diff --git a/src/legacy/core_plugins/tile_map/common/ems_client.js b/src/legacy/core_plugins/tile_map/common/ems_client.js
index a66a6949951d0..45b756e9bd0c2 100644
--- a/src/legacy/core_plugins/tile_map/common/ems_client.js
+++ b/src/legacy/core_plugins/tile_map/common/ems_client.js
@@ -92,8 +92,10 @@ const unescapeTemplateVars = url => {
 const DEFAULT_LANGUAGE = 'en';
 
 
+
 export class EMSClientV66 {
 
+  EMS_LOAD_TIMEOUT = 32000;
 
   constructor({ kbnVersion, manifestServiceUrl, htmlSanitizer, language, landingPageUrl }) {
 
@@ -103,7 +105,6 @@ export class EMSClientV66 {
 
     this._sanitizer = htmlSanitizer ? htmlSanitizer : x => x;
     this._manifestServiceUrl = manifestServiceUrl;
-    this._loadCatalogue = null;
     this._loadFileLayers = null;
     this._loadTMSServices = null;
     this._emsLandingPageUrl = landingPageUrl;
@@ -125,11 +126,39 @@ export class EMSClientV66 {
    * this internal method is overridden by the tests to simulate custom manifest.
    */
   async _getManifest(manifestUrl) {
-    const url = extendUrl(manifestUrl, { query: this._queryParams });
-    const result = await fetch(url);
-    return await result.json();
+    let result;
+    try {
+      const url = extendUrl(manifestUrl, { query: this._queryParams });
+      result = await this._fetchWithTimeout(url);
+    } catch (e) {
+      if (!e) {
+        e = new Error('Unknown error');
+      }
+      if (!(e instanceof Error)) {
+        e = new Error(e.data || `status ${e.statusText || e.status}`);
+      }
+      throw new Error(`Unable to retrieve manifest from ${manifestUrl}: ${e.message}`);
+    } finally {
+      return result
+        ? await result.json()
+        : null;
+    }
   }
 
+  _fetchWithTimeout(url) {
+    return new Promise(
+      (resolve, reject) => {
+        const timer = setTimeout(
+          () => reject(new Error(`Request to ${url} timed out`)),
+          this.EMS_LOAD_TIMEOUT
+        );
+        fetch(url)
+          .then(
+            response => resolve(response),
+            err => reject(err)
+          ).finally(() => clearTimeout(timer));
+      });
+  }
 
   /**
    * Add optional query-parameters to all requests
@@ -151,54 +180,42 @@ export class EMSClientV66 {
 
   _invalidateSettings() {
 
-    this._loadCatalogue = _.once(async () => {
+    this._getManifestWithParams = _.once(
+      async url => this._getManifest(this.extendUrlWithParams(url)));
 
-      try {
-        const url = this.extendUrlWithParams(this._manifestServiceUrl);
-        return await this._getManifest(url);
-      } catch (e) {
-        if (!e) {
-          e = new Error('Unknown error');
-        }
-        if (!(e instanceof Error)) {
-          e = new Error(e.data || `status ${e.statusText || e.status}`);
-        }
-        throw new Error(`Could not retrieve manifest from the tile service: ${e.message}`);
+    this._getCatalogueService = async serviceType => {
+      const catalogueManifest = await this._getManifestWithParams(this._manifestServiceUrl);
+      let service;
+      if(_.has(catalogueManifest, 'services')) {
+        service = catalogueManifest.services
+          .find(s => s.type === serviceType);
       }
-    });
-
-
-    this._loadFileLayers = _.once(async () => {
+      return service || {};
+    };
 
-      const catalogue = await this._loadCatalogue();
-      const fileService = catalogue.services.find(service => service.type === 'file');
-      if (!fileService) {
-        return [];
+    this._wrapServiceAttribute = async (manifestUrl, attr, WrapperClass) => {
+      const manifest = await this._getManifest(manifestUrl);
+      if (_.has(manifest, attr)) {
+        return manifest[attr].map(config => {
+          return new WrapperClass(config, this);
+        });
       }
+      return [];
+    };
 
-      const manifest = await this._getManifest(fileService.manifest, this._queryParams);
-
-      return manifest.layers.map(layerConfig => {
-        return new FileLayer(layerConfig, this);
-      });
+    this._loadFileLayers = _.once(async () => {
+      const fileService = await this._getCatalogueService('file');
+      return _.isEmpty(fileService)
+        ? []
+        : this._wrapServiceAttribute(fileService.manifest, 'layers', FileLayer);
     });
 
     this._loadTMSServices = _.once(async () => {
-
-      const catalogue = await this._loadCatalogue();
-      const tmsService = catalogue.services.find((service) => service.type === 'tms');
-      if (!tmsService) {
-        return [];
-      }
-      const tmsManifest = await this._getManifest(tmsService.manifest, this._queryParams);
-
-
-      return tmsManifest.services.map(serviceConfig => {
-        return new TMSService(serviceConfig, this);
-      });
-
+      const tmsService = await this._getCatalogueService('tms');
+      return _.isEmpty(tmsService)
+        ? []
+        : await this._wrapServiceAttribute(tmsService.manifest, 'services', TMSService);
     });
-
   }
 
   getLandingPageUrl() {
diff --git a/src/legacy/core_plugins/tile_map/public/base_maps_visualization.js b/src/legacy/core_plugins/tile_map/public/base_maps_visualization.js
index a6e198443e810..9ff5662b32b3c 100644
--- a/src/legacy/core_plugins/tile_map/public/base_maps_visualization.js
+++ b/src/legacy/core_plugins/tile_map/public/base_maps_visualization.js
@@ -143,6 +143,8 @@ export function BaseMapsVisualizationProvider(serviceSettings, i18n) {
 
     async _updateBaseLayer() {
 
+      const DEFAULT_EMS_BASEMAP = 'road_map';
+
       if (!this._kibanaMap) {
         return;
       }
@@ -151,13 +153,11 @@ export function BaseMapsVisualizationProvider(serviceSettings, i18n) {
       if (!this._tmsConfigured()) {
         try {
           const tmsServices = await serviceSettings.getTMSServices();
-          const firstRoadMapLayer = tmsServices.find((s) => {
-            return s.id === 'road_map';//first road map layer
-          });
-          const fallback = firstRoadMapLayer ? firstRoadMapLayer : tmsServices[0];
-          if (fallback) {
-            this._setTmsLayer(firstRoadMapLayer);
-          }
+          const userConfiguredTmsLayer = tmsServices[0];
+          const initBasemapLayer = userConfiguredTmsLayer
+            ? userConfiguredTmsLayer
+            : tmsServices.find(s => s.id === DEFAULT_EMS_BASEMAP);
+          if (initBasemapLayer) { this._setTmsLayer(initBasemapLayer); }
         } catch (e) {
           toastNotifications.addWarning(e.message);
           return;