diff --git a/src/plugins/discover/public/application/view_components/canvas/discover_table.tsx b/src/plugins/discover/public/application/view_components/canvas/discover_table.tsx
index c435b5fc8f4d..3f7bbf4ec7b8 100644
--- a/src/plugins/discover/public/application/view_components/canvas/discover_table.tsx
+++ b/src/plugins/discover/public/application/view_components/canvas/discover_table.tsx
@@ -85,6 +85,11 @@ export const DiscoverTable = ({ rows }: Props) => {
     return null;
   }
 
+  if (!rows || rows.length === 0) {
+    // TODO: handle better
+    return <div>{'loading...'}</div>;
+  }
+
   return (
     <DataGridTable
       columns={columns}
diff --git a/src/plugins/discover/public/application/view_components/canvas/index.tsx b/src/plugins/discover/public/application/view_components/canvas/index.tsx
index 7c417d84c639..40ccc3c7aa16 100644
--- a/src/plugins/discover/public/application/view_components/canvas/index.tsx
+++ b/src/plugins/discover/public/application/view_components/canvas/index.tsx
@@ -91,11 +91,6 @@ export default function DiscoverCanvas({ setHeaderActionMenu, history }: ViewPro
   const timeField = indexPattern?.timeFieldName ? indexPattern.timeFieldName : undefined;
   const lastColumn = columns ? columns[columns.length - 1] : '';
 
-  if (!rows || rows.length === 0) {
-    // TODO: handle better
-    return <div>{'loading...'}</div>;
-  }
-
   return (
     <EuiPanel
       hasBorder={false}