diff --git a/heat/engine/api.py b/heat/engine/api.py
index 2077f298fc..8b7c77a802 100644
--- a/heat/engine/api.py
+++ b/heat/engine/api.py
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ def format_watch(watch):
     return result
 
 
-def format_watch_data(wd):
+def format_watch_data(wd, rule_names):
 
     # Demangle DB format data into something more easily used in the API
     # We are expecting a dict with exactly two items, Namespace and
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ def format_watch_data(wd):
         return
 
     result = {
-        rpc_api.WATCH_DATA_ALARM: wd.watch_rule.name,
+        rpc_api.WATCH_DATA_ALARM: rule_names.get(wd.watch_rule_id),
         rpc_api.WATCH_DATA_METRIC: metric_name,
         rpc_api.WATCH_DATA_TIME: wd.created_at.isoformat(),
         rpc_api.WATCH_DATA_NAMESPACE: namespace,
diff --git a/heat/engine/service.py b/heat/engine/service.py
index 141c7dee32..f6932285d4 100644
--- a/heat/engine/service.py
+++ b/heat/engine/service.py
@@ -2063,11 +2063,14 @@ class EngineService(service.Service):
 
         try:
             wds = watch_data.WatchData.get_all(cnxt)
+            rule_names = {
+                r.id: r.name for r in watch_rule.WatchRule.get_all(cnxt)
+            }
         except Exception as ex:
             LOG.warning(_LW('show_metric (all) db error %s'), ex)
             return
 
-        result = [api.format_watch_data(w) for w in wds]
+        result = [api.format_watch_data(w, rule_names) for w in wds]
         return result
 
     @context.request_context
diff --git a/heat/objects/watch_data.py b/heat/objects/watch_data.py
index ad4254cf14..97f600b5d9 100644
--- a/heat/objects/watch_data.py
+++ b/heat/objects/watch_data.py
@@ -31,22 +31,14 @@ class WatchData(
         'id': fields.IntegerField(),
         'data': heat_fields.JsonField(nullable=True),
         'watch_rule_id': fields.StringField(),
-        'watch_rule': fields.ObjectField('WatchRule'),
         'created_at': fields.DateTimeField(read_only=True),
         'updated_at': fields.DateTimeField(nullable=True),
     }
 
     @staticmethod
     def _from_db_object(context, rule, db_data):
-        from heat.objects import watch_rule
         for field in rule.fields:
-            if field == 'watch_rule':
-                rule[field] = watch_rule.WatchRule._from_db_object(
-                    context,
-                    watch_rule.WatchRule(),
-                    db_data['watch_rule'])
-            else:
-                rule[field] = db_data[field]
+            rule[field] = db_data[field]
         rule._context = context
         rule.obj_reset_changes()
         return rule
diff --git a/heat/objects/watch_rule.py b/heat/objects/watch_rule.py
index 5545131fbb..cec487b355 100644
--- a/heat/objects/watch_rule.py
+++ b/heat/objects/watch_rule.py
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ from oslo_versionedobjects import fields
 from heat.db import api as db_api
 from heat.objects import base as heat_base
 from heat.objects import fields as heat_fields
-from heat.objects import stack
 from heat.objects import watch_data
 
 
@@ -36,7 +35,6 @@ class WatchRule(
         'state': fields.StringField(nullable=True),
         'last_evaluated': fields.DateTimeField(nullable=True),
         'stack_id': fields.StringField(),
-        'stack': fields.ObjectField(stack.Stack),
         'watch_data': fields.ListOfObjectsField(watch_data.WatchData),
         'created_at': fields.DateTimeField(read_only=True),
         'updated_at': fields.DateTimeField(nullable=True),
@@ -45,10 +43,7 @@ class WatchRule(
     @staticmethod
     def _from_db_object(context, rule, db_rule):
         for field in rule.fields:
-            if field == 'stack':
-                rule[field] = stack.Stack._from_db_object(
-                    context, stack.Stack(), db_rule[field])
-            elif field == 'watch_data':
+            if field == 'watch_data':
                 rule[field] = watch_data.WatchData.get_all_by_watch_rule_id(
                     context, db_rule['id'])
             else: