diff --git a/src/plugins/vis_type_vega/public/data_model/vega_parser.test.js b/src/plugins/vis_type_vega/public/data_model/vega_parser.test.js
index 62563dce2a18d..ac92f31b890ed 100644
--- a/src/plugins/vis_type_vega/public/data_model/vega_parser.test.js
+++ b/src/plugins/vis_type_vega/public/data_model/vega_parser.test.js
@@ -28,6 +28,18 @@ jest.mock('../lib/vega', () => ({
   vegaLite: jest.requireActual('vega-lite'),
 }));
 
+describe(`VegaParser.parseAsync`, () => {
+  test(`should throw an error in case of $spec is not defined`, async () => {
+    const vp = new VegaParser('{}');
+
+    await vp.parseAsync();
+
+    expect(
+      vp.error.startsWith('Your specification requires a "$schema" field with a valid URL')
+    ).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+});
+
 describe(`VegaParser._setDefaultValue`, () => {
   function check(spec, expected, ...params) {
     return () => {
@@ -149,23 +161,14 @@ describe('VegaParser._resolveEsQueries', () => {
   );
 });
 
-describe('VegaParser._parseSchema', () => {
-  function check(schema, isVegaLite, warningCount) {
+describe('VegaParser.parseSchema', () => {
+  function check(schema, isVegaLite) {
     return () => {
       const vp = new VegaParser({ $schema: schema });
-      expect(vp._parseSchema()).toBe(isVegaLite);
-      expect(vp.spec).toEqual({ $schema: schema });
-      expect(vp.warnings).toHaveLength(warningCount);
+      expect(vp.parseSchema(vp.spec).isVegaLite).toBe(isVegaLite);
     };
   }
 
-  test('should warn on no vega version specified', () => {
-    const vp = new VegaParser({});
-    expect(vp._parseSchema()).toBe(false);
-    expect(vp.spec).toEqual({ $schema: 'https://vega.github.io/schema/vega/v5.json' });
-    expect(vp.warnings).toHaveLength(1);
-  });
-
   test(
     'should not warn on current vega version',
     check('https://vega.github.io/schema/vega/v5.json', false, 0)
diff --git a/src/plugins/vis_type_vega/public/data_model/vega_parser.ts b/src/plugins/vis_type_vega/public/data_model/vega_parser.ts
index 94d79071b8ef2..aceeefd953655 100644
--- a/src/plugins/vis_type_vega/public/data_model/vega_parser.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/vis_type_vega/public/data_model/vega_parser.ts
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ const locToDirMap: Record<string, ControlsLocation> = {
   top: 'column-reverse',
   bottom: 'column',
 };
-const DEFAULT_SCHEMA: string = 'https://vega.github.io/schema/vega/v5.json';
 
 // If there is no "%type%" parameter, use this parser
 const DEFAULT_PARSER: string = 'elasticsearch';
@@ -117,8 +116,27 @@ export class VegaParser {
     if (this.isVegaLite !== undefined) throw new Error();
 
     if (typeof this.spec === 'string') {
-      this.spec = hjson.parse(this.spec, { legacyRoot: false });
+      const spec = hjson.parse(this.spec, { legacyRoot: false });
+
+      if (!spec.$schema) {
+        throw new Error(
+          i18n.translate('visTypeVega.vegaParser.inputSpecDoesNotSpecifySchemaErrorMessage', {
+            defaultMessage: `Your specification requires a {schemaParam} field with a valid URL for
+Vega (see {vegaSchemaUrl}) or 
+Vega-Lite (see {vegaLiteSchemaUrl}).
+The URL is an identifier only. Kibana and your browser will never access this URL.`,
+            values: {
+              schemaParam: '"$schema"',
+              vegaLiteSchemaUrl: 'https://vega.github.io/vega-lite/docs/spec.html#top-level',
+              vegaSchemaUrl:
+                'https://vega.github.io/vega/docs/specification/#top-level-specification-properties',
+            },
+          })
+        );
+      }
+      this.spec = spec;
     }
+
     if (!_.isPlainObject(this.spec)) {
       throw new Error(
         i18n.translate('visTypeVega.vegaParser.invalidVegaSpecErrorMessage', {
@@ -126,7 +144,7 @@ export class VegaParser {
         })
       );
     }
-    this.isVegaLite = this._parseSchema();
+    this.isVegaLite = this.parseSchema(this.spec).isVegaLite;
     this.useHover = !this.isVegaLite;
 
     this._config = this._parseConfig();
@@ -497,23 +515,11 @@ export class VegaParser {
 
