diff --git a/x-pack/test/functional/page_objects/graph_page.ts b/x-pack/test/functional/page_objects/graph_page.ts
index f3b12cceadcb63..28d72ef8446159 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/functional/page_objects/graph_page.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/functional/page_objects/graph_page.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ export function GraphPageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderCon
   const testSubjects = getService('testSubjects');
   const PageObjects = getPageObjects(['common', 'header']);
   const retry = getService('retry');
+  const browser = getService('browser');
 
   class GraphPage {
     async selectIndexPattern(pattern: string) {
@@ -124,9 +125,12 @@ export function GraphPageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderCon
 
     async getGraphObjects() {
       await this.stopLayout();
-      const graphElements = await find.allByCssSelector(
-        '#graphSvg line, #graphSvg circle, #graphSvg text.gphNode__label'
-      );
+      // read node labels directly from DOM because getVisibleText is not reliable for the way the graph is rendered
+      const nodeNames: string[] = await browser.execute(`
+        const elements = document.querySelectorAll('#graphSvg text.gphNode__label');
+        return [...elements].map(element => element.innerHTML);
+      `);
+      const graphElements = await find.allByCssSelector('#graphSvg line, #graphSvg circle');
       const nodes: Node[] = [];
       const nodePositionMap: Record<string, number> = {};
       const edges: Edge[] = [];
@@ -136,15 +140,10 @@ export function GraphPageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderCon
         const tagName: string = await element.getTagName();
         // check the position of the circle element
         if (tagName === 'circle') {
-          nodes.push({ circle: element, label: '' });
+          nodes.push({ circle: element, label: nodeNames[nodes.length] });
           const position = await this.getCirclePosition(element);
           nodePositionMap[position] = nodes.length - 1;
         }
-        // get the label for the node from the text element
-        if (tagName === 'text') {
-          const text = await element.getVisibleText();
-          nodes[nodes.length - 1].label = text;
-        }
       }
 
       // find all edges