diff --git a/src/ui/public/agg_types/metrics/lib/parent_pipeline_agg_controller.js b/src/ui/public/agg_types/metrics/lib/parent_pipeline_agg_controller.js
index a2df4ec6ac977..610dc59309243 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/agg_types/metrics/lib/parent_pipeline_agg_controller.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/agg_types/metrics/lib/parent_pipeline_agg_controller.js
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ const parentPipelineAggController = function ($scope) {
   $scope.$watch('agg.params.metricAgg', updateOrderAgg);
 
   $scope.$on('$destroy', function () {
-    const lastBucket = _.findLast($scope.vis.getAggConfig(), agg => agg.type.type === 'buckets');
+    const lastBucket = _.findLast($scope.state.aggs, agg => agg.type.type === 'buckets');
     if ($scope.aggForm && $scope.aggForm.agg) {
       $scope.aggForm.agg.$setValidity('bucket', true);
     }
@@ -43,13 +43,13 @@ const parentPipelineAggController = function ($scope) {
   };
 
   function checkBuckets() {
-    const lastBucket = _.findLast($scope.vis.getAggConfig(), agg => agg.type.type === 'buckets');
+    const lastBucket = _.findLast($scope.state.aggs, agg => agg.type.type === 'buckets');
     const bucketHasType = lastBucket && lastBucket.type;
     const bucketIsHistogram = bucketHasType && ['date_histogram', 'histogram'].includes(lastBucket.type.name);
     const canUseAggregation = lastBucket && bucketIsHistogram;
 
     // remove errors on all buckets
-    _.each($scope.vis.aggs, agg => { if (agg.error) delete agg.error; });
+    _.each($scope.state.aggs, agg => { if (agg.error) delete agg.error; });
 
     if ($scope.aggForm.agg) {
       $scope.aggForm.agg.$setValidity('bucket', canUseAggregation);
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ const parentPipelineAggController = function ($scope) {
 
     // we aren't creating a custom aggConfig
     if (metricAgg !== 'custom') {
-      if (!$scope.vis.getAggConfig().find(agg => agg.id === metricAgg)) {
+      if (!$scope.state.aggs.find(agg => agg.id === metricAgg)) {
         params.metricAgg = null;
       }
       params.customMetric = null;
diff --git a/test/functional/apps/visualize/_vertical_bar_chart.js b/test/functional/apps/visualize/_vertical_bar_chart.js
index a623a3e2e3261..546897c74b3f3 100644
--- a/test/functional/apps/visualize/_vertical_bar_chart.js
+++ b/test/functional/apps/visualize/_vertical_bar_chart.js
@@ -284,6 +284,17 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
         expect(legendEntries).to.eql(expectedEntries);
       });
 
+      it('should show an error if last bucket aggregation is terms', async () => {
+        await PageObjects.visualize.toggleOpenEditor(2, 'false');
+        await PageObjects.visualize.clickAddBucket();
+        await PageObjects.visualize.clickBucket('Split Series');
+        await PageObjects.visualize.selectAggregation('Terms');
+        await PageObjects.visualize.selectField('response.raw');
+
+        const errorMessage = await PageObjects.visualize.getBucketErrorMessage();
+        expect(errorMessage).to.contain('Last bucket aggregation must be "Date Histogram"');
+      });
+
     });
   });
 }
diff --git a/test/functional/page_objects/visualize_page.js b/test/functional/page_objects/visualize_page.js
index d182025363035..aa2a0b17e38f3 100644
--- a/test/functional/page_objects/visualize_page.js
+++ b/test/functional/page_objects/visualize_page.js
@@ -1133,6 +1133,13 @@ export function VisualizePageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
       return await Promise.all(pieSlices.map(async pieSlice => await pieSlice.getAttribute('style')));
     }
 
+    async getBucketErrorMessage() {
+      const error = await find.byCssSelector('.vis-editor-agg-error');
+      const errorMessage = await error.getProperty('innerText');
+      log.debug(errorMessage);
+      return errorMessage;
+    }
+
     async selectSortMetric(agg, metric) {
       const sortMetric = await find.byCssSelector(`[data-test-subj="visEditorOrder${agg}-${metric}"]`);
       return await sortMetric.click();