diff --git a/src/plugins/data/public/query/filter_manager/lib/mappers/map_spatial_filter.test.ts b/src/plugins/data/public/query/filter_manager/lib/mappers/map_spatial_filter.test.ts
index fdd029c563cdd..70876b4e2be77 100644
--- a/src/plugins/data/public/query/filter_manager/lib/mappers/map_spatial_filter.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/data/public/query/filter_manager/lib/mappers/map_spatial_filter.test.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ describe('mapSpatialFilter()', () => {
   test('should return the key for matching multi polygon filter', async () => {
     const filter = {
       meta: {
+        key: 'location',
         alias: 'my spatial filter',
         type: esFilters.FILTERS.SPATIAL_FILTER,
       } as esFilters.FilterMeta,
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ describe('mapSpatialFilter()', () => {
     } as esFilters.Filter;
     const result = mapSpatialFilter(filter);
 
-    expect(result).toHaveProperty('key', 'query');
+    expect(result).toHaveProperty('key', 'location');
     expect(result).toHaveProperty('value', '');
     expect(result).toHaveProperty('type', esFilters.FILTERS.SPATIAL_FILTER);
   });
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ describe('mapSpatialFilter()', () => {
   test('should return the key for matching polygon filter', async () => {
     const filter = {
       meta: {
+        key: 'location',
         alias: 'my spatial filter',
         type: esFilters.FILTERS.SPATIAL_FILTER,
       } as esFilters.FilterMeta,
@@ -58,7 +60,7 @@ describe('mapSpatialFilter()', () => {
     } as esFilters.Filter;
     const result = mapSpatialFilter(filter);
 
-    expect(result).toHaveProperty('key', 'geo_polygon');
+    expect(result).toHaveProperty('key', 'location');
     expect(result).toHaveProperty('value', '');
     expect(result).toHaveProperty('type', esFilters.FILTERS.SPATIAL_FILTER);
   });
@@ -66,6 +68,7 @@ describe('mapSpatialFilter()', () => {
   test('should return undefined for none matching', async done => {
     const filter = {
       meta: {
+        key: 'location',
         alias: 'my spatial filter',
       } as esFilters.FilterMeta,
       geo_polygon: {
diff --git a/src/plugins/data/public/query/filter_manager/lib/mappers/map_spatial_filter.ts b/src/plugins/data/public/query/filter_manager/lib/mappers/map_spatial_filter.ts
index 3cf1cf7835e69..ed2e5df82e37e 100644
--- a/src/plugins/data/public/query/filter_manager/lib/mappers/map_spatial_filter.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/data/public/query/filter_manager/lib/mappers/map_spatial_filter.ts
@@ -20,18 +20,14 @@ import { esFilters } from '../../../../../common';
 
 // Use mapSpatialFilter mapper to avoid bloated meta with value and params for spatial filters.
 export const mapSpatialFilter = (filter: esFilters.Filter) => {
-  const metaProperty = /(^\$|meta)/;
-  const key = Object.keys(filter).find(item => {
-    return !item.match(metaProperty);
-  });
   if (
-    key &&
     filter.meta &&
+    filter.meta.key &&
     filter.meta.alias &&
     filter.meta.type === esFilters.FILTERS.SPATIAL_FILTER
   ) {
     return {
-      key,
+      key: filter.meta.key,
       type: filter.meta.type,
       value: '',
     };
diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/maps/public/elasticsearch_geo_utils.js b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/maps/public/elasticsearch_geo_utils.js
index 9aa5947062c83..ec0ae4161b3f2 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/maps/public/elasticsearch_geo_utils.js
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/maps/public/elasticsearch_geo_utils.js
@@ -297,6 +297,7 @@ function createGeometryFilterWithMeta({
     type: SPATIAL_FILTER_TYPE,
     negate: false,
     index: indexPatternId,
+    key: geoFieldName,
     alias: `${geoFieldName} ${relationLabel} ${geometryLabel}`,
   };