diff --git a/src/plugins/unified_histogram/public/chart/histogram.tsx b/src/plugins/unified_histogram/public/chart/histogram.tsx
index 8e3aa78da8d9d..19f92d8b4495a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/unified_histogram/public/chart/histogram.tsx
+++ b/src/plugins/unified_histogram/public/chart/histogram.tsx
@@ -212,6 +212,9 @@ export function Histogram({
       >
         <lens.EmbeddableComponent
           {...lensProps}
+          // forceDSL is set to true to ensure that the Lens always uses DSL to fetch the data
+          // as some consumers (discover) rely on the total hits count which is not provided by ESQL
+          forceDSL={true}
           abortController={abortController}
           disableTriggers={disableTriggers}
           disabledActions={disabledActions}
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/datasources/form_based/form_based.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/datasources/form_based/form_based.tsx
index ebe98c56adebf..54908ba2af31e 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/datasources/form_based/form_based.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/datasources/form_based/form_based.tsx
@@ -450,7 +450,15 @@ export function getFormBasedDatasource({
       );
     },
 
-    toExpression: (state, layerId, indexPatterns, dateRange, nowInstant, searchSessionId) =>
+    toExpression: (
+      state,
+      layerId,
+      indexPatterns,
+      dateRange,
+      nowInstant,
+      searchSessionId,
+      forceDSL
+    ) =>
       toExpression(
         state,
         layerId,
@@ -458,7 +466,8 @@ export function getFormBasedDatasource({
         uiSettings,
         dateRange,
         nowInstant,
-        searchSessionId
+        searchSessionId,
+        forceDSL
       ),
 
     LayerSettingsComponent(props) {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/datasources/form_based/to_expression.ts b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/datasources/form_based/to_expression.ts
index 743efc9cb8db7..31478cab6bfc8 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/datasources/form_based/to_expression.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/datasources/form_based/to_expression.ts
@@ -71,7 +71,8 @@ function getExpressionForLayer(
   uiSettings: IUiSettingsClient,
   dateRange: DateRange,
   nowInstant: Date,
-  searchSessionId?: string
+  searchSessionId?: string,
+  forceDSL?: boolean
 ): ExpressionAstExpression | null {
   const { columnOrder } = layer;
   if (columnOrder.length === 0 || !indexPattern) {
@@ -523,7 +524,8 @@ export function toExpression(
   uiSettings: IUiSettingsClient,
   dateRange: DateRange,
   nowInstant: Date,
-  searchSessionId?: string
+  searchSessionId?: string,
+  forceDSL?: boolean
 ) {
   if (state.layers[layerId]) {
     return getExpressionForLayer(
@@ -532,7 +534,8 @@ export function toExpression(
       uiSettings,
       dateRange,
       nowInstant,
-      searchSessionId
+      searchSessionId,
+      forceDSL
     );
   }
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/expression_helpers.ts b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/expression_helpers.ts
index 424e91d1a007d..012fc5c208fe4 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/expression_helpers.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/expression_helpers.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ export function getDatasourceExpressionsByLayers(
   indexPatterns: IndexPatternMap,
   dateRange: DateRange,
   nowInstant: Date,
-  searchSessionId?: string
+  searchSessionId?: string,
+  forceDSL?: boolean
 ): null | Record<string, Ast> {
   const datasourceExpressions: Array<[string, Ast | string]> = [];
 
@@ -34,7 +35,8 @@ export function getDatasourceExpressionsByLayers(
         indexPatterns,
         dateRange,
         nowInstant,
-        searchSessionId
+        searchSessionId,
+        forceDSL
       );
       if (result) {
         datasourceExpressions.push([layerId, result]);
@@ -67,6 +69,7 @@ export function buildExpression({
   dateRange,
   nowInstant,
   searchSessionId,
+  forceDSL,
 }: {
   title?: string;
   description?: string;
@@ -79,6 +82,7 @@ export function buildExpression({
   searchSessionId?: string;
   dateRange: DateRange;
   nowInstant: Date;
+  forceDSL?: boolean;
 }): Ast | null {
   // if an unregistered visualization is passed in the SO
   // then this will be set as "undefined". Relax the check to catch both
@@ -92,7 +96,8 @@ export function buildExpression({
     indexPatterns,
     dateRange,
     nowInstant,
-    searchSessionId
+    searchSessionId,
+    forceDSL
   );
 
