diff --git a/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/legacy/sql_dashboards.go b/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/legacy/sql_dashboards.go
index 0b7ffa04ea4..0fa8b7d7115 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/legacy/sql_dashboards.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/legacy/sql_dashboards.go
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ func (a *dashboardSqlAccess) CountResources(ctx context.Context, opts MigrateOpt
 			case "folder.grafana.app/folders":
 				summary := &resourcepb.BulkResponse_Summary{}
 				summary.Group = folders.GROUP
-				summary.Group = folders.RESOURCE
+				summary.Resource = folders.RESOURCE
 				_, err = sess.SQL("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM "+sql.Table("dashboard")+
 					" WHERE is_folder=TRUE AND org_id=?", orgId).Get(&summary.Count)
 				rsp.Summary = append(rsp.Summary, summary)
diff --git a/pkg/setting/setting.go b/pkg/setting/setting.go
index aafc9167ce4..1155a4ead7f 100644
--- a/pkg/setting/setting.go
+++ b/pkg/setting/setting.go
@@ -637,6 +637,8 @@ type UnifiedStorageConfig struct {
 	// EnableMigration indicates whether migration is enabled for the resource.
 	// If not set, will use the default from MigratedUnifiedResources.
 	EnableMigration bool
+	// AutoMigrationThreshold is the threshold below which a resource is automatically migrated.
+	AutoMigrationThreshold int
 }
 
 type InstallPlugin struct {
diff --git a/pkg/setting/setting_unified_storage.go b/pkg/setting/setting_unified_storage.go
index 8086151c40a..21a3f455993 100644
--- a/pkg/setting/setting_unified_storage.go
+++ b/pkg/setting/setting_unified_storage.go
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/util/osutil"
 )
 
+// DefaultAutoMigrationThreshold is the default threshold for auto migration switching.
+// If a resource has entries at or below this count, it will be migrated.
+const DefaultAutoMigrationThreshold = 10
+
 const (
 	PlaylistResource  = "playlists.playlist.grafana.app"
 	FolderResource    = "folders.folder.grafana.app"
@@ -21,6 +25,13 @@ var MigratedUnifiedResources = map[string]bool{
 	DashboardResource: false,
 }
 
+// AutoMigratedUnifiedResources maps resources that support auto-migration
+// TODO: remove this before Grafana 13 GA: https://github.com/grafana/search-and-storage-team/issues/613
+var AutoMigratedUnifiedResources = map[string]bool{
+	FolderResource:    true,
+	DashboardResource: true,
+}
+
 // read storage configs from ini file. They look like:
 // [unified_storage.<group>.<resource>]
 // <field> = <value>
@@ -59,6 +70,13 @@ func (cfg *Cfg) setUnifiedStorageConfig() {
 			enableMigration = section.Key("enableMigration").MustBool(MigratedUnifiedResources[resourceName])
 		}
 
