diff --git a/src/ui/public/stringify/__tests__/_date.js b/src/ui/public/stringify/__tests__/_date.js
index 5d95bd8aae746..ea7f5e890bb75 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/stringify/__tests__/_date.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/stringify/__tests__/_date.js
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ describe('Date Format', function () {
     var date = new DateFormat({
       pattern: 'dd-MM-yyyy'
     });
-    expect(date.convert(null)).to.be('');
-    expect(date.convert(undefined)).to.be('');
+    expect(date.convert(null)).to.be('-');
+    expect(date.convert(undefined)).to.be('-');
   });
 
 });
diff --git a/src/ui/public/stringify/types/Date.js b/src/ui/public/stringify/types/Date.js
index c80645bf15cd9..8f40b0c3a340f 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/stringify/types/Date.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/stringify/types/Date.js
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ define(function (require) {
         this._memoizedPattern = pattern;
         this._memoizedConverter = _.memoize(function converter(val) {
           if (val === null || val === undefined) {
-            return '';
+            return '-';
           }
           return moment(val).format(pattern);
         });