diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/ml/public/components/navigation_menu/top_nav/__snapshots__/top_nav.test.tsx.snap b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/ml/public/components/navigation_menu/top_nav/__snapshots__/top_nav.test.tsx.snap
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..61bba452f49ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/ml/public/components/navigation_menu/top_nav/__snapshots__/top_nav.test.tsx.snap
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+// Jest Snapshot v1, https://goo.gl/fbAQLP
+
+exports[`Navigation Menu: <TopNav /> Minimal initialization. 1`] = `
+<Fragment>
+  <div
+    className="mlNavigationMenu__topNav"
+  >
+    <MlSuperDatePickerWithUpdate
+      commonlyUsedRanges={
+        Array [
+          Object {
+            "end": "now/d",
+            "label": "Today",
+            "start": "now/d",
+          },
+          Object {
+            "end": "now/w",
+            "label": "This week",
+            "start": "now/w",
+          },
+          Object {
+            "end": "now/M",
+            "label": "This month",
+            "start": "now/M",
+          },
+          Object {
+            "end": "now/y",
+            "label": "This year",
+            "start": "now/y",
+          },
+          Object {
+            "end": "now-1d/d",
+            "label": "Yesterday",
+            "start": "now-1d/d",
+          },
+          Object {
+            "end": "now",
+            "label": "Week to date",
+            "start": "now/w",
+          },
+          Object {
+            "end": "now",
+            "label": "Month to date",
+            "start": "now/M",
+          },
+          Object {
+            "end": "now",
+            "label": "Year to date",
+            "start": "now/y",
+          },
+        ]
+      }
+      dateFormat="MMM D, YYYY @ HH:mm:ss.SSS"
+      end="Sun Sep 29 2019 01:45:36 GMT+0200"
+      isAutoRefreshOnly={false}
+      isDisabled={false}
+      isPaused={true}
+      onRefresh={[Function]}
+      onRefreshChange={[Function]}
+      onTimeChange={[Function]}
+      recentlyUsedRanges={
+        Array [
+          Object {
+            "end": "Sun Sep 29 2019 01:45:36 GMT+0200",
+            "start": "Thu Aug 29 2019 02:04:19 GMT+0200",
+          },
+        ]
+      }
+      refreshInterval={0}
+      showUpdateButton={true}
+      start="Thu Aug 29 2019 02:04:19 GMT+0200"
+    />
+  </div>
+</Fragment>
+`;
diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/ml/public/components/navigation_menu/top_nav/top_nav.test.tsx b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/ml/public/components/navigation_menu/top_nav/top_nav.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..d98077da230c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/ml/public/components/navigation_menu/top_nav/top_nav.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
+ */
+
+import { mount, shallow } from 'enzyme';
+import React from 'react';
+
+import { uiTimefilterMock } from '../../../contexts/ui/__mocks__/mocks';
+import { mlTimefilterRefresh$ } from '../../../services/timefilter_refresh_service';
+
+import { MlSuperDatePickerWithUpdate, TopNav } from './top_nav';