+		// parse autoMigrationThreshold from resource section
+		autoMigrationThreshold := 0
+		autoMigrate := AutoMigratedUnifiedResources[resourceName]
+		if autoMigrate {
+			autoMigrationThreshold = section.Key("autoMigrationThreshold").MustInt(DefaultAutoMigrationThreshold)
+		}
+
 		storageConfig[resourceName] = UnifiedStorageConfig{
 			DualWriterMode:                       rest.DualWriterMode(dualWriterMode),
 			DualWriterPeriodicDataSyncJobEnabled: dualWriterPeriodicDataSyncJobEnabled,
@@ -66,6 +84,7 @@ func (cfg *Cfg) setUnifiedStorageConfig() {
 			DataSyncerRecordsLimit:               dataSyncerRecordsLimit,
 			DataSyncerInterval:                   dataSyncerInterval,
 			EnableMigration:                      enableMigration,
+			AutoMigrationThreshold:               autoMigrationThreshold,
 		}
 	}
 	cfg.UnifiedStorage = storageConfig
@@ -73,13 +92,13 @@ func (cfg *Cfg) setUnifiedStorageConfig() {
 	// Set indexer config for unified storage
 	section := cfg.Raw.Section("unified_storage")
 	cfg.DisableDataMigrations = section.Key("disable_data_migrations").MustBool(false)
-	if !cfg.DisableDataMigrations && cfg.getUnifiedStorageType() == "unified" {
+	if !cfg.DisableDataMigrations && cfg.UnifiedStorageType() == "unified" {
 		// Helper log to find instances running migrations in the future
 		cfg.Logger.Info("Unified migration configs enforced")
 		cfg.enforceMigrationToUnifiedConfigs()
 	} else {
 		// Helper log to find instances disabling migration
-		cfg.Logger.Info("Unified migration configs enforcement disabled", "storage_type", cfg.getUnifiedStorageType(), "disable_data_migrations", cfg.DisableDataMigrations)
+		cfg.Logger.Info("Unified migration configs enforcement disabled", "storage_type", cfg.UnifiedStorageType(), "disable_data_migrations", cfg.DisableDataMigrations)
 	}
 	cfg.EnableSearch = section.Key("enable_search").MustBool(false)
 	cfg.MaxPageSizeBytes = section.Key("max_page_size_bytes").MustInt(0)
@@ -147,14 +166,15 @@ func (cfg *Cfg) enforceMigrationToUnifiedConfigs() {
 			DualWriterMode:                      5,
 			DualWriterMigrationDataSyncDisabled: true,
 			EnableMigration:                     true,
+			AutoMigrationThreshold:              resourceCfg.AutoMigrationThreshold,
 		}
 	}
 }
 
-// getUnifiedStorageType returns the configured storage type without creating or mutating keys.
+// UnifiedStorageType returns the configured storage type without creating or mutating keys.
 // Precedence: env > ini > default ("unified").
 // Used to decide unified storage behavior early without side effects.
-func (cfg *Cfg) getUnifiedStorageType() string {
+func (cfg *Cfg) UnifiedStorageType() string {
 	const (
 		grafanaAPIServerSectionName = "grafana-apiserver"
 		storageTypeKeyName          = "storage_type"
@@ -168,3 +188,23 @@ func (cfg *Cfg) getUnifiedStorageType() string {
 	}
 	return defaultStorageType
 }
+
+// UnifiedStorageConfig returns the UnifiedStorageConfig for a resource.
+func (cfg *Cfg) UnifiedStorageConfig(resource string) UnifiedStorageConfig {
+	if cfg.UnifiedStorage == nil {
+		return UnifiedStorageConfig{}
+	}
+	return cfg.UnifiedStorage[resource]
+}
+
+// EnableMode5 enables migration and sets mode 5 for a resource.
+func (cfg *Cfg) EnableMode5(resource string) {
+	if cfg.UnifiedStorage == nil {
+		cfg.UnifiedStorage = make(map[string]UnifiedStorageConfig)
+	}
+	config := cfg.UnifiedStorage[resource]
+	config.DualWriterMode = rest.Mode5
+	config.DualWriterMigrationDataSyncDisabled = true
+	config.EnableMigration = true
+	cfg.UnifiedStorage[resource] = config
+}
diff --git a/pkg/setting/setting_unified_storage_test.go b/pkg/setting/setting_unified_storage_test.go
index c112dc85962..58f0fe56a60 100644
--- a/pkg/setting/setting_unified_storage_test.go
+++ b/pkg/setting/setting_unified_storage_test.go
@@ -43,10 +43,16 @@ func TestCfg_setUnifiedStorageConfig(t *testing.T) {
 				}
 				assert.Equal(t, exists, true, migratedResource)
 
