diff --git a/docs/user/dashboard/url-drilldown.asciidoc b/docs/user/dashboard/url-drilldown.asciidoc
index df9fa2dca81fd..0a0aa3e1b2af4 100644
--- a/docs/user/dashboard/url-drilldown.asciidoc
+++ b/docs/user/dashboard/url-drilldown.asciidoc
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ Note:
 | *Range selection*
 | event.from +
 event.to
-| `from` and `to` values of selected range. Depending on your data, could be either a date or number. +
+| `from` and `to` values of the selected range as numbers. +
 Tip: Consider using <<helpers, date>> helper for date formatting.
 
 |
diff --git a/src/plugins/vis_type_vislib/public/vislib/lib/handler.js b/src/plugins/vis_type_vislib/public/vislib/lib/handler.js
index 6ffe2fb410db8..83569dc96e375 100644
--- a/src/plugins/vis_type_vislib/public/vislib/lib/handler.js
+++ b/src/plugins/vis_type_vislib/public/vislib/lib/handler.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 import d3 from 'd3';
 import _ from 'lodash';
 import MarkdownIt from 'markdown-it';
+import moment from 'moment';
 
 import { NoResults } from '../errors';
 import { Layout } from './layout/layout';
@@ -25,6 +26,10 @@ const markdownIt = new MarkdownIt({
   linkify: true,
 });
 
+const convertToTimestamp = (date) => {
+  return parseInt(moment(date).format('x'));
+};
+
 /**
  * Handles building all the components of the visualization
  *
@@ -79,11 +84,13 @@ export class Handler {
           case 'brush':
             const xRaw = _.get(eventPayload.data, 'series[0].values[0].xRaw');
             if (!xRaw) return; // not sure if this is possible?
+            const [start, end] = eventPayload.range;
+            const range = [convertToTimestamp(start), convertToTimestamp(end)];
             return self.vis.emit(eventType, {
               name: 'brush',
               data: {
                 table: xRaw.table,
-                range: eventPayload.range,
+                range,
                 column: xRaw.column,
               },
             });
diff --git a/x-pack/test/functional/apps/dashboard/drilldowns/dashboard_to_url_drilldown.ts b/x-pack/test/functional/apps/dashboard/drilldowns/dashboard_to_url_drilldown.ts
index 3c48e8fe15738..67b51dfd2dece 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/functional/apps/dashboard/drilldowns/dashboard_to_url_drilldown.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/functional/apps/dashboard/drilldowns/dashboard_to_url_drilldown.ts
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
       await dashboardDrilldownPanelActions.clickCreateDrilldown();
       await dashboardDrilldownsManage.expectsCreateDrilldownFlyoutOpen();
 
-      const urlTemplate = `{{kibanaUrl}}/app/discover#/?_g=(filters:!(),refreshInterval:(pause:!t,value:0),time:(from:'{{event.from}}',to:'{{event.to}}'))&_a=(columns:!(_source),filters:{{rison context.panel.filters}},index:'{{context.panel.indexPatternId}}',interval:auto,query:(language:{{context.panel.query.language}},query:'{{context.panel.query.query}}'),sort:!())`;
+      const urlTemplate = `{{kibanaUrl}}/app/discover#/?_g=(filters:!(),refreshInterval:(pause:!t,value:0),time:(from:'{{date event.from}}',to:'{{date event.to}}'))&_a=(columns:!(_source),filters:{{rison context.panel.filters}},index:'{{context.panel.indexPatternId}}',interval:auto,query:(language:{{context.panel.query.language}},query:'{{context.panel.query.query}}'),sort:!())`;
 
       await dashboardDrilldownsManage.fillInDashboardToURLDrilldownWizard({
         drilldownName: DRILLDOWN_TO_DISCOVER_URL,
@@ -66,10 +66,11 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
       await dashboardDrilldownPanelActions.clickActionByText(DRILLDOWN_TO_DISCOVER_URL);
 
       await PageObjects.discover.waitForDiscoverAppOnScreen();
-
       // check that new time range duration was applied
       const newTimeRangeDurationHours = await PageObjects.timePicker.getTimeDurationInHours();
       expect(newTimeRangeDurationHours).to.be.lessThan(originalTimeRangeDurationHours);
+      // check that hours duration is more than 1 hour (meaning that the default time range of last 15 minutes has not been applied)
+      expect(newTimeRangeDurationHours).to.be.greaterThan(1);
     });
   });