diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/common/build_sorted_events_query.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/common/build_sorted_events_query.test.ts
index bac84bd4a4b28..8e53736b23963 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/common/build_sorted_events_query.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/common/build_sorted_events_query.test.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ describe('buildSortedEventsQuery', () => {
         sort: [
           {
             timefield: {
+              format: 'strict_date_optional_time||epoch_millis',
               order: 'asc',
             },
           },
@@ -111,6 +112,7 @@ describe('buildSortedEventsQuery', () => {
         sort: [
           {
             timefield: {
+              format: 'strict_date_optional_time||epoch_millis',
               order: 'asc',
             },
           },
@@ -160,6 +162,7 @@ describe('buildSortedEventsQuery', () => {
         sort: [
           {
             timefield: {
+              format: 'strict_date_optional_time||epoch_millis',
               order: 'asc',
             },
           },
@@ -210,6 +213,7 @@ describe('buildSortedEventsQuery', () => {
         sort: [
           {
             timefield: {
+              format: 'strict_date_optional_time||epoch_millis',
               order: 'asc',
             },
           },
@@ -272,6 +276,7 @@ describe('buildSortedEventsQuery', () => {
         sort: [
           {
             timefield: {
+              format: 'strict_date_optional_time||epoch_millis',
               order: 'asc',
             },
           },
@@ -320,6 +325,7 @@ describe('buildSortedEventsQuery', () => {
         sort: [
           {
             timefield: {
+              format: 'strict_date_optional_time||epoch_millis',
               order: 'desc',
             },
           },
@@ -368,6 +374,7 @@ describe('buildSortedEventsQuery', () => {
         sort: [
           {
             timefield: {
+              format: 'strict_date_optional_time||epoch_millis',
               order: 'asc',
             },
           },
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/common/build_sorted_events_query.ts b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/common/build_sorted_events_query.ts
index 7b92374b8fb33..5253fb8eb74ee 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/common/build_sorted_events_query.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/common/build_sorted_events_query.ts
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ export const buildSortedEventsQuery = ({
         {
           [sortField]: {
             order: sortOrder ?? 'asc',
+            format: 'strict_date_optional_time||epoch_millis',
           },
         },
       ],
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/lib/fetch_es_query.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/lib/fetch_es_query.test.ts
index 10e8278f1976a..193f559ce2d62 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/lib/fetch_es_query.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/lib/fetch_es_query.test.ts
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ describe('fetchEsQuery', () => {
           sort: [
             {
               '@timestamp': {
+                format: 'strict_date_optional_time||epoch_millis',
                 order: 'desc',
               },
             },
@@ -194,6 +195,7 @@ describe('fetchEsQuery', () => {
           sort: [
             {
               '@timestamp': {
+                format: 'strict_date_optional_time||epoch_millis',
                 order: 'desc',
               },
             },
@@ -258,6 +260,7 @@ describe('fetchEsQuery', () => {
           sort: [
             {
               '@timestamp': {
+                format: 'strict_date_optional_time||epoch_millis',
                 order: 'desc',
               },
             },
@@ -349,6 +352,7 @@ describe('fetchEsQuery', () => {
           sort: [
             {
               '@timestamp': {
+                format: 'strict_date_optional_time||epoch_millis',
                 order: 'desc',
               },
             },
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/lib/fetch_search_source_query.ts b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/lib/fetch_search_source_query.ts
index 13f4a49796b6d..e033f9c6ef4a8 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/lib/fetch_search_source_query.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/lib/fetch_search_source_query.ts
@@ -129,7 +129,14 @@ export function updateSearchSource(
 
   const searchSourceChild = searchSource.createChild();
   searchSourceChild.setField('filter', filters as Filter[]);
-  searchSourceChild.setField('sort', [{ [timeFieldName]: SortDirection.desc }]);
+  searchSourceChild.setField('sort', [
+    {
+      [timeFieldName]: {
+        order: SortDirection.desc,
+        format: 'strict_date_optional_time||epoch_millis',
+      },
+    },
+  ]);
   searchSourceChild.setField(
     'aggs',
     buildAggregation({
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/common/lib/get_time_options.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/common/lib/get_time_options.test.ts
index 684253c5acdf5..83d6515bf7831 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/common/lib/get_time_options.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/common/lib/get_time_options.test.ts
@@ -31,8 +31,12 @@ describe('get_time_options', () => {
   test('if getTimeFieldOptions return only date type fields', () => {
     const timeOnlyTypeFields = getTimeFieldOptions([
       { type: 'date', name: 'order_date' },
+      { type: 'date_nanos', name: 'order_date_nanos' },
       { type: 'number', name: 'sum' },
     ]);
-    expect(timeOnlyTypeFields).toMatchObject([{ text: 'order_date', value: 'order_date' }]);
+    expect(timeOnlyTypeFields).toMatchObject([
+      { text: 'order_date', value: 'order_date' },
+      { text: 'order_date_nanos', value: 'order_date_nanos' },
+    ]);
   });
 });
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/common/lib/get_time_options.ts b/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/common/lib/get_time_options.ts
index 16a7a8db61301..c20a2385c12c9 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/common/lib/get_time_options.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/common/lib/get_time_options.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ export const getTimeFieldOptions = (
   const options: TimeFieldOptions[] = [];
 
   fields.forEach((field: { type: string; name: string }) => {
-    if (field.type === 'date') {
+    if (field.type === 'date' || field.type === 'date_nanos') {
       options.push({
         text: field.name,
         value: field.name,