+				expectedThreshold := 0
+				if AutoMigratedUnifiedResources[migratedResource] {
+					expectedThreshold = DefaultAutoMigrationThreshold
+				}
+
 				assert.Equal(t, UnifiedStorageConfig{
 					DualWriterMode:                      5,
 					DualWriterMigrationDataSyncDisabled: true,
 					EnableMigration:                     isEnabled,
+					AutoMigrationThreshold:              expectedThreshold,
 				}, resourceCfg, migratedResource)
 			}
 		}
@@ -71,6 +77,7 @@ func TestCfg_setUnifiedStorageConfig(t *testing.T) {
 			DualWriterPeriodicDataSyncJobEnabled: true,
 			DataSyncerRecordsLimit:               1001,
 			DataSyncerInterval:                   time.Minute * 10,
+			AutoMigrationThreshold:               0,
 		})
 
 		validateMigratedResources(false)
diff --git a/pkg/storage/unified/migrations/migrator_test.go b/pkg/storage/unified/migrations/migrator_test.go
index 8552092d066..cfd909a9255 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/unified/migrations/migrator_test.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/unified/migrations/migrator_test.go
@@ -214,8 +214,18 @@ func runMigrationTestSuite(t *testing.T, testCases []resourceMigratorTestCase) {
 
 		for _, state := range testStates {
 			t.Run(state.tc.name(), func(t *testing.T) {
-				// Verify resources now exist in unified storage after migration
-				state.tc.verify(t, helper, true)
+				shouldExist := true
+				for _, gvr := range state.tc.resources() {
+					resourceKey := fmt.Sprintf("%s.%s", gvr.Resource, gvr.Group)
+					// Resources exist if they're either:
+					// 1. In MigratedUnifiedResources (enabled by default), OR
+					// 2. In AutoMigratedUnifiedResources (auto-migrated because count is below threshold)
+					if !setting.MigratedUnifiedResources[resourceKey] && !setting.AutoMigratedUnifiedResources[resourceKey] {
+						shouldExist = false
+						break
+					}
+				}
+				state.tc.verify(t, helper, shouldExist)
 			})
 		}
 
@@ -270,7 +280,7 @@ const (
 
 var migrationIDsToDefault = map[string]bool{
 	playlistsID:            true,
-	foldersAndDashboardsID: false,
+	foldersAndDashboardsID: true, // Auto-migrated when resource count is below threshold
 }
 
 func verifyRegisteredMigrations(t *testing.T, helper *apis.K8sTestHelper, onlyDefault bool, optOut bool) {
diff --git a/pkg/storage/unified/migrations/resource_migration.go b/pkg/storage/unified/migrations/resource_migration.go
index 5bbed9c5722..d551ae32bde 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/unified/migrations/resource_migration.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/unified/migrations/resource_migration.go
@@ -10,9 +10,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/infra/log"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/legacy"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/sqlstore/migrator"
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/setting"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/storage/unified/resource"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/storage/unified/resourcepb"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/util/xorm"
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/util/xorm/core"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
 )
 
@@ -31,6 +33,20 @@ type ResourceMigration struct {
 	migrationID string
 	validators  []Validator // Optional: custom validation logic for this migration
 	log         log.Logger
+	cfg         *setting.Cfg
+	autoMigrate bool // If true, auto-migrate resource if count is below threshold
+	hadErrors   bool // Tracks if errors occurred during migration (used with ignoreErrors)
+}
+
+// ResourceMigrationOption is a functional option for configuring ResourceMigration.
+type ResourceMigrationOption func(*ResourceMigration)
+
+// WithAutoMigrate configures the migration to auto-migrate resource if count is below threshold.
+func WithAutoMigrate(cfg *setting.Cfg) ResourceMigrationOption {
+	return func(m *ResourceMigration) {
+		m.cfg = cfg
+		m.autoMigrate = true
+	}
 }
 
