diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/dashboard_ctrl.ts b/public/app/features/dashboard/dashboard_ctrl.ts
index 9266794d6e4..cc318be4939 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/dashboard_ctrl.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/dashboard_ctrl.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import coreModule from 'app/core/core_module';
 import { PanelContainer } from './dashgrid/PanelContainer';
 import { DashboardModel } from './dashboard_model';
 import { PanelModel } from './panel_model';
-import { GRID_CELL_HEIGHT, GRID_CELL_VMARGIN } from 'app/core/constants';
 
 export class DashboardCtrl implements PanelContainer {
   dashboard: DashboardModel;
@@ -24,8 +23,7 @@ export class DashboardCtrl implements PanelContainer {
     private unsavedChangesSrv,
     private dashboardViewStateSrv,
     public playlistSrv,
-    private panelLoader,
-    private $location
+    private panelLoader
   ) {
     // temp hack due to way dashboards are loaded
     // can't use controllerAs on route yet
@@ -64,8 +62,8 @@ export class DashboardCtrl implements PanelContainer {
       .finally(() => {
         this.dashboard = dashboard;
         this.dashboard.processRepeats();
+        this.dashboard.autoFitPanels(window.innerHeight);
 
-        this.autofitPanels();
         this.unsavedChangesSrv.init(dashboard, this.$scope);
 
         // TODO refactor ViewStateSrv
@@ -82,28 +80,6 @@ export class DashboardCtrl implements PanelContainer {
       .catch(this.onInitFailed.bind(this, 'Dashboard init failed', true));
   }
 
-  autofitPanels() {
-    if (this.$location.search().autofitpanels) {
-      let maxRows = Math.max(
-        ...this.dashboard.panels.map(panel => {
-          return panel.gridPos.h + panel.gridPos.y;
-        })
-      );
-
-      //Consider navbar and submenu controls, padding and margin
-      let availableHeight = window.innerHeight - 40;
-      let availableRows = Math.floor(availableHeight / (GRID_CELL_HEIGHT + GRID_CELL_VMARGIN));
-      let scaleFactor = maxRows / availableRows;
-
-      this.dashboard.panels.forEach((panel, i) => {
-        panel.gridPos.y = Math.round(panel.gridPos.y / scaleFactor) || 1;
-        panel.gridPos.h = Math.round(panel.gridPos.h / scaleFactor) || 1;
-      });
-      this.dashboard.meta.autofitpanels = true;
-      console.log(this.dashboard);
-    }
-  }
-
   onInitFailed(msg, fatal, err) {
     console.log(msg, err);
 
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/dashboard_model.ts b/public/app/features/dashboard/dashboard_model.ts
index 5a2310ac04b..5332357570b 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/dashboard_model.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/dashboard_model.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import moment from 'moment';
 import _ from 'lodash';
 
-import { GRID_COLUMN_COUNT, REPEAT_DIR_VERTICAL } from 'app/core/constants';
+import { GRID_COLUMN_COUNT, REPEAT_DIR_VERTICAL, GRID_CELL_HEIGHT, GRID_CELL_VMARGIN } from 'app/core/constants';
 import { DEFAULT_ANNOTATION_COLOR } from 'app/core/utils/colors';
 import { Emitter } from 'app/core/utils/emitter';
 import { contextSrv } from 'app/core/services/context_srv';
@@ -591,10 +591,6 @@ export class DashboardModel {
 
   updateSubmenuVisibility() {
     this.meta.submenuEnabled = (() => {
-      if (this.meta.autofitpanels) {
-        return false;
-      }
-
       if (this.links.length > 0) {
         return true;
       }
@@ -834,4 +830,26 @@ export class DashboardModel {
 
     return !_.isEqual(updated, this.originalTemplating);
   }
+
+  autoFitPanels(viewHeight: number) {
+    if (!this.meta.autofitpanels) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    let maxRows = Math.max(
+      ...this.panels.map(panel => {
+        return panel.gridPos.h + panel.gridPos.y;
+      })
+    );
+
+    //Consider navbar and submenu controls, padding and margin
+    let availableHeight = window.innerHeight - 55 - 20;
+    let availableRows = Math.floor(availableHeight / (GRID_CELL_HEIGHT + GRID_CELL_VMARGIN));
+    let scaleFactor = maxRows / availableRows;
+
+    this.panels.forEach((panel, i) => {
+      panel.gridPos.y = Math.round(panel.gridPos.y / scaleFactor) || 1;
+      panel.gridPos.h = Math.round(panel.gridPos.h / scaleFactor) || 1;
+    });
+  }
 }
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/specs/dashboard_model.jest.ts b/public/app/features/dashboard/specs/dashboard_model.jest.ts
index adbdd37c893..6ac642cd58e 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/specs/dashboard_model.jest.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/specs/dashboard_model.jest.ts
@@ -305,19 +305,6 @@ describe('DashboardModel', function() {
     });
   });
 
-  describe('updateSubmenuVisibility with autofitpanels enabled', function() {
-    var model;
-
-    beforeEach(function() {
-      model = new DashboardModel({}, { autofitpanels: true });
-      model.updateSubmenuVisibility();
-    });
-
-    it('should not enable submmenu', function() {
-      expect(model.meta.submenuEnabled).toBe(false);
-    });
-  });
-
   describe('updateSubmenuVisibility with hidden annotation toggle', function() {
     var dashboard;
 
diff --git a/public/app/routes/dashboard_loaders.ts b/public/app/routes/dashboard_loaders.ts
index 9224ec33bcc..3642b54c790 100644
--- a/public/app/routes/dashboard_loaders.ts
+++ b/public/app/routes/dashboard_loaders.ts
@@ -38,9 +38,10 @@ export class LoadDashboardCtrl {
         }
       }
 
-      if ($routeParams.keepRows) {
-        result.meta.keepRows = true;
+      if ($routeParams.autofitpanels) {
+        result.meta.autofitpanels = true;
       }
+
       $scope.initDashboard(result, $scope);
     });
   }
diff --git a/public/sass/pages/_dashboard.scss b/public/sass/pages/_dashboard.scss
index 970b625c4f8..6225f840973 100644
--- a/public/sass/pages/_dashboard.scss
+++ b/public/sass/pages/_dashboard.scss
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 .dashboard-container {
-  padding: $dashboard-padding;
+  padding: $dashboard-padding $dashboard-padding 0 $dashboard-padding;
   width: 100%;
   min-height: 100%;
 }