   /**
    * Parse Vega schema element
-   * @returns {boolean} is this a VegaLite schema?
+   * @returns {object} isVegaLite, libVersion
    * @private
    */
-  _parseSchema() {
-    if (!this.spec) return false;
-    if (!this.spec.$schema) {
-      this._onWarning(
-        i18n.translate('visTypeVega.vegaParser.inputSpecDoesNotSpecifySchemaWarningMessage', {
-          defaultMessage:
-            'The input spec does not specify a {schemaParam}, defaulting to {defaultSchema}',
-          values: { defaultSchema: `"${DEFAULT_SCHEMA}"`, schemaParam: '"$schema"' },
-        })
-      );
-      this.spec.$schema = DEFAULT_SCHEMA;
-    }
-
-    const schema = schemaParser(this.spec.$schema);
+  private parseSchema(spec: VegaSpec) {
+    const schema = schemaParser(spec.$schema);
     const isVegaLite = schema.library === 'vega-lite';
     const libVersion = isVegaLite ? vegaLite.version : vega.version;
 
@@ -531,7 +537,7 @@ export class VegaParser {
       );
     }
 
-    return isVegaLite;
+    return { isVegaLite, libVersion };
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/translations/translations/ja-JP.json b/x-pack/plugins/translations/translations/ja-JP.json
index c2f180f5268d4..e17c2b8a0f703 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/translations/translations/ja-JP.json
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/translations/translations/ja-JP.json
@@ -4283,7 +4283,6 @@
     "visTypeVega.vegaParser.dataExceedsSomeParamsUseTimesLimitErrorMessage": "データには {urlParam}、{valuesParam}、 {sourceParam} の内複数を含めることができません",
     "visTypeVega.vegaParser.hostConfigIsDeprecatedWarningMessage": "{deprecatedConfigName} は廃止されました。代わりに {newConfigName} を使用してください。",
     "visTypeVega.vegaParser.hostConfigValueTypeErrorMessage": "{configName} が含まれている場合、オブジェクトでなければなりません",
-    "visTypeVega.vegaParser.inputSpecDoesNotSpecifySchemaWarningMessage": "インプット仕様で {schemaParam} が指定されていないため、デフォルトで {defaultSchema} になります",
     "visTypeVega.vegaParser.invalidVegaSpecErrorMessage": "無効な Vega 仕様",
     "visTypeVega.vegaParser.kibanaConfigValueTypeErrorMessage": "{configName} が含まれている場合、オブジェクトでなければなりません",
     "visTypeVega.vegaParser.mapStyleValueTypeWarningMessage": "{mapStyleConfigName} は {mapStyleConfigFirstAllowedValue} か {mapStyleConfigSecondAllowedValue} のどちらかです",
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/translations/translations/zh-CN.json b/x-pack/plugins/translations/translations/zh-CN.json
index 84c3eab8db9e7..92832c2f89160 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/translations/translations/zh-CN.json
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/translations/translations/zh-CN.json
@@ -4284,7 +4284,6 @@
     "visTypeVega.vegaParser.dataExceedsSomeParamsUseTimesLimitErrorMessage": "数据不得包含 {urlParam}、{valuesParam} 和 {sourceParam} 中的多个值",
     "visTypeVega.vegaParser.hostConfigIsDeprecatedWarningMessage": "{deprecatedConfigName} 已弃用。请改用 {newConfigName}。",
     "visTypeVega.vegaParser.hostConfigValueTypeErrorMessage": "如果存在，{configName} 必须为对象",
-    "visTypeVega.vegaParser.inputSpecDoesNotSpecifySchemaWarningMessage": "输入规范未指定 {schemaParam}，其默认值为 {defaultSchema}",
     "visTypeVega.vegaParser.invalidVegaSpecErrorMessage": "Vega 规范无效",
     "visTypeVega.vegaParser.kibanaConfigValueTypeErrorMessage": "如果存在，{configName} 必须为对象",
     "visTypeVega.vegaParser.mapStyleValueTypeWarningMessage": "{mapStyleConfigName} 可能为 {mapStyleConfigFirstAllowedValue} 或 {mapStyleConfigSecondAllowedValue}",