diff --git a/src/ui/public/vislib/lib/resize_checker.js b/src/ui/public/vislib/lib/resize_checker.js
index e0e4e1c062605..9a86ddc1642ea 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/vislib/lib/resize_checker.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/vislib/lib/resize_checker.js
@@ -182,6 +182,10 @@ export default function ResizeCheckerFactory(Private, Notifier) {
     }, ms));
   };
 
+  ResizeChecker.prototype.stopSchedule = function () {
+    clearTimeout(this._timerId);
+  };
+
   /**
    * Signal that the ResizeChecker should shutdown.
    *
diff --git a/src/ui/public/vislib/vis.js b/src/ui/public/vislib/vis.js
index 5dcbddd87b848..54d02072c7d5a 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/vislib/vis.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/vislib/vis.js
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ export default function VisFactory(Private) {
       }
 
       this.handler = handlerTypes[chartType](this) || handlerTypes.column(this);
-      this._runOnHandler('render');
+      this._runWithoutResizeChecker('render');
     };
 
     /**
@@ -86,6 +86,14 @@ export default function VisFactory(Private) {
       }
     };
 
+    _runWithoutResizeChecker(method) {
+      this.resizeChecker.stopSchedule();
+      this._runOnHandler(method);
+      this.resizeChecker.saveSize();
+      this.resizeChecker.saveDirty(false);
+      this.resizeChecker.continueSchedule();
+    }
+
     _runOnHandler(method) {
       try {
         this.handler[method]();
diff --git a/src/ui/public/vislib_vis_type/__tests__/_vislib_renderbot.js b/src/ui/public/vislib_vis_type/__tests__/_vislib_renderbot.js
index b70e61001a9e4..a07ea0b87a8dd 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/vislib_vis_type/__tests__/_vislib_renderbot.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/vislib_vis_type/__tests__/_vislib_renderbot.js
@@ -134,10 +134,11 @@ describe('renderbot', function exportWrapper() {
       let buildStub = sinon.stub(renderbot, 'buildChartData', _.constant(football));
       let renderStub = sinon.stub(renderbot.vislibVis, 'render');
 
-      renderbot.render('flat data', persistedState);
-      expect(renderStub.callCount).to.be(1);
-      expect(buildStub.callCount).to.be(1);
-      expect(renderStub.firstCall.args[0]).to.be(football);
+      return renderbot.render('flat data', persistedState).then(() => {
+        expect(renderStub.callCount).to.be(1);
+        expect(buildStub.callCount).to.be(1);
+        expect(renderStub.firstCall.args[0]).to.be(football);
+      });
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/src/ui/public/vislib_vis_type/vislib_renderbot.js b/src/ui/public/vislib_vis_type/vislib_renderbot.js
index 1cbbf1a424c21..8ef87c0ed7f1b 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/vislib_vis_type/vislib_renderbot.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/vislib_vis_type/vislib_renderbot.js
@@ -46,7 +46,12 @@ module.exports = function VislibRenderbotFactory(Private) {
   VislibRenderbot.prototype.buildChartData = buildChartData;
   VislibRenderbot.prototype.render = function (esResponse) {
     this.chartData = this.buildChartData(esResponse);
-    this.vislibVis.render(this.chartData, this.uiState);
+    // to allow legend to render first (wait for angular digest cycle to complete)
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        resolve(this.vislibVis.render(this.chartData, this.uiState));
+      });
+    });
   };
 
   VislibRenderbot.prototype.destroy = function () {