diff --git a/src/kibana/components/vislib/components/tooltip/_position_tooltip.js b/src/kibana/components/vislib/components/tooltip/_position_tooltip.js
index eefc01afdc28..30c53032622a 100644
--- a/src/kibana/components/vislib/components/tooltip/_position_tooltip.js
+++ b/src/kibana/components/vislib/components/tooltip/_position_tooltip.js
@@ -5,13 +5,13 @@ define(function (require) {
   var OFFSET = 10;
   var $clone;
 
-  function positionTooltip($window, $chart, $tooltip, event) {
+  function positionTooltip($window, $chart, $tooltip, $sizer, event) {
     $chart = $($chart);
     $tooltip = $($tooltip);
 
     if (!$chart.size() || !$tooltip.size()) return;
 
-    var size = getTtSize($tooltip);
+    var size = getTtSize($tooltip, $sizer);
     var pos = getBasePosition(size, event);
 
     var overflow = getOverflow(size, pos, [$chart, $window]);
@@ -19,25 +19,15 @@ define(function (require) {
     return placeToAvoidOverflow(pos, overflow);
   }
 
-  function getTtSize($tooltip) {
-    if (!$clone || $clone.html() !== $tooltip.html()) {
-      $clone && $clone.remove();
-
-      $clone = $tooltip
-      .clone()
-      .addClass('vis-tooltip-sizing-clone')
-      .css({
-        visibility: 'hidden',
-        position: 'absolute',
-        top: -500,
-        left: -500
-      })
-      .appendTo('body');
+  function getTtSize($tooltip, $sizer) {
+    var ttHtml = $tooltip.html();
+    if ($sizer.html() !== ttHtml) {
+      $sizer.html(ttHtml);
     }
 
     var size = {
-      width: $clone.outerWidth(),
-      height: $clone.outerHeight()
+      width: $sizer.outerWidth(),
+      height: $sizer.outerHeight()
     };
 
     return size;
diff --git a/src/kibana/components/vislib/components/tooltip/tooltip.js b/src/kibana/components/vislib/components/tooltip/tooltip.js
index 54ac6aff5b70..b0aeeb5bc907 100644
--- a/src/kibana/components/vislib/components/tooltip/tooltip.js
+++ b/src/kibana/components/vislib/components/tooltip/tooltip.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 define(function (require) {
   return function TooltipFactory(d3, Private) {
+    var _ = require('lodash');
     var $ = require('jquery');
 
     require('css!components/vislib/styles/main');
@@ -20,13 +21,26 @@ define(function (require) {
       this.el = el;
       this.formatter = formatter;
       this.events = events;
-      this.tooltipClass = 'vis-tooltip';
       this.containerClass = 'vis-wrapper';
+      this.tooltipClass = 'vis-tooltip';
+      this.tooltipSizerClass = 'vis-tooltip-sizing-clone';
 
       this.$window = $(window);
       this.$chart = $(el).find('.' + this.containerClass);
     }
 
+    Tooltip.prototype.$get = _.once(function () {
+      return $('<div>').addClass(this.tooltipClass).appendTo(document.body);
+    });
+
+    Tooltip.prototype.$getSizer = _.once(function () {
+      return this.$get()
+      .clone()
+        .removeClass(this.tooltipClass)
+        .addClass(this.tooltipSizerClass)
+        .appendTo(document.body);
+    });
+
     /**
      * Calculates values for the tooltip placement
      *
@@ -47,17 +61,14 @@ define(function (require) {
       var tooltipFormatter = this.formatter;
 
       return function (selection) {
-
-        if (d3.select('body').select('.' + self.tooltipClass)[0][0] === null) {
-          d3.select('body').append('div').attr('class', self.tooltipClass);
-        }
+        var $tooltip = self.$get();
+        var $sizer = self.$getSizer();
+        var tooltipSelection = d3.select($tooltip.get(0));
 
         if (self.container === undefined || self.container !== d3.select(self.el).select('.' + self.containerClass)) {
           self.container = d3.select(self.el).select('.' + self.containerClass);
         }
 
-        var tooltipDiv = d3.select('.' + self.tooltipClass);
-
         selection.each(function (d, i) {
           var element = d3.select(this);
 
@@ -66,7 +77,8 @@ define(function (require) {
             var placement = self.getTooltipPlacement(
               self.$window,
               self.$chart,
-              $('.' + self.tooltipClass),
+              $tooltip,
+              $sizer,
               d3.event
             );
             if (!placement) return;
@@ -74,14 +86,14 @@ define(function (require) {
             var events = self.events ? self.events.eventResponse(d, i) : d;
 
