diff --git a/lib/riemann/dash/public/views/flot.js b/lib/riemann/dash/public/views/flot.js
index 71ce835..80261c4 100644
--- a/lib/riemann/dash/public/views/flot.js
+++ b/lib/riemann/dash/public/views/flot.js
@@ -101,21 +101,8 @@
       var servicePrefix = strings.commonPrefix(
           _.pluck(this.data, 'riemannService'));
       _.each(this.data, function(d) {
-        d.label = '';
-        if (d.riemannHost) {
-          d.label += d.riemannHost.substring(hostPrefix.length);
-        } else {
-          d.label += 'nil';
-        }
-
-        d.label += ' ';
-        
-        if (d.riemannService) {
-          d.label += d.riemannService.substring(servicePrefix.length);
-        } else {
-          d.label += 'nil';
-        }
-
+        d.label = d.riemannHost.substring(hostPrefix.length) + ' ' +
+                  d.riemannService.substring(servicePrefix.length);
         // Empty labels are expanded back to full ones.
         if (d.label === ' ') {
           d.label = d.riemannHost + ' ' + d.riemannService;
@@ -149,8 +136,8 @@
       if (this.series[key] === undefined) {
         this.data.push({
           riemannKey: key,
-          riemannHost: event.host,
-          riemannService: event.service,
+          riemannHost: event.host || 'nil',
+          riemannService: event.service || 'nil',
           lineWidth: this.lineWidth,
           shadowSize: 0,
           data: []