diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/indexpattern_suggestions.test.tsx b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/indexpattern_suggestions.test.tsx
index 4e48d0c0987b51..e36622f876acd5 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/indexpattern_suggestions.test.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/indexpattern_suggestions.test.tsx
@@ -780,7 +780,7 @@ describe('IndexPattern Data Source suggestions', () => {
         expect(suggestions[0].table.columns[0].operation.isBucketed).toBeFalsy();
       });
 
-      it('prepends a terms column on string field', () => {
+      it('appends a terms column on string field', () => {
         const initialState = stateWithNonEmptyTables();
         const suggestions = getDatasourceSuggestionsForField(initialState, '1', {
           name: 'dest',
@@ -795,7 +795,7 @@ describe('IndexPattern Data Source suggestions', () => {
               layers: {
                 previousLayer: initialState.layers.previousLayer,
                 currentLayer: expect.objectContaining({
-                  columnOrder: ['id1', 'cola', 'colb'],
+                  columnOrder: ['cola', 'id1', 'colb'],
                   columns: {
                     ...initialState.layers.currentLayer.columns,
                     id1: expect.objectContaining({
@@ -810,7 +810,7 @@ describe('IndexPattern Data Source suggestions', () => {
         );
       });
 
-      it('appends a metric column on a number field', () => {
+      it('replaces a metric column on a number field if only one other metric is already set', () => {
         const initialState = stateWithNonEmptyTables();
         const suggestions = getDatasourceSuggestionsForField(initialState, '1', {
           name: 'memory',
@@ -819,15 +819,57 @@ describe('IndexPattern Data Source suggestions', () => {
           searchable: true,
         });
 
+        expect(suggestions).toContainEqual(
+          expect.objectContaining({
+            state: expect.objectContaining({
+              layers: expect.objectContaining({
+                currentLayer: expect.objectContaining({
+                  columnOrder: ['cola', 'id1'],
+                  columns: {
+                    cola: initialState.layers.currentLayer.columns.cola,
+                    id1: expect.objectContaining({
+                      operationType: 'avg',
+                      sourceField: 'memory',
+                    }),
+                  },
+                }),
+              }),
+            }),
+          })
+        );
+      });
+
+      it('adds a metric column on a number field if no other metrics set', () => {
+        const initialState = stateWithNonEmptyTables();
+        const modifiedState: IndexPatternPrivateState = {
+          ...initialState,
+          layers: {
+            ...initialState.layers,
+            currentLayer: {
+              ...initialState.layers.currentLayer,
+              columns: {
+                cola: initialState.layers.currentLayer.columns.cola,
+              },
+              columnOrder: ['cola'],
+            },
+          },
+        };
+        const suggestions = getDatasourceSuggestionsForField(modifiedState, '1', {
+          name: 'memory',
+          type: 'number',
+          aggregatable: true,
+          searchable: true,
+        });
+
         expect(suggestions).toContainEqual(
           expect.objectContaining({
             state: expect.objectContaining({
               layers: {
-                previousLayer: initialState.layers.previousLayer,
+                previousLayer: modifiedState.layers.previousLayer,
                 currentLayer: expect.objectContaining({
-                  columnOrder: ['cola', 'colb', 'id1'],
+                  columnOrder: ['cola', 'id1'],
                   columns: {
-                    ...initialState.layers.currentLayer.columns,
+                    ...modifiedState.layers.currentLayer.columns,
                     id1: expect.objectContaining({
                       operationType: 'avg',
                       sourceField: 'memory',
@@ -840,10 +882,30 @@ describe('IndexPattern Data Source suggestions', () => {
         );
       });
 
