diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/indexpattern_suggestions.test.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/indexpattern_suggestions.test.tsx
index 9315b61adcc54..5df02482a2745 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/indexpattern_suggestions.test.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/indexpattern_suggestions.test.tsx
@@ -1952,6 +1952,64 @@ describe('IndexPattern Data Source suggestions', () => {
       suggestions.forEach((suggestion) => expect(suggestion.table.columns.length).toBe(1));
     });
 
+    it("should not propose an over time suggestion if there's a top values aggregation with an high size", () => {
+      const initialState = testInitialState();
+      (initialState.layers.first.columns.col1 as { params: { size: number } }).params!.size = 6;
+      const suggestions = getDatasourceSuggestionsFromCurrentState({
+        ...initialState,
+        indexPatterns: { 1: { ...initialState.indexPatterns['1'], timeFieldName: undefined } },
+      });
+      suggestions.forEach((suggestion) => expect(suggestion.table.columns.length).toBe(1));
+    });
+
+    it('should not propose an over time suggestion if there are multiple bucket dimensions', () => {
+      const initialState = testInitialState();
+      const state: IndexPatternPrivateState = {
+        ...initialState,
+        layers: {
+          first: {
+            indexPatternId: '1',
+            columnOrder: ['col1', 'col2', 'col3'],
+            columns: {
+              ...initialState.layers.first.columns,
+              col2: {
+                label: 'My Op',
+                customLabel: true,
+                dataType: 'number',
+                isBucketed: false,
+                operationType: 'average',
+                sourceField: 'bytes',
+                scale: 'ratio',
+              },
+              col3: {
+                label: 'My Op',
+                customLabel: true,
+                dataType: 'string',
+                isBucketed: true,
+
+                // Private
+                operationType: 'terms',
+                sourceField: 'dest',
+                params: {
+                  size: 5,
+                  orderBy: { type: 'alphabetical' },
+                  orderDirection: 'asc',
+                },
+              },
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      };
+      const suggestions = getDatasourceSuggestionsFromCurrentState({
+        ...state,
+        indexPatterns: { 1: { ...state.indexPatterns['1'], timeFieldName: undefined } },
+      });
+      suggestions.forEach((suggestion) => {
+        const firstBucket = suggestion.table.columns.find(({ columnId }) => columnId === 'col1');
+        expect(firstBucket?.operation).not.toBe('date');
+      });
+    });
+
     it('returns simplified versions of table with more than 2 columns', () => {
       const initialState = testInitialState();
       const fields = [
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/indexpattern_suggestions.ts b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/indexpattern_suggestions.ts
index d3c292b7e019b..8b940ec1f05af 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/indexpattern_suggestions.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/indexpattern_suggestions.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import {
   getExistingColumnGroups,
   isReferenced,
   getReferencedColumnIds,
+  hasTermsWithManyBuckets,
 } from './operations';
 import { hasField } from './utils';
 import type {
@@ -424,7 +425,7 @@ export function getDatasourceSuggestionsFromCurrentState(
         );
 
         if (!references.length && metrics.length && buckets.length === 0) {
-          if (timeField) {
+          if (timeField && buckets.length < 1 && !hasTermsWithManyBuckets(layer)) {
             // suggest current metric over time if there is a default time field
             suggestions.push(createSuggestionWithDefaultDateHistogram(state, layerId, timeField));
           }
@@ -436,7 +437,13 @@ export function getDatasourceSuggestionsFromCurrentState(
 
           // base range intervals are of number dataType.
           // Custom range/intervals have a different dataType so they still receive the Over Time suggestion
-          if (!timeDimension && timeField && !hasNumericDimension) {
+          if (
+            !timeDimension &&
+            timeField &&
+            buckets.length < 2 &&
+            !hasNumericDimension &&
+            !hasTermsWithManyBuckets(layer)
+          ) {
             // suggest current configuration over time if there is a default time field
             // and no time dimension yet
             suggestions.push(createSuggestionWithDefaultDateHistogram(state, layerId, timeField));
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/operations/layer_helpers.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/operations/layer_helpers.test.ts
index 77a2b334a9e20..3dc0677f3b9b6 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/operations/layer_helpers.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/operations/layer_helpers.test.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import {
   deleteColumn,
   updateLayerIndexPattern,
   getErrorMessages,
+  hasTermsWithManyBuckets,
 } from './layer_helpers';
 import { operationDefinitionMap, OperationType } from '../operations';
 import { TermsIndexPatternColumn } from './definitions/terms';
@@ -3005,4 +3006,79 @@ describe('state_helpers', () => {
       );
     });
   });
+
+  describe('hasTermsWithManyBuckets', () => {
+    it('should return false for a bucketed non terms operation', () => {
+      const layer: IndexPatternLayer = {
+        columnOrder: ['col1'],
+        columns: {
+          col1: {
+            dataType: 'date',
+            isBucketed: true,
+            label: '',
+            operationType: 'date_histogram',
+            sourceField: 'fieldD',
+            params: {
+              interval: 'd',
+            },
+          },
+        },
+        indexPatternId: 'original',
+      };
+
+      expect(hasTermsWithManyBuckets(layer)).toBeFalsy();
+    });
+
+    it('should return false if all terms operation have a lower size', () => {
+      const layer: IndexPatternLayer = {
+        columnOrder: ['col1'],
+        columns: {
+          col1: {
+            label: 'My Op',
+            customLabel: true,
+            dataType: 'string',
+            isBucketed: true,
+
+            // Private
+            operationType: 'terms',
+            sourceField: 'dest',
+            params: {
+              size: 5,
+              orderBy: { type: 'alphabetical' },
+              orderDirection: 'asc',
+            },
+          },
+        },
+        indexPatternId: 'original',
+      };
+
+      expect(hasTermsWithManyBuckets(layer)).toBeFalsy();
+    });
+
+    it('should return true if the size is high', () => {
+      const layer: IndexPatternLayer = {
+        columnOrder: ['col1'],
+        columns: {
+          col1: {
+            label: 'My Op',
+            customLabel: true,
+            dataType: 'string',
+            isBucketed: true,
+
+            // Private
+            operationType: 'terms',
+            sourceField: 'dest',
+            params: {
+              size: 15,
+              orderBy: { type: 'alphabetical' },
+              orderDirection: 'asc',
+            },
+          },
+        },
+        indexPatternId: 'original',
+      };
+
+      expect(hasTermsWithManyBuckets(layer)).toBeTruthy();
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/operations/layer_helpers.ts b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/operations/layer_helpers.ts
index 9f3cba89ce17b..84b2a98279690 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/operations/layer_helpers.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/operations/layer_helpers.ts
@@ -1371,6 +1371,17 @@ export function getReferencedColumnIds(layer: IndexPatternLayer, columnId: strin
   return referencedIds;
 }
 
+export function hasTermsWithManyBuckets(layer: IndexPatternLayer): boolean {
+  return layer.columnOrder.some((columnId) => {
+    const column = layer.columns[columnId];
+    if (column) {
+      return (
+        column.isBucketed && column.params && 'size' in column.params && column.params.size > 5
+      );
+    }
+  });
+}
+
 export function isOperationAllowedAsReference({
   operationType,
   validation,