diff --git a/src/plugins/vis_type_timelion/public/__snapshots__/to_ast.test.ts.snap b/src/plugins/vis_type_timelion/public/__snapshots__/to_ast.test.ts.snap
index 9e32a6c4ae17c..7635e5214795a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/vis_type_timelion/public/__snapshots__/to_ast.test.ts.snap
+++ b/src/plugins/vis_type_timelion/public/__snapshots__/to_ast.test.ts.snap
@@ -19,3 +19,23 @@ Object {
   "type": "expression",
 }
 `;
+
+exports[`timelion vis toExpressionAst function should not escape single quotes 1`] = `
+Object {
+  "chain": Array [
+    Object {
+      "arguments": Object {
+        "expression": Array [
+          ".es(index=my*,timefield=\\"date\\",split='test field:3',metric='avg:value')",
+        ],
+        "interval": Array [
+          "auto",
+        ],
+      },
+      "function": "timelion_vis",
+      "type": "function",
+    },
+  ],
+  "type": "expression",
+}
+`;
diff --git a/src/plugins/vis_type_timelion/public/to_ast.test.ts b/src/plugins/vis_type_timelion/public/to_ast.test.ts
index 8a9d4b83f94d2..f2030e4b83c19 100644
--- a/src/plugins/vis_type_timelion/public/to_ast.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/vis_type_timelion/public/to_ast.test.ts
@@ -37,4 +37,10 @@ describe('timelion vis toExpressionAst function', () => {
     const actual = toExpressionAst(vis);
     expect(actual).toMatchSnapshot();
   });
+
+  it('should not escape single quotes', () => {
+    vis.params.expression = `.es(index=my*,timefield="date",split='test field:3',metric='avg:value')`;
+    const actual = toExpressionAst(vis);
+    expect(actual).toMatchSnapshot();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/plugins/vis_type_timelion/public/to_ast.ts b/src/plugins/vis_type_timelion/public/to_ast.ts
index 7044bbf4e5831..535e8e8fe0f77 100644
--- a/src/plugins/vis_type_timelion/public/to_ast.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/vis_type_timelion/public/to_ast.ts
@@ -21,14 +21,12 @@ import { buildExpression, buildExpressionFunction } from '../../expressions/publ
 import { Vis } from '../../visualizations/public';
 import { TimelionExpressionFunctionDefinition, TimelionVisParams } from './timelion_vis_fn';
 
-const escapeString = (data: string): string => {
-  return data.replace(/\\/g, `\\\\`).replace(/'/g, `\\'`);
-};
-
 export const toExpressionAst = (vis: Vis<TimelionVisParams>) => {
+  const { expression, interval } = vis.params;
+
   const timelion = buildExpressionFunction<TimelionExpressionFunctionDefinition>('timelion_vis', {
-    expression: escapeString(vis.params.expression),
-    interval: escapeString(vis.params.interval),
+    expression,
+    interval,
   });
 
   const ast = buildExpression([timelion]);