diff --git a/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/area.js b/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/area.js
index b4b9a42453318..15db616bf203b 100644
--- a/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/area.js
+++ b/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/area.js
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ export default function HistogramVisType(Private) {
       }],
       interpolationModes: [{
         value: 'linear',
-        text: 'normal',
+        text: 'straight',
       }, {
         value: 'cardinal',
         text: 'smoothed',
diff --git a/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/line.js b/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/line.js
index 43986108e0a49..0576ec45a9a6b 100644
--- a/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/line.js
+++ b/src/core_plugins/kbn_vislib_vis_types/public/line.js
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ export default function HistogramVisType(Private) {
       }],
       interpolationModes: [{
         value: 'linear',
-        text: 'normal',
+        text: 'straight',
       }, {
         value: 'cardinal',
         text: 'smoothed',
diff --git a/src/ui/public/vislib/lib/types/point_series.js b/src/ui/public/vislib/lib/types/point_series.js
index 17d0f1e2c83a9..66a97b2ad17b5 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/vislib/lib/types/point_series.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/vislib/lib/types/point_series.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ export default function ColumnHandler(Private) {
   const createSeries = (cfg, series) => {
     const stacked = ['stacked', 'percentage', 'wiggle', 'silhouette'].includes(cfg.mode);
     let interpolate = cfg.interpolate;
+    // for backward compatibility when loading URLs or configs we need to check smoothLines
     if (cfg.smoothLines) interpolate = 'cardinal';
 
     return {