diff --git a/src/core/public/execution_context/execution_context_service.test.ts b/src/core/public/execution_context/execution_context_service.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..70e57b8993bb1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/public/execution_context/execution_context_service.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,205 @@
+/*
+ * 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 { BehaviorSubject } from 'rxjs';
+import { ExecutionContextService, ExecutionContextSetup } from './execution_context_service';
+
+describe('ExecutionContextService', () => {
+  let execContext: ExecutionContextSetup;
+  let curApp$: BehaviorSubject<string>;
+  let execService: ExecutionContextService;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    execService = new ExecutionContextService();
+    execContext = execService.setup();
+    curApp$ = new BehaviorSubject('app1');
+    execContext = execService.start({
+      curApp$,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('app name updates automatically and clears everything else', () => {
+    execContext.set({
+      type: 'ghf',
+      description: 'first set',
+    });
+
+    expect(execContext.get()).toStrictEqual({
+      name: 'app1',
+      description: 'first set',
+      type: 'ghf',
+      url: '/',
+    });
+
+    curApp$.next('app2');
+
+    expect(execContext.get()).toStrictEqual({
+      name: 'app2',
+      url: '/',
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('sets context and adds current url and appid when getting it', () => {
+    execContext.set({
+      type: 'ghf',
+      description: 'first set',
+    });
+
+    expect(execContext.get()).toStrictEqual({
+      name: 'app1',
+      description: 'first set',
+      type: 'ghf',
+      url: '/',
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('merges context between calls and gets it', () => {
+    execContext.set({
+      type: 'ghf',
+      description: 'first set',
+    });
+
+    execContext.set({
+      type: 'ghf',
+      description: 'second set',
+    });
+
+    expect(execContext.get()).toStrictEqual({
+      name: 'app1',
+      type: 'ghf',
+      description: 'second set',
+      url: '/',
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('context observable fires the context each time it changes', () => {
+    const sub = jest.fn();
+
+    execContext.set({
+      type: 'ghf',
+      description: 'first set',
+    });
+
+    execContext.context$.subscribe(sub);
+
+    expect(sub).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      name: 'app1',
+      type: 'ghf',
+      description: 'first set',
+      url: '/',
+    });
+
+    execContext.set({
+      type: 'str',
+      description: 'first set',
+    });
+
+    expect(sub).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      name: 'app1',
+      type: 'str',
+      description: 'first set',
+      url: '/',
+    });
+
+    expect(sub).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+
+  it('context observable doesnt fires if the context did not change', () => {
+    const sub = jest.fn();
+
+    execContext.set({
+      type: 'ghf',
+      description: 'first set',
+    });
+
+    execContext.context$.subscribe(sub);
+
+    execContext.set({
+      type: 'ghf',
+    });
+
+    expect(sub).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      name: 'app1',
+      type: 'ghf',
+      description: 'first set',
+      url: '/',
+    });
+
+    expect(sub).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it('clear resets context and triggers context observable', () => {
+    const sub = jest.fn();
+
+    execContext.set({
+      type: 'ghf',
+      description: 'first set',
+    });
+    execContext.context$.subscribe(sub);
+
+    execContext.clear();
+    expect(sub).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      name: 'app1',
+      url: '/',
+    });
+
+    // Clear triggers the observable
+    expect(sub).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+
+  it('getAsLabels return relevant values', () => {
+    execContext.set({
+      type: 'ghf',
+      description: 'first set',
+      page: 'mypage',
+      child: {
+        description: 'inner',
+      },
+      id: '123',
+    });
+
+    expect(execContext.getAsLabels()).toStrictEqual({
+      name: 'app1',
+      page: 'mypage',
+      id: '123',
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('getAsLabels removes undefined values', () => {
+    execContext.set({
+      type: 'ghf',
+      description: 'first set',
+      page: 'mypage',
+      id: undefined,
+    });
+
+    expect(execContext.get()).toStrictEqual({
+      name: 'app1',
+      type: 'ghf',
+      page: 'mypage',
+      url: '/',
+      description: 'first set',
+      id: undefined,
+    });
+
+    expect(execContext.getAsLabels()).toStrictEqual({
+      name: 'app1',
+      page: 'mypage',
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('stop clears subscriptions', () => {
+    const sub = jest.fn();
+    execContext.context$.subscribe(sub);
+    sub.mockReset();
+
+    execService.stop();
+    curApp$.next('abc');
+
+    expect(sub).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/core/public/execution_context/execution_context_service.ts b/src/core/public/execution_context/execution_context_service.ts
index bf13a7351f9b5..a14d876c9643c 100644
--- a/src/core/public/execution_context/execution_context_service.ts
+++ b/src/core/public/execution_context/execution_context_service.ts
@@ -72,13 +72,10 @@ export class ExecutionContextService
     this.contract = {
       context$: this.context$.asObservable(),
       clear: () => {
-        this.context$.next({});
+        this.context$.next(this.getDefaultContext());
       },
       set: (c: KibanaExecutionContext) => {
-        const newVal = {
-          ...this.context$.value,
-          ...c,
-        };
+        const newVal = this.mergeContext(c);
         if (!isEqual(newVal, this.context$.value)) {
           this.context$.next(newVal);
         }
@@ -123,10 +120,16 @@ export class ExecutionContextService
     return omitBy(context, isUndefined);
   }
 
-  private mergeContext(context: KibanaExecutionContext = {}): KibanaExecutionContext {
+  private getDefaultContext() {
     return {
       name: this.appId,
       url: window.location.pathname,
+    };
+  }
+
+  private mergeContext(context: KibanaExecutionContext = {}): KibanaExecutionContext {
+    return {
+      ...this.getDefaultContext(),
       ...this.context$.value,
       ...context,
     };