diff --git a/src/ui/public/agg_types/buckets/date_histogram.js b/src/ui/public/agg_types/buckets/date_histogram.js
index d99562e117221..03bf6aa3f9b05 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/agg_types/buckets/date_histogram.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/agg_types/buckets/date_histogram.js
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ export default function DateHistogramAggType(timefilter, config, Private) {
     makeLabel: function (agg) {
       const output = this.params.write(agg);
       const params = output.params;
-      const field = params.field || agg.params.field.displayName || '';
+      const field = params.field || _.get(agg, 'params.field.displayName', '');
       return field + ' per ' + (output.metricScaleText || output.bucketInterval.description);
     },
     createFilter: createFilter,