-      it('appends a metric column with a different operation on a number field if field is already in use', () => {
+      it('adds a metric column on a number field if 2 or more other metric', () => {
         const initialState = stateWithNonEmptyTables();
-        const suggestions = getDatasourceSuggestionsForField(initialState, '1', {
-          name: 'bytes',
+        const modifiedState: IndexPatternPrivateState = {
+          ...initialState,
+          layers: {
+            ...initialState.layers,
+            currentLayer: {
+              ...initialState.layers.currentLayer,
+              columns: {
+                ...initialState.layers.currentLayer.columns,
+                colc: {
+                  dataType: 'number',
+                  isBucketed: false,
+                  sourceField: 'dest',
+                  label: 'Unique count of dest',
+                  operationType: 'cardinality',
+                },
+              },
+              columnOrder: ['cola', 'colb', 'colc'],
+            },
+          },
+        };
+        const suggestions = getDatasourceSuggestionsForField(modifiedState, '1', {
+          name: 'memory',
           type: 'number',
           aggregatable: true,
           searchable: true,
@@ -853,14 +915,14 @@ describe('IndexPattern Data Source suggestions', () => {
           expect.objectContaining({
             state: expect.objectContaining({
               layers: {
-                previousLayer: initialState.layers.previousLayer,
+                previousLayer: modifiedState.layers.previousLayer,
                 currentLayer: expect.objectContaining({
-                  columnOrder: ['cola', 'colb', 'id1'],
+                  columnOrder: ['cola', 'colb', 'colc', 'id1'],
                   columns: {
-                    ...initialState.layers.currentLayer.columns,
+                    ...modifiedState.layers.currentLayer.columns,
                     id1: expect.objectContaining({
-                      operationType: 'sum',
-                      sourceField: 'bytes',
+                      operationType: 'avg',
+                      sourceField: 'memory',
                     }),
                   },
                 }),
diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/indexpattern_suggestions.ts b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/indexpattern_suggestions.ts
index 35e99fc4fe98de..96127caa67bb42 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/indexpattern_suggestions.ts
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_datasource/indexpattern_suggestions.ts
@@ -197,16 +197,29 @@ function addFieldAsMetricOperation(
     field,
   });
   const newColumnId = generateId();
-  const updatedColumns = {
-    ...layer.columns,
-    [newColumnId]: newColumn,
-  };
-  const updatedColumnOrder = [...layer.columnOrder, newColumnId];
+
+  const [, metrics] = separateBucketColumns(layer);
+
+  // Add metrics if there are 0 or > 1 metric
+  if (metrics.length !== 1) {
+    return {
+      indexPatternId: indexPattern.id,
+      columns: {
+        ...layer.columns,
+        [newColumnId]: newColumn,
+      },
+      columnOrder: [...layer.columnOrder, newColumnId],
+    };
+  }
+
+  // If only one metric, replace instead of add
+  const newColumns = { ...layer.columns, [newColumnId]: newColumn };
+  delete newColumns[metrics[0]];
 
   return {
     indexPatternId: indexPattern.id,
-    columns: updatedColumns,
-    columnOrder: updatedColumnOrder,
+    columns: newColumns,
+    columnOrder: [...layer.columnOrder.filter(c => c !== metrics[0]), newColumnId],
   };
 }
 
@@ -231,21 +244,34 @@ function addFieldAsBucketOperation(
     ...layer.columns,
     [newColumnId]: newColumn,
   };
+
+  const oldDateHistogramIndex = layer.columnOrder.findIndex(
+    columnId => layer.columns[columnId].operationType === 'date_histogram'
+  );
+  const oldDateHistogramId =
+    oldDateHistogramIndex > -1 ? layer.columnOrder[oldDateHistogramIndex] : null;
+
   let updatedColumnOrder: string[] = [];
-  if (applicableBucketOperation === 'terms') {
-    updatedColumnOrder = [newColumnId, ...buckets, ...metrics];
-  } else {
-    const oldDateHistogramColumn = layer.columnOrder.find(
-      columnId => layer.columns[columnId].operationType === 'date_histogram'
-    );
-    if (oldDateHistogramColumn) {
-      delete updatedColumns[oldDateHistogramColumn];
+  if (oldDateHistogramId) {
+    if (applicableBucketOperation === 'terms') {
+      // Insert the new terms bucket above the first date histogram
+      updatedColumnOrder = [
+        ...buckets.slice(0, oldDateHistogramIndex),
+        newColumnId,
+        ...buckets.slice(oldDateHistogramIndex, buckets.length),
+        ...metrics,
+      ];
+    } else if (applicableBucketOperation === 'date_histogram') {
+      // Replace date histogram with new date histogram
+      delete updatedColumns[oldDateHistogramId];
       updatedColumnOrder = layer.columnOrder.map(columnId =>
-        columnId !== oldDateHistogramColumn ? columnId : newColumnId
+        columnId !== oldDateHistogramId ? columnId : newColumnId
       );
-    } else {
-      updatedColumnOrder = [...buckets, newColumnId, ...metrics];
     }
+  } else {
+    // Insert the new bucket after existing buckets. Users will see the same data
+    // they already had, with an extra level of detail.
+    updatedColumnOrder = [...buckets, newColumnId, ...metrics];
   }
   return {
     indexPatternId: indexPattern.id,