+
+uiTimefilterMock.enableAutoRefreshSelector();
+uiTimefilterMock.enableTimeRangeSelector();
+
+jest.mock('../../../contexts/ui/use_ui_context');
+
+const noop = () => {};
+
+describe('Navigation Menu: <TopNav />', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    jest.useFakeTimers();
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    jest.useRealTimers();
+  });
+
+  test('Minimal initialization.', () => {
+    const refreshListener = jest.fn();
+    const refreshSubscription = mlTimefilterRefresh$.subscribe(refreshListener);
+
+    const wrapper = shallow(<TopNav />);
+    expect(wrapper).toMatchSnapshot();
+    expect(refreshListener).toBeCalledTimes(0);
+
+    refreshSubscription.unsubscribe();
+  });
+
+  // The following tests are written against MlSuperDatePickerWithUpdate
+  // instead of TopNav. TopNav uses hooks and we cannot writing tests
+  // with async hook updates yet until React 16.9 is available.
+
+  // MlSuperDatePickerWithUpdate fixes an issue with EuiSuperDatePicker
+  // which didn't make it into Kibana 7.4. We should be able to just
+  // use EuiSuperDatePicker again once the following PR is in EUI:
+  // https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/2298
+
+  test('Listen for consecutive super date picker refreshs.', async () => {
+    const onRefresh = jest.fn();
+
+    const componentRefresh = mount(
+      <MlSuperDatePickerWithUpdate
+        onTimeChange={noop}
+        isPaused={false}
+        onRefresh={onRefresh}
+        refreshInterval={10}
+      />
+    );
+
+    const instanceRefresh = componentRefresh.instance();
+
+    jest.advanceTimersByTime(10);
+    // @ts-ignore
+    await instanceRefresh.asyncInterval.__pendingFn;
+    jest.advanceTimersByTime(10);
+    // @ts-ignore
+    await instanceRefresh.asyncInterval.__pendingFn;
+
+    expect(onRefresh).toBeCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+
+  test('Switching refresh interval to pause should stop onRefresh being called.', async () => {
+    const onRefresh = jest.fn();
+
+    const componentRefresh = mount(
+      <MlSuperDatePickerWithUpdate
+        onTimeChange={noop}
+        isPaused={false}
+        onRefresh={onRefresh}
+        refreshInterval={10}
+      />
+    );
+
+    const instanceRefresh = componentRefresh.instance();
+
+    jest.advanceTimersByTime(10);
+    // @ts-ignore
+    await instanceRefresh.asyncInterval.__pendingFn;
+    componentRefresh.setProps({ isPaused: true, refreshInterval: 0 });
+    jest.advanceTimersByTime(10);
+    // @ts-ignore
+    await instanceRefresh.asyncInterval.__pendingFn;
+
+    expect(onRefresh).toBeCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/ml/public/components/navigation_menu/top_nav/top_nav.tsx b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/ml/public/components/navigation_menu/top_nav/top_nav.tsx
index 0596df80fa449..f32632cd321ae 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/ml/public/components/navigation_menu/top_nav/top_nav.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/ml/public/components/navigation_menu/top_nav/top_nav.tsx
@@ -4,15 +4,38 @@
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
  */
 
