diff --git a/src/plugins/condition/criterion/TelemetryCriterion.js b/src/plugins/condition/criterion/TelemetryCriterion.js
index 0637c34269..bfc38e2877 100644
--- a/src/plugins/condition/criterion/TelemetryCriterion.js
+++ b/src/plugins/condition/criterion/TelemetryCriterion.js
@@ -24,15 +24,15 @@ import * as EventEmitter from 'eventemitter3';
 
 export default class TelemetryCriterion extends EventEmitter {
 
-    constructor(telemetryDomainObject, openmct) {
+    constructor(telemetryDomainObjectKey, openmct) {
         super();
 
-        this.telemetryObject = telemetryDomainObject;
         this.openmct = openmct;
+        this.telemetryObject = this.openmct.objects.get(this.openmct.objects.makeKeyString(telemetryDomainObjectKey));
         this.telemetryAPI = this.openmct.telemetry;
         this.subscription = null;
-        this.telemetryObjectIdAsString = null;
         this.telemetryMetadata = null;
+        this.telemetryObjectIdAsString = null;
         if (this.telemetryAPI.isTelemetryObject(this.telemetryObject)) {
             this.telemetryObjectIdAsString = this.openmct.objects.makeKeyString(this.telemetryObject.identifier);
         }
@@ -73,7 +73,9 @@ export default class TelemetryCriterion extends EventEmitter {
      */
     unsubscribe() {
         //unsubscribe from telemetry source
-        this.subscription();
+        if (typeof this.subscription === 'function') {
+            this.subscription();
+        }
         delete this.subscription;
         this.emit('criterion::Remove', this.telemetryObjectIdAsString);
         delete this.telemetryObjectIdAsString;
diff --git a/src/plugins/condition/criterion/TelemetryCriterionSpec.js b/src/plugins/condition/criterion/TelemetryCriterionSpec.js
index 302e706dd7..e85947f7ef 100644
--- a/src/plugins/condition/criterion/TelemetryCriterionSpec.js
+++ b/src/plugins/condition/criterion/TelemetryCriterionSpec.js
@@ -21,9 +21,8 @@
  *****************************************************************************/
 
 import TelemetryCriterion from "./TelemetryCriterion";
-import { createOpenMct } from "../../../testTools";
 
-let openmct = createOpenMct(),
+let openmct = {},
     mockListener,
     testTelemetryObject,
     telemetryCriterion;
@@ -31,7 +30,6 @@ let openmct = createOpenMct(),
 describe("The telemetry criterion", function () {
 
     beforeEach (() => {
-        mockListener = jasmine.createSpy('listener');
         testTelemetryObject = {
             identifier:{ namespace: "", key: "test-object"},
             type: "test-object",
@@ -52,9 +50,17 @@ describe("The telemetry criterion", function () {
                 }]
             }
         };
+        openmct.objects = jasmine.createSpyObj('objects', ['get', 'makeKeyString', ]);
+        openmct.objects.get.and.returnValue(testTelemetryObject);
+        openmct.objects.makeKeyString.and.returnValue(testTelemetryObject.identifier.key);
+        openmct.telemetry = jasmine.createSpyObj('telemetry', ['isTelemetryObject', "subscribe"]);
+        openmct.telemetry.isTelemetryObject.and.returnValue(true);
+        openmct.telemetry.subscribe.and.returnValue(function () {});
+
+        mockListener = jasmine.createSpy('listener');
 
         telemetryCriterion = new TelemetryCriterion(
-            testTelemetryObject,
+            testTelemetryObject.identifier,
             openmct
         );