if (openToast.current) {
-              notifications.toasts.remove(openToast.current);
-            }
-            forceUpdate();
-          }}
-        >
-          {i18n.translate('xpack.apm.updateServiceMap', {
-            defaultMessage: 'Update map'
-          })}
-        </EuiButton>
-      )
-    }).id;
+    if (isInteractive) {
+      openToast.current = notifications.toasts.add({
+        title: i18n.translate('xpack.apm.newServiceMapData', {
+          defaultMessage: `Newly discovered connections are available.`
+        }),
+        onClose: () => {
+          openToast.current = null;
+        },
+        toastLifeTimeMs: 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000,
+        text: toMountPoint(
+          <EuiButton onClick={updateMap}>
+            {i18n.translate('xpack.apm.updateServiceMap', {
+              defaultMessage: 'Update map'
+            })}
+          </EuiButton>
+        )
+      }).id;
+    } else {
+      updateMap();
+    }
   }
 
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -326,7 +338,11 @@ export function ServiceMap({ serviceName }: ServiceMapProps) {
   }, [notifications.toasts]);
 
   return isValidPlatinumLicense ? (
-    <LoadingOverlay isLoading={isLoading} percentageLoaded={percentageLoaded}>
+    <LoadingOverlay
+      isLoading={isLoading}
+      percentageLoaded={percentageLoaded}
+      isInteractive={isInteractive}
+    >
       <Cytoscape
         elements={renderedElements.current}
         serviceName={serviceName}