diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/maps/public/connected_components/map/mb/view.js b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/maps/public/connected_components/map/mb/view.js
index cf6085e0c398cb..1e44c7225a564c 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/maps/public/connected_components/map/mb/view.js
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/maps/public/connected_components/map/mb/view.js
@@ -107,7 +107,6 @@ export class MBMapContainer extends React.Component {
   }
 
   async _createMbMapInstance() {
-    const initialView = this.props.goto ? this.props.goto.center : null;
     return new Promise(resolve => {
       const mbStyle = {
         version: 8,
@@ -127,12 +126,15 @@ export class MBMapContainer extends React.Component {
         preserveDrawingBuffer: chrome.getInjected('preserveDrawingBuffer', false),
         interactive: !this.props.disableInteractive,
       };
+      const initialView = _.get(this.props.goto, 'center');
       if (initialView) {
         options.zoom = initialView.zoom;
         options.center = {
           lng: initialView.lon,
           lat: initialView.lat,
         };
+      } else {
+        options.bounds = [-170, -60, 170, 75];
       }
       const mbMap = new mapboxgl.Map(options);
       mbMap.dragRotate.disable();
diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/maps/public/reducers/map.js b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/maps/public/reducers/map.js
index f933babb6f61b8..234584d08a3114 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/maps/public/reducers/map.js
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/maps/public/reducers/map.js
@@ -99,11 +99,8 @@ const INITIAL_STATE = {
   goto: null,
   tooltipState: null,
   mapState: {
-    zoom: 4,
-    center: {
-      lon: -100.41,
-      lat: 32.82,
-    },
+    zoom: null, // setting this value does not adjust map zoom, read only value used to store current map zoom for persisting between sessions
+    center: null, // setting this value does not adjust map view, read only value used to store current map center for persisting between sessions
     scrollZoom: true,
     extent: null,
     mouseCoordinates: null,