diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/maps/common/descriptor_types/data_request_descriptor_types.d.ts b/x-pack/plugins/maps/common/descriptor_types/data_request_descriptor_types.d.ts
index ceba2fe56db12..26044d28d53a3 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/maps/common/descriptor_types/data_request_descriptor_types.d.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/maps/common/descriptor_types/data_request_descriptor_types.d.ts
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ export type DataMeta = Partial<VectorSourceRequestMeta> &
 
 export type DataRequestDescriptor = {
   dataId: string;
-  dataMetaAtStart?: DataMeta;
+  dataMetaAtStart?: DataMeta | null;
   dataRequestToken?: symbol;
   data?: object;
   dataMeta?: DataMeta;
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/maps/public/layers/util/data_request.ts b/x-pack/plugins/maps/public/layers/util/data_request.ts
index eeef5c49c6ef8..44b7b2ffb6ae7 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/maps/public/layers/util/data_request.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/maps/public/layers/util/data_request.ts
@@ -26,9 +26,13 @@ export class DataRequest {
   }
 
   getMeta(): DataMeta {
-    return this.hasData()
-      ? _.get(this._descriptor, 'dataMeta', {})
-      : _.get(this._descriptor, 'dataMetaAtStart', {});
+    if (this._descriptor.dataMetaAtStart) {
+      return this._descriptor.dataMetaAtStart;
+    } else if (this._descriptor.dataMeta) {
+      return this._descriptor.dataMeta;
+    } else {
+      return {};
+    }
   }
 
   hasData(): boolean {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/maps/public/reducers/map.js b/x-pack/plugins/maps/public/reducers/map.js
index 7e07569b44b83..251a2304538ed 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/maps/public/reducers/map.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/maps/public/reducers/map.js
@@ -57,8 +57,13 @@ const updateLayerInList = (state, layerId, attribute, newValue) => {
   if (!layerId) {
     return state;
   }
+
   const { layerList } = state;
   const layerIdx = getLayerIndex(layerList, layerId);
+  if (layerIdx === -1) {
+    return state;
+  }
+
   const updatedLayer = {
     ...layerList[layerIdx],
     // Update layer w/ new value. If no value provided, toggle boolean value