diff --git a/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/action/PostDataAction.java b/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/action/PostDataAction.java
index a854cc6176f..6e89455c1ee 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/action/PostDataAction.java
+++ b/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/prelert/action/PostDataAction.java
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ public class PostDataAction extends Action<PostDataAction.Request, PostDataActio
 
     @Override
     public Response newResponse() {
-        return null;
+        return new Response();
     }
 
     static class RequestBuilder extends ActionRequestBuilder<Request, Response, RequestBuilder> {
@@ -71,10 +71,17 @@ public class PostDataAction extends Action<PostDataAction.Request, PostDataActio
             dataCounts = new DataCounts(jobId);
         }
 
+        private Response() {
+        }
+
         public Response(DataCounts counts) {
             this.dataCounts = counts;
         }
 
+        public DataCounts getDataCounts() {
+            return dataCounts;
+        }
+
         @Override
         public void readFrom(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
             super.readFrom(in);
@@ -125,8 +132,8 @@ public class PostDataAction extends Action<PostDataAction.Request, PostDataActio
 
         private String jobId;
         private boolean ignoreDowntime = false;
-        private String resetStart;
-        private String resetEnd;
+        private String resetStart = "";
+        private String resetEnd = "";
         private BytesReference content;
 
         Request() {