   const visualizationExpression = visualization.toExpression(
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/state_helpers.ts b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/state_helpers.ts
index efe3ccc84f560..c70d43d4d843b 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/state_helpers.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/state_helpers.ts
@@ -367,6 +367,7 @@ export async function persistedStateToExpression(
     timefilter: TimefilterContract;
     nowProvider: DataPublicPluginStart['nowProvider'];
     eventAnnotationService: EventAnnotationServiceType;
+    forceDSL?: boolean;
   }
 ): Promise<DocumentToExpressionReturnType> {
   const {
@@ -459,6 +460,7 @@ export async function persistedStateToExpression(
       datasourceLayers,
       indexPatterns,
       dateRange: { fromDate: currentTimeRange.from, toDate: currentTimeRange.to },
+      forceDSL: services.forceDSL,
       nowInstant: services.nowProvider.get(),
     }),
     activeVisualizationState,
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/workspace_panel/workspace_panel.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/workspace_panel/workspace_panel.tsx
index 5775748da8cee..31228d8bb1da8 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/workspace_panel/workspace_panel.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/editor_frame/workspace_panel/workspace_panel.tsx
@@ -328,6 +328,7 @@ export const InnerWorkspacePanel = React.memo(function InnerWorkspacePanel({
           dateRange: framePublicAPI.dateRange,
           nowInstant: plugins.data.nowProvider.get(),
           searchSessionId,
+          forceDSL: framePublicAPI.forceDSL,
         });
 
         if (ast) {
@@ -373,6 +374,7 @@ export const InnerWorkspacePanel = React.memo(function InnerWorkspacePanel({
     datasourceLayers,
     dataViews.indexPatterns,
     framePublicAPI.dateRange,
+    framePublicAPI.forceDSL,
     plugins.data.nowProvider,
     searchSessionId,
     addUserMessages,
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/service.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/service.tsx
index a677e0c6105b8..30a3a3be805f1 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/service.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_service/service.tsx
@@ -93,7 +93,10 @@ export class EditorFrameService {
    * This is an asynchronous process.
    * @param doc parsed Lens saved object
    */
-  public documentToExpression = async (doc: LensDocument, services: EditorFramePlugins) => {
+  public documentToExpression = async (
+    doc: LensDocument,
+    services: EditorFramePlugins & { forceDSL?: boolean }
+  ) => {
     const [resolvedDatasources, resolvedVisualizations] = await Promise.all([
       this.loadDatasources(),
       this.loadVisualizations(),
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/plugin.ts b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/plugin.ts
index 538e14518bf6e..d02f0a0685cff 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/plugin.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/plugin.ts
@@ -367,13 +367,14 @@ export class LensPlugin {
         coreStart,
         timefilter: plugins.data.query.timefilter.timefilter,
         expressionRenderer: plugins.expressions.ReactExpressionRenderer,
-        documentToExpression: (doc: LensDocument) =>
+        documentToExpression: (doc: LensDocument, forceDSL?: boolean) =>
           this.editorFrameService!.documentToExpression(doc, {
             dataViews: plugins.dataViews,
             storage: new Storage(localStorage),
             uiSettings: core.uiSettings,
             timefilter: plugins.data.query.timefilter.timefilter,
             nowProvider: plugins.data.nowProvider,
+            forceDSL,
             eventAnnotationService,
           }),
         injectFilterReferences: data.query.filterManager.inject.bind(data.query.filterManager),
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/react_embeddable/data_loader.ts b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/react_embeddable/data_loader.ts
index a1d2e713d3f81..fe11a7fe66a16 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/react_embeddable/data_loader.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/react_embeddable/data_loader.ts
@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ export function loadEmbeddableData(
         handleEvent,
         disableTriggers,
         updateBlockingErrors,
+        forceDSL: (parentApi as { forceDSL?: boolean }).forceDSL,
         getDisplayOptions: internalApi.getDisplayOptions,
       }),
       getUsedDataViews(
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/react_embeddable/expressions/expression_params.ts b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/react_embeddable/expressions/expression_params.ts
index ff6206f3f70e4..f3d4a359ca949 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/react_embeddable/expressions/expression_params.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/react_embeddable/expressions/expression_params.ts
@@ -62,15 +62,20 @@ interface GetExpressionRendererPropsParams {
   api: LensApi;
   addUserMessages: (messages: UserMessage[]) => void;
   updateBlockingErrors: (error: Error) => void;
+  forceDSL?: boolean;
   getDisplayOptions: () => VisualizationDisplayOptions;
 }
 
 async function getExpressionFromDocument(
   document: LensDocument,
-  documentToExpression: (doc: LensDocument) => Promise<DocumentToExpressionReturnType>
+  documentToExpression: (
+    doc: LensDocument,
+    forceDSL?: boolean
+  ) => Promise<DocumentToExpressionReturnType>,
+  forceDSL?: boolean
 ) {
   const { ast, indexPatterns, indexPatternRefs, activeVisualizationState, activeDatasourceState } =
-    await documentToExpression(document);
+    await documentToExpression(document, forceDSL);
   return {
     expression: ast ? toExpression(ast) : null,
     indexPatterns,
@@ -147,6 +152,7 @@ export async function getExpressionRendererParams(
     addUserMessages,
     updateBlockingErrors,
     searchContext,
+    forceDSL,
     getDisplayOptions,
   }: GetExpressionRendererPropsParams
 ): Promise<{
@@ -165,7 +171,7 @@ export async function getExpressionRendererParams(
     indexPatternRefs,
     activeVisualizationState,
     activeDatasourceState,
-  } = await getExpressionFromDocument(state.attributes, documentToExpression);
+  } = await getExpressionFromDocument(state.attributes, documentToExpression, forceDSL);
 