-import React, { FC, Fragment, useState, useEffect } from 'react';
+import React, { Component, FC, Fragment, useState, useEffect } from 'react';
 import { Subscription } from 'rxjs';
-import { EuiSuperDatePicker } from '@elastic/eui';
+import { EuiSuperDatePicker, EuiSuperDatePickerProps } from '@elastic/eui';
 import { TimeHistory } from 'ui/timefilter';
 import { TimeRange } from 'src/plugins/data/public';
 
 import { mlTimefilterRefresh$ } from '../../../services/timefilter_refresh_service';
 import { useUiContext } from '../../../contexts/ui/use_ui_context';
 
+interface ComponentWithConstructor<T> extends Component {
+  new (): Component<T>;
+}
+
+const MlSuperDatePicker = (EuiSuperDatePicker as any) as ComponentWithConstructor<
+  EuiSuperDatePickerProps
+>;
+
+// This part fixes a problem with EuiSuperDater picker where it would not reflect
+// a prop change of isPaused on the internal interval. This fix will be released
+// with EUI 13.7.0 but only 13.6.1 without the fix made it into Kibana 7.4 so
+// it's copied here.
+export class MlSuperDatePickerWithUpdate extends MlSuperDatePicker {
+  componentDidUpdate = () => {
+    // @ts-ignore
+    this.stopInterval();
+    if (!this.props.isPaused) {
+      // @ts-ignore
+      this.startInterval(this.props.refreshInterval);
+    }
+  };
+}
+
 interface Duration {
   start: string;
   end: string;
@@ -97,20 +120,14 @@ export const TopNav: FC = () => {
     <Fragment>
       {(isAutoRefreshSelectorEnabled || isTimeRangeSelectorEnabled) && (
         <div className="mlNavigationMenu__topNav">
-          <EuiSuperDatePicker
+          <MlSuperDatePickerWithUpdate
             start={time.from}
             end={time.to}
             isPaused={refreshInterval.pause}
             isAutoRefreshOnly={!isTimeRangeSelectorEnabled}
             refreshInterval={refreshInterval.value}
             onTimeChange={updateFilter}
-            onRefresh={() => {
-              // This check is a workaround to catch a bug in EuiSuperDatePicker which
-              // might not have disabled the refresh interval after a props change.
-              if (!refreshInterval.pause) {
-                mlTimefilterRefresh$.next();
-              }
-            }}
+            onRefresh={() => mlTimefilterRefresh$.next()}
             onRefreshChange={updateInterval}
             recentlyUsedRanges={recentlyUsedRanges}
             dateFormat={dateFormat}
diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/ml/public/contexts/ui/__mocks__/mocks.ts b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/ml/public/contexts/ui/__mocks__/mocks.ts
index 90bc028a7cd37..e6e51f0bdecf4 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/ml/public/contexts/ui/__mocks__/mocks.ts
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/ml/public/contexts/ui/__mocks__/mocks.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ export const uiChromeMock = {
       get: (key: string) => {
         switch (key) {
           case 'dateFormat':
-            return {};
+            return 'MMM D, YYYY @ HH:mm:ss.SSS';
           case 'theme:darkMode':
             return false;
           case 'timepicker:timeDefaults':
@@ -26,12 +26,45 @@ export const uiChromeMock = {
   },
 };
 
+interface RefreshInterval {
+  value: number;
+  pause: boolean;
+}
+
+const time = {
+  from: 'Thu Aug 29 2019 02:04:19 GMT+0200',
+  to: 'Sun Sep 29 2019 01:45:36 GMT+0200',
+};
+
 export const uiTimefilterMock = {
-  getRefreshInterval: () => '30s',
-  getTime: () => ({ from: 0, to: 0 }),
+  enableAutoRefreshSelector() {
+    this.isAutoRefreshSelectorEnabled = true;
+  },
+  enableTimeRangeSelector() {
+    this.isTimeRangeSelectorEnabled = true;
+  },
+  getEnabledUpdated$() {
+    return { subscribe: jest.fn() };
+  },
+  getRefreshInterval() {
+    return this.refreshInterval;
+  },
+  getRefreshIntervalUpdate$() {
+    return { subscribe: jest.fn() };
+  },
+  getTime: () => time,
+  getTimeUpdate$() {
+    return { subscribe: jest.fn() };
+  },
+  isAutoRefreshSelectorEnabled: false,
+  isTimeRangeSelectorEnabled: false,
+  refreshInterval: { value: 0, pause: true },
   on: (event: string, reload: () => void) => {},
+  setRefreshInterval(refreshInterval: RefreshInterval) {
+    this.refreshInterval = refreshInterval;
+  },
 };
 
 export const uiTimeHistoryMock = {
-  get: () => [{ from: 0, to: 0 }],
+  get: () => [time],
 };
diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/ml/public/timeseriesexplorer/timeseriesexplorer.js b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/ml/public/timeseriesexplorer/timeseriesexplorer.js
index db316f67688fe..ab29e0ba303a9 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/ml/public/timeseriesexplorer/timeseriesexplorer.js
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/ml/public/timeseriesexplorer/timeseriesexplorer.js
@@ -467,6 +467,10 @@ export class TimeSeriesExplorer extends React.Component {
   }
 
   refresh = () => {
+    if (this.state.loading) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     const { appStateHandler, timefilter } = this.props;
     const {
       detectorId: currentDetectorId,