diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/common/components/discover_in_timeline/use_discover_in_timeline_actions.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/common/components/discover_in_timeline/use_discover_in_timeline_actions.tsx
index 34e797c0b4be4..7a6756bfe80ac 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/common/components/discover_in_timeline/use_discover_in_timeline_actions.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/common/components/discover_in_timeline/use_discover_in_timeline_actions.tsx
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ export const useDiscoverInTimelineActions = (
 
   const queryClient = useQueryClient();
 
-  const { mutateAsync: saveSavedSearch, status } = useMutation({
+  const { mutateAsync: saveSavedSearch, status: saveSavedSearchStatus } = useMutation({
     mutationFn: ({
       savedSearch,
       savedSearchOptions,
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ export const useDiscoverInTimelineActions = (
    *
    * */
   const updateSavedSearch = useCallback(
-    async (savedSearch: SavedSearch, timelineId: string) => {
+    async (savedSearch: SavedSearch, timelineId: string, onUpdate?: () => void) => {
       savedSearch.timeRestore = true;
       savedSearch.timeRange =
         savedSearch.timeRange ?? discoverDataService.query.timefilter.timefilter.getTime();
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ export const useDiscoverInTimelineActions = (
         // If no saved search exists. Create a new saved search instance and associate it with the timeline.
         try {
           // Make sure we're not creating a saved search while a previous creation call is in progress
-          if (status !== 'idle') {
+          if (saveSavedSearchStatus === 'loading') {
             return;
           }
           dispatch(
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ export const useDiscoverInTimelineActions = (
             );
             // Also save the timeline, this will only happen once, in case there is no saved search id yet
             dispatch(timelineActions.saveTimeline({ id: TimelineId.active, saveAsNew: false }));
+            onUpdate?.();
           }
         } catch (err) {
           dispatch(
@@ -254,7 +255,7 @@ export const useDiscoverInTimelineActions = (
         }
       }
     },
-    [persistSavedSearch, savedSearchId, dispatch, discoverDataService, status]
+    [persistSavedSearch, savedSearchId, dispatch, discoverDataService, saveSavedSearchStatus]
   );
 
   const initializeLocalSavedSearch = useCallback(
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/timelines/components/timeline/tabs/esql/index.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/timelines/components/timeline/tabs/esql/index.tsx
index 4f1127e9beef4..1567c8b2e2e0a 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/timelines/components/timeline/tabs/esql/index.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/timelines/components/timeline/tabs/esql/index.tsx
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import { isEqualWith } from 'lodash';
 import type { SavedSearch } from '@kbn/saved-search-plugin/common';
 import type { TimeRange } from '@kbn/es-query';
 import { useDispatch } from 'react-redux';
+import { updateSavedSearchId } from '../../../../store/actions';
 import { useDiscoverInTimelineContext } from '../../../../../common/components/discover_in_timeline/use_discover_in_timeline_context';
 import { useSourcererDataView } from '../../../../../common/containers/sourcerer';
 import { useKibana } from '../../../../../common/lib/kibana';
@@ -89,7 +90,11 @@ export const DiscoverTabContent: FC<DiscoverTabContentProps> = ({ timelineId })
   );
   const { status, savedSearchId, activeTab, savedObjectId, title, description } = timeline;
 
-  const { data: savedSearchById, isFetching } = useQuery({
+  const {
+    data: savedSearchById,
+    isFetching,
+    status: savedSearchByIdStatus,
+  } = useQuery({
     queryKey: ['savedSearchById', savedSearchId ?? ''],
     queryFn: () => (savedSearchId ? savedSearchService.get(savedSearchId) : Promise.resolve(null)),
   });
@@ -117,6 +122,12 @@ export const DiscoverTabContent: FC<DiscoverTabContentProps> = ({ timelineId })
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (isFetching) return;
+    if (savedSearchByIdStatus === 'error' && savedSearchId) {
+      // when a timeline json is uploaded with a saved search Id that not longer
+      // exists, we need to reset the saved search Id in the timeline and remove th saved search
+      dispatch(updateSavedSearchId({ id: timelineId, savedSearchId: null }));
+      return;
+    }
     if (!savedObjectId) return;
     if (!status || status === 'draft') return;
     const latestState = getCombinedDiscoverSavedSearchState();
@@ -126,8 +137,9 @@ export const DiscoverTabContent: FC<DiscoverTabContentProps> = ({ timelineId })
     if (!index) return;
     if (!latestState || combinedDiscoverSavedSearchStateRef.current === latestState) return;
     if (isEqualWith(latestState, savedSearchById, savedSearchComparator)) return;
-    updateSavedSearch(latestState, timelineId);
-    combinedDiscoverSavedSearchStateRef.current = latestState;
+    updateSavedSearch(latestState, timelineId, function onUpdate() {
+      combinedDiscoverSavedSearchStateRef.current = latestState;
+    });
   }, [
     getCombinedDiscoverSavedSearchState,
     savedSearchById,
@@ -139,6 +151,8 @@ export const DiscoverTabContent: FC<DiscoverTabContentProps> = ({ timelineId })
     isFetching,
     timelineId,
     dispatch,
+    savedSearchId,
+    savedSearchByIdStatus,
   ]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -166,9 +180,14 @@ export const DiscoverTabContent: FC<DiscoverTabContentProps> = ({ timelineId })
       setDiscoverStateContainer(stateContainer);
       let savedSearchAppState;
       if (savedSearchId) {
-        const localSavedSearch = await savedSearchService.get(savedSearchId);
-        initializeLocalSavedSearch(localSavedSearch, timelineId);
-        savedSearchAppState = getAppStateFromSavedSearch(localSavedSearch);
+        try {
+          const localSavedSearch = await savedSearchService.get(savedSearchId);
+          initializeLocalSavedSearch(localSavedSearch, timelineId);
+          savedSearchAppState = getAppStateFromSavedSearch(localSavedSearch);
+        } catch (e) {
+          // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+          console.error('Stale Saved search Id which no longer exists', e);
+        }
       }
 
       const finalAppState =
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/timelines/store/actions.ts b/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/timelines/store/actions.ts
index bb38d56773d15..ca247c855a06c 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/timelines/store/actions.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/timelines/store/actions.ts
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ export const updateTotalCount = actionCreator<{ id: string; totalCount: number }
 
 export const updateSavedSearchId = actionCreator<{
   id: string;
-  savedSearchId: string;
+  savedSearchId: string | null;
 }>('UPDATE_DISCOVER_SAVED_SEARCH_ID');
 
 export const initializeSavedSearch = actionCreator<{