diff --git a/src/plugins/discover/public/application/main/discover_main_route.tsx b/src/plugins/discover/public/application/main/discover_main_route.tsx
index dd1d036b811a2..f1d7cc2385cd0 100644
--- a/src/plugins/discover/public/application/main/discover_main_route.tsx
+++ b/src/plugins/discover/public/application/main/discover_main_route.tsx
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  * in compliance with, at your election, the Elastic License 2.0 or the Server
  * Side Public License, v 1.
  */
-import React, { useEffect, useState, memo } from 'react';
+import React, { useEffect, useState, memo, useCallback } from 'react';
 import { History } from 'history';
 import { useParams } from 'react-router-dom';
 
@@ -21,10 +21,10 @@ import { DiscoverMainApp } from './discover_main_app';
 import { getRootBreadcrumbs, getSavedSearchBreadcrumbs } from '../../utils/breadcrumbs';
 import { redirectWhenMissing } from '../../../../kibana_utils/public';
 import { DataViewSavedObjectConflictError } from '../../../../data_views/common';
-import { getUrlTracker } from '../../kibana_services';
 import { LoadingIndicator } from '../../components/common/loading_indicator';
 import { DiscoverError } from '../../components/common/error_alert';
 import { DiscoverRouteProps } from '../types';
+import { getUrlTracker } from '../../kibana_services';
 
 const DiscoverMainAppMemoized = memo(DiscoverMainApp);
 
@@ -54,15 +54,29 @@ export function DiscoverMainRoute({ services, history }: DiscoverMainProps) {
   const [indexPatternList, setIndexPatternList] = useState<
     Array<SavedObject<IndexPatternAttributes>>
   >([]);
-
   const { id } = useParams<DiscoverLandingParams>();
 
+  const navigateToOverview = useCallback(() => {
+    core.application.navigateToApp('kibanaOverview', { path: '#' });
+  }, [core.application]);
+
+  const checkForDataViews = useCallback(async () => {
+    const hasUserDataView = await data.dataViews.hasUserDataView().catch(() => true);
+    if (!hasUserDataView) {
+      navigateToOverview();
+    }
+    const defaultDataView = await data.dataViews.getDefaultDataView();
+    if (!defaultDataView) {
+      navigateToOverview();
+    }
+  }, [navigateToOverview, data.dataViews]);
+
   useEffect(() => {
     const savedSearchId = id;
 
     async function loadDefaultOrCurrentIndexPattern(searchSource: ISearchSource) {
       try {
-        await data.indexPatterns.ensureDefaultDataView();
+        await checkForDataViews();
         const { appStateContainer } = getState({ history, uiSettings: config });
         const { index } = appStateContainer.getState();
         const ip = await loadIndexPattern(index || '', data.indexPatterns, config);
@@ -90,6 +104,10 @@ export function DiscoverMainRoute({ services, history }: DiscoverMainProps) {
           currentSavedSearch.searchSource
         );
 
+        if (!loadedIndexPattern) {
+          return;
+        }
+
         if (!currentSavedSearch.searchSource.getField('index')) {
           currentSavedSearch.searchSource.setField('index', loadedIndexPattern);
         }
@@ -141,6 +159,7 @@ export function DiscoverMainRoute({ services, history }: DiscoverMainProps) {
     services,
     toastNotifications,
     core.theme,
+    checkForDataViews,
   ]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
diff --git a/test/functional/apps/discover/_empty_state.ts b/test/functional/apps/discover/_empty_state.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..e78f5de8bd780
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/functional/apps/discover/_empty_state.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License
+ * 2.0 and the Server Side Public License, v 1; you may not use this file except
+ * in compliance with, at your election, the Elastic License 2.0 or the Server
+ * Side Public License, v 1.
+ */
+
+import expect from '@kbn/expect';
+import { FtrProviderContext } from '../../ftr_provider_context';
+
+export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
+  const testSubjects = getService('testSubjects');
+  const kibanaServer = getService('kibanaServer');
+  const PageObjects = getPageObjects(['common', 'timePicker', 'discover']);
+
+  describe('empty state', () => {
+    before(async () => {
+      await kibanaServer.uiSettings.unset('defaultIndex');
+      await kibanaServer.savedObjects.clean({ types: ['search', 'index-pattern'] });
+    });
+
+    it('redirects to Overview app', async () => {
+      await PageObjects.common.navigateToApp('discover');
+      const selector = await testSubjects.find('kibanaChrome');
+      const content = await selector.findByCssSelector('.kbnNoDataPageContents');
+      expect(content).not.to.be(null);
+    });
+  });
+}
diff --git a/test/functional/apps/discover/index.ts b/test/functional/apps/discover/index.ts
index 1241b0e892e9c..b5eb160526876 100644
--- a/test/functional/apps/discover/index.ts
+++ b/test/functional/apps/discover/index.ts
@@ -54,5 +54,6 @@ export default function ({ getService, loadTestFile }: FtrProviderContext) {
     loadTestFile(require.resolve('./_search_on_page_load'));
     loadTestFile(require.resolve('./_chart_hidden'));
     loadTestFile(require.resolve('./_context_encoded_url_param'));
+    loadTestFile(require.resolve('./_empty_state'));
   });
 }