 // NewResourceMigration creates a new migration for the specified resources.
@@ -39,14 +55,24 @@ func NewResourceMigration(
 	resources []schema.GroupResource,
 	migrationID string,
 	validators []Validator,
+	opts ...ResourceMigrationOption,
 ) *ResourceMigration {
-	return &ResourceMigration{
+	m := &ResourceMigration{
 		migrator:    migrator,
 		resources:   resources,
 		migrationID: migrationID,
 		validators:  validators,
 		log:         log.New("storage.unified.resource_migration." + migrationID),
 	}
+	for _, opt := range opts {
+		opt(m)
+	}
+	return m
+}
+
+func (m *ResourceMigration) SkipMigrationLog() bool {
+	// Skip populating the log table if auto-migrate is enabled and errors occurred
+	return m.autoMigrate && m.hadErrors
 }
 
 var _ migrator.CodeMigration = (*ResourceMigration)(nil)
@@ -57,7 +83,23 @@ func (m *ResourceMigration) SQL(_ migrator.Dialect) string {
 }
 
 // Exec implements migrator.CodeMigration interface. Executes the migration across all organizations.
-func (m *ResourceMigration) Exec(sess *xorm.Session, mg *migrator.Migrator) error {
+func (m *ResourceMigration) Exec(sess *xorm.Session, mg *migrator.Migrator) (err error) {
+	// Track any errors that occur during migration
+	defer func() {
+		if err != nil {
+			if m.autoMigrate {
+				m.log.Warn(
+					`[WARN] Resource migration failed and is currently skipped. 
+This migration will be enforced in the next major Grafana release, where failures will block startup or resource loading.
+
+This warning is intended to help you detect and report issues early. 
+Please investigate the failure and report it to the Grafana team so it can be addressed before the next major release.`,
+					"error", err)
+			}
+			m.hadErrors = true
+		}
+	}()
+
 	ctx := context.Background()
 
 	orgs, err := m.getAllOrgs(sess)
@@ -75,7 +117,8 @@ func (m *ResourceMigration) Exec(sess *xorm.Session, mg *migrator.Migrator) erro
 
 	if mg.Dialect.DriverName() == migrator.SQLite {
 		// reuse transaction in SQLite to avoid "database is locked" errors
-		tx, err := sess.Tx()
+		var tx *core.Tx
+		tx, err = sess.Tx()
 		if err != nil {
 			m.log.Error("Failed to get transaction from session", "error", err)
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to get transaction: %w", err)
@@ -85,12 +128,22 @@ func (m *ResourceMigration) Exec(sess *xorm.Session, mg *migrator.Migrator) erro
 	}
 
 	for _, org := range orgs {
-		if err := m.migrateOrg(ctx, sess, org); err != nil {
+		if err = m.migrateOrg(ctx, sess, org); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Auto-enable mode 5 for resources after successful migration
+	// TODO: remove this before Grafana 13 GA: https://github.com/grafana/search-and-storage-team/issues/613
+	if m.autoMigrate {
+		for _, gr := range m.resources {
+			m.log.Info("Auto-enabling mode 5 for resource", "resource", gr.Resource+"."+gr.Group)
+			m.cfg.EnableMode5(gr.Resource + "." + gr.Group)
+		}
+	}
+
 	m.log.Info("Migration completed successfully for all organizations", "org_count", len(orgs))
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/storage/unified/migrations/resources.go b/pkg/storage/unified/migrations/resources.go
index ea32bb54322..debbb270642 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/unified/migrations/resources.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/unified/migrations/resources.go
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 package migrations
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"fmt"
 
 	v1beta1 "github.com/grafana/grafana/apps/dashboard/pkg/apis/dashboard/v1beta1"
 	folders "github.com/grafana/grafana/apps/folder/pkg/apis/folder/v1beta1"
 	playlists "github.com/grafana/grafana/apps/playlist/pkg/apis/playlist/v0alpha1"
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/infra/db"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/legacy"
 	sqlstoremigrator "github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/sqlstore/migrator"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/setting"
@@ -14,69 +16,70 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
 )
 