   // Apparently this change produces had lots of issues with solutions not using
   // the Embeddable incorrectly. Will comment for now and later on will restore it when
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/react_embeddable/initializers/initialize_dashboard_services.ts b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/react_embeddable/initializers/initialize_dashboard_services.ts
index 67a5d3a89a1c2..06e72def12c62 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/react_embeddable/initializers/initialize_dashboard_services.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/react_embeddable/initializers/initialize_dashboard_services.ts
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ export function initializeDashboardServices(
       className: getUnchangingComparator<LensSharedProps, 'className'>(),
       overrides: overridesComparator,
       disableTriggers: disabledTriggersComparator,
+      forceDSL: getUnchangingComparator<LensSharedProps, 'forceDSL'>(),
       isNewPanel: getUnchangingComparator<{ isNewPanel?: boolean }, 'isNewPanel'>(),
       parentApi: getUnchangingComparator<Pick<LensApi, 'parentApi'>, 'parentApi'>(),
     },
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/react_embeddable/renderer/lens_custom_renderer_component.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/react_embeddable/renderer/lens_custom_renderer_component.tsx
index 3caada55b81db..1f60c93679952 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/react_embeddable/renderer/lens_custom_renderer_component.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/react_embeddable/renderer/lens_custom_renderer_component.tsx
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ export function LensRenderer({
   timeRange,
   disabledActions,
   searchSessionId,
+  forceDSL,
   hidePanelTitles,
   lastReloadRequestTime,
   ...props
@@ -157,6 +158,7 @@ export function LensRenderer({
           ...initialStateRef.current,
           attributes: props.attributes,
         }),
+        forceDSL,
         hidePanelTitle: hidePanelTitles$,
         reload$, // trigger a reload (replacement for deprepcated searchSessionId)
       })}
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/react_embeddable/types.ts b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/react_embeddable/types.ts
index 98b85860f414f..32cdb6728f041 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/react_embeddable/types.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/react_embeddable/types.ts
@@ -135,7 +135,10 @@ export type LensEmbeddableStartServices = Simplify<
     coreStart: CoreStart;
     capabilities: RecursiveReadonly<Capabilities>;
     expressionRenderer: ReactExpressionRendererType;
-    documentToExpression: (doc: LensDocument) => Promise<DocumentToExpressionReturnType>;
+    documentToExpression: (
+      doc: LensDocument,
+      forceDSL?: boolean
+    ) => Promise<DocumentToExpressionReturnType>;
     injectFilterReferences: FilterManager['inject'];
     visualizationMap: VisualizationMap;
     datasourceMap: DatasourceMap;
@@ -261,6 +264,7 @@ export interface LensSharedProps {
   className?: string;
   noPadding?: boolean;
   viewMode?: ViewMode;
+  forceDSL?: boolean;
 }
 
 interface LensRequestHandlersProps {
@@ -323,7 +327,13 @@ export type LensComponentProps = Simplify<
  */
 export type LensComponentForwardedProps = Pick<
   LensComponentProps,
-  'style' | 'className' | 'noPadding' | 'abortController' | 'executionContext' | 'viewMode'
+  | 'style'
+  | 'className'
+  | 'noPadding'
+  | 'abortController'
+  | 'executionContext'
+  | 'viewMode'
+  | 'forceDSL'
 >;
 
 /**
@@ -347,7 +357,10 @@ export type LensRendererProps = Simplify<LensRendererPrivateProps>;
 export type LensRuntimeState = Simplify<
   Omit<ComponentSerializedProps, 'attributes' | 'references'> & {
     attributes: NonNullable<LensSerializedState['attributes']>;
-  } & Pick<LensComponentForwardedProps, 'viewMode' | 'abortController' | 'executionContext'> &
+  } & Pick<
+      LensComponentForwardedProps,
+      'viewMode' | 'abortController' | 'executionContext' | 'forceDSL'
+    > &
     ContentManagementProps
 >;
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/types.ts b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/types.ts
index f6d4edc02e16d..9b44a951cfcd6 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/types.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/types.ts
@@ -432,7 +432,8 @@ export interface Datasource<T = unknown, P = unknown, Q = Query | AggregateQuery
     indexPatterns: IndexPatternMap,
     dateRange: DateRange,
     nowInstant: Date,
-    searchSessionId?: string
+    searchSessionId?: string,
+    forceDSL?: boolean
   ) => ExpressionAstExpression | string | null;
 
   getDatasourceSuggestionsForField: (
@@ -962,6 +963,7 @@ export interface FramePublicAPI {
    */
   activeData?: Record<string, Datatable>;
   dataViews: DataViewsState;
+  forceDSL?: boolean;
 }
 
 /**