diff --git a/src/plugins/vis_type_timeseries/public/application/visualizations/views/timeseries/index.js b/src/plugins/vis_type_timeseries/public/application/visualizations/views/timeseries/index.js
index a4f48bc89ae1de..c53482b5db0758 100644
--- a/src/plugins/vis_type_timeseries/public/application/visualizations/views/timeseries/index.js
+++ b/src/plugins/vis_type_timeseries/public/application/visualizations/views/timeseries/index.js
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ export const TimeSeries = ({
         baseTheme={theme}
         tooltip={{
           snap: true,
-          type: tooltipMode === 'show_all' ? TooltipType.VerticalCursor : TooltipType.Follow,
+          type: tooltipMode === 'show_focused' ? TooltipType.Follow : TooltipType.VerticalCursor,
           headerFormatter: tooltipFormatter,
         }}
       />
diff --git a/src/plugins/vis_type_timeseries/public/metrics_type.ts b/src/plugins/vis_type_timeseries/public/metrics_type.ts
index 2b0734ceb4d4d5..c06f94efb3c493 100644
--- a/src/plugins/vis_type_timeseries/public/metrics_type.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/vis_type_timeseries/public/metrics_type.ts
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ export const metricsVisDefinition = {
       axis_scale: 'normal',
       show_legend: 1,
       show_grid: 1,
+      tooltip_mode: 'show_all',
     },
     component: VisEditor,
   },
diff --git a/src/plugins/vis_type_timeseries/server/routes/post_vis_schema.ts b/src/plugins/vis_type_timeseries/server/routes/post_vis_schema.ts
index e8838f57ae365a..bf2ea8651c5a2c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/vis_type_timeseries/server/routes/post_vis_schema.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/vis_type_timeseries/server/routes/post_vis_schema.ts
@@ -247,6 +247,9 @@ export const visPayloadSchema = schema.object({
       series: schema.arrayOf(seriesItems),
       show_grid: numberIntegerRequired,
       show_legend: numberIntegerRequired,
+      tooltip_mode: schema.maybe(
+        schema.oneOf([schema.literal('show_all'), schema.literal('show_focused')])
+      ),
       time_field: stringOptionalNullable,
       time_range_mode: stringOptionalNullable,
       type: stringRequired,