             // return text and position for tooltip
-            return tooltipDiv.datum(events)
+            return tooltipSelection.datum(events)
               .html(tooltipFormatter)
               .style('visibility', 'visible')
               .style('left', placement.left + 'px')
               .style('top', placement.top + 'px');
           })
           .on('mouseout.tip', function () {
-            return tooltipDiv.style('visibility', 'hidden')
+            return tooltipSelection.style('visibility', 'hidden')
               .style('left', '-500px')
               .style('top', '-500px');
           });
diff --git a/src/kibana/components/vislib/styles/_tooltip.less b/src/kibana/components/vislib/styles/_tooltip.less
index 20d6b1a43475..a16a321bbb7f 100644
--- a/src/kibana/components/vislib/styles/_tooltip.less
+++ b/src/kibana/components/vislib/styles/_tooltip.less
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 @import (reference) "../../../styles/main";
 
-.vis-tooltip {
+.vis-tooltip,
+.vis-tooltip-sizing-clone {
   visibility: hidden;
   line-height: 1.1;
   font-size: 12px;
@@ -34,3 +35,10 @@
     }
   }
 }
+
+.vis-tooltip-sizing-clone {
+  visibility: hidden;
+  position: fixed;
+  top: -500px;
+  left: -500px;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/unit/specs/vislib/components/tooltip/positioning.js b/test/unit/specs/vislib/components/tooltip/positioning.js
index 15d028e78a34..7d43dbbbd511 100644
--- a/test/unit/specs/vislib/components/tooltip/positioning.js
+++ b/test/unit/specs/vislib/components/tooltip/positioning.js
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ define(function (require) {
       var $window;
       var $chart;
       var $tooltip;
+      var $sizer;
 
       function testEl(width, height, $children) {
         var $el = $('<div>');
@@ -42,11 +43,13 @@ define(function (require) {
             $tooltip = testEl([50, 100], [35, 75])
           )
         );
+
+        $sizer = $tooltip.clone().appendTo($window);
       });
 
       afterEach(function () {
         $window.remove();
-        $window = $chart = $tooltip = null;
+        $window = $chart = $tooltip = $sizer = null;
         posTT.removeClone();
       });
 
@@ -67,7 +70,7 @@ define(function (require) {
           var w = sinon.spy($.fn, 'outerWidth');
           var h = sinon.spy($.fn, 'outerHeight');
 
-          posTT.getTtSize($tooltip);
+          posTT.getTtSize($tooltip, $sizer);
 
           [w, h].forEach(function (spy) {
             expect(spy).to.have.property('callCount', 1);
@@ -81,7 +84,7 @@ define(function (require) {
 
       describe('getBasePosition()', function () {
         it('calculates the offset values for the four positions', function () {
-          var size = posTT.getTtSize($tooltip);
+          var size = posTT.getTtSize($tooltip, $sizer);
           var pos = posTT.getBasePosition(size, makeEvent());
 
           positions.forEach(function (p) {
@@ -110,7 +113,8 @@ define(function (require) {
         it('determines how much the base placement overflows the containing bounds in each direction', function () {
           // size the tooltip very small so it won't collide with the edges
           $tooltip.css({ width: 15, height: 15 });
-          var size = posTT.getTtSize($tooltip);
+          $sizer.css({ width: 15, height: 15 });
+          var size = posTT.getTtSize($tooltip, $sizer);
           expect(size).to.have.property('width', 15);
           expect(size).to.have.property('height', 15);
 
@@ -127,7 +131,7 @@ define(function (require) {
         });
 
         it('identifies an overflow with a positive value in that direction', function () {
-          var size = posTT.getTtSize($tooltip);
+          var size = posTT.getTtSize($tooltip, $sizer);
 
           // position the element based on a mouse that is in the bottom right hand courner of the chart
           var pos = posTT.getBasePosition(size, makeEvent(0.99, 0.99));
@@ -155,7 +159,7 @@ define(function (require) {
         function check(xPercent, yPercent/*, directions... */) {
           var directions = _.rest(arguments, 2);
           var event = makeEvent(xPercent, yPercent);
-          var placement = posTT($window, $chart, $tooltip, event);
+          var placement = posTT($window, $chart, $tooltip, $sizer, event);
 
           expect(placement).to.have.property('top').and.property('left');