diff --git a/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/components/ChartContainer.jsx b/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/components/ChartContainer.jsx
index 1053222dac..75cb64c99e 100644
--- a/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/components/ChartContainer.jsx
+++ b/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/components/ChartContainer.jsx
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ class ChartContainer extends React.PureComponent {
 
   componentDidUpdate(prevProps) {
     if (
+        this.props.queryResponse &&
         (
           prevProps.queryResponse !== this.props.queryResponse ||
           prevProps.height !== this.props.height ||
diff --git a/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/components/Control.jsx b/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/components/Control.jsx
index ca8ead8609..2c503ff327 100644
--- a/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/components/Control.jsx
+++ b/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/components/Control.jsx
@@ -48,8 +48,12 @@ export default class Control extends React.PureComponent {
     super(props);
     this.validate = this.validate.bind(this);
     this.onChange = this.onChange.bind(this);
+    this.validateAndSetValue(props.value, []);
   }
   onChange(value, errors) {
+    this.validateAndSetValue(value, errors);
+  }
+  validateAndSetValue(value, errors) {
     let validationErrors = this.validate(value);
     if (errors && errors.length > 0) {
       validationErrors = validationErrors.concat(errors);
diff --git a/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/components/ExploreViewContainer.jsx b/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/components/ExploreViewContainer.jsx
index b57b6e6ea5..093f26db4a 100644
--- a/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/components/ExploreViewContainer.jsx
+++ b/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/components/ExploreViewContainer.jsx
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class ExploreViewContainer extends React.Component {
   }
 
   componentDidUpdate() {
-    if (this.props.triggerQuery) {
+    if (this.props.triggerQuery && !this.hasErrors()) {
       this.runQuery();
     }
   }
@@ -95,6 +95,10 @@ class ExploreViewContainer extends React.Component {
   toggleModal() {
     this.setState({ showModal: !this.state.showModal });
   }
+  hasErrors() {
+    const ctrls = this.props.controls;
+    return Object.keys(ctrls).some(k => ctrls[k].validationErrors.length > 0);
+  }
   renderErrorMessage() {
     // Returns an error message as a node if any errors are in the store
     const errors = [];
diff --git a/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/components/QueryAndSaveBtns.jsx b/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/components/QueryAndSaveBtns.jsx
index 812e670f48..023ce98c38 100644
--- a/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/components/QueryAndSaveBtns.jsx
+++ b/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/components/QueryAndSaveBtns.jsx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ const propTypes = {
   onSave: PropTypes.func,
   onStop: PropTypes.func,
   loading: PropTypes.bool,
-  errorMessage: PropTypes.string,
+  errorMessage: PropTypes.node,
 };
 
 const defaultProps = {
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ export default function QueryAndSaveBtns(
       className="query"
       onClick={onQuery}
       bsStyle={qryButtonStyle}
+      disabled={!!errorMessage}
     >
       <i className="fa fa-bolt" /> Query
     </Button>
diff --git a/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/index.jsx b/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/index.jsx
index f2757eb5e6..e72b8c3941 100644
--- a/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/index.jsx
+++ b/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/index.jsx
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import { exploreReducer } from './reducers/exploreReducer';
 // Initial state
 const bootstrappedState = Object.assign(
   bootstrapData, {
-    chartStatus: 'loading',
+    chartStatus: null,
     chartUpdateEndTime: null,
     chartUpdateStartTime: now(),
     dashboards: [],
diff --git a/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/stores/visTypes.js b/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/stores/visTypes.js
index a82665dcb4..e28a4ccdcf 100644
--- a/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/stores/visTypes.js
+++ b/superset/assets/javascripts/explorev2/stores/visTypes.js
@@ -255,10 +255,6 @@ const visTypes = {
       },
     ],
     controlOverrides: {
-      metrics: {
-        default: null,
-        validators: null,
-      },
       time_grain_sqla: {
         default: null,
       },
diff --git a/superset/viz.py b/superset/viz.py
index ae440ef949..6538a25e43 100755
--- a/superset/viz.py
+++ b/superset/viz.py
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ class BaseViz(object):
         """Building a query object"""
         form_data = self.form_data
         groupby = form_data.get("groupby") or []
-        metrics = form_data.get("metrics") or ['count']
+        metrics = form_data.get("metrics") or []
 
         # extra_filters are temporary/contextual filters that are external
         # to the slice definition. We use those for dynamic interactive