-type ResourceDefinition struct {
-	GroupResource schema.GroupResource
-	MigratorFunc  string // Name of the method: "MigrateFolders", "MigrateDashboards", etc.
+type resourceDefinition struct {
+	groupResource schema.GroupResource
+	migratorFunc  string // Name of the method: "MigrateFolders", "MigrateDashboards", etc.
 }
 
 type migrationDefinition struct {
 	name         string
+	migrationID  string // The ID stored in the migration log table (e.g., "playlists migration")
 	resources    []string
-	registerFunc func(mg *sqlstoremigrator.Migrator, migrator UnifiedMigrator, client resource.ResourceClient)
+	registerFunc func(mg *sqlstoremigrator.Migrator, migrator UnifiedMigrator, client resource.ResourceClient, opts ...ResourceMigrationOption)
 }
 
-var resourceRegistry = []ResourceDefinition{
+var resourceRegistry = []resourceDefinition{
 	{
-		GroupResource: schema.GroupResource{Group: folders.GROUP, Resource: folders.RESOURCE},
-		MigratorFunc:  "MigrateFolders",
+		groupResource: schema.GroupResource{Group: folders.GROUP, Resource: folders.RESOURCE},
+		migratorFunc:  "MigrateFolders",
 	},
 	{
-		GroupResource: schema.GroupResource{Group: v1beta1.GROUP, Resource: v1beta1.LIBRARY_PANEL_RESOURCE},
-		MigratorFunc:  "MigrateLibraryPanels",
+		groupResource: schema.GroupResource{Group: v1beta1.GROUP, Resource: v1beta1.LIBRARY_PANEL_RESOURCE},
+		migratorFunc:  "MigrateLibraryPanels",
 	},
 	{
-		GroupResource: schema.GroupResource{Group: v1beta1.GROUP, Resource: v1beta1.DASHBOARD_RESOURCE},
-		MigratorFunc:  "MigrateDashboards",
+		groupResource: schema.GroupResource{Group: v1beta1.GROUP, Resource: v1beta1.DASHBOARD_RESOURCE},
+		migratorFunc:  "MigrateDashboards",
 	},
 	{
-		GroupResource: schema.GroupResource{Group: playlists.APIGroup, Resource: "playlists"},
-		MigratorFunc:  "MigratePlaylists",
+		groupResource: schema.GroupResource{Group: playlists.APIGroup, Resource: "playlists"},
+		migratorFunc:  "MigratePlaylists",
 	},
 }
 
 var migrationRegistry = []migrationDefinition{
 	{
 		name:         "playlists",
+		migrationID:  "playlists migration",
 		resources:    []string{setting.PlaylistResource},
 		registerFunc: registerPlaylistMigration,
 	},
 	{
 		name:         "folders and dashboards",
+		migrationID:  "folders and dashboards migration",
 		resources:    []string{setting.FolderResource, setting.DashboardResource},
 		registerFunc: registerDashboardAndFolderMigration,
 	},
 }
 
-func registerMigrations(cfg *setting.Cfg, mg *sqlstoremigrator.Migrator, migrator UnifiedMigrator, client resource.ResourceClient) error {
+func registerMigrations(ctx context.Context,
+	cfg *setting.Cfg,
+	mg *sqlstoremigrator.Migrator,
+	migrator UnifiedMigrator,
+	client resource.ResourceClient,
+	sqlStore db.DB,
+) error {
 	for _, migration := range migrationRegistry {
-		var (
-			hasValue   bool
-			allEnabled bool
-		)
-
-		for _, res := range migration.resources {
-			enabled := cfg.UnifiedStorage[res].EnableMigration
-			if !hasValue {
-				allEnabled = enabled
-				hasValue = true
-				continue
-			}
-			if enabled != allEnabled {
-				return fmt.Errorf("cannot migrate resources separately: %v migration must be either all enabled or all disabled", migration.resources)
-			}
+		if shouldAutoMigrate(ctx, migration, cfg, sqlStore) {
+			migration.registerFunc(mg, migrator, client, WithAutoMigrate(cfg))
+			continue
 		}
 
-		if !allEnabled {
+		enabled, err := isMigrationEnabled(migration, cfg)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if !enabled {
 			logger.Info("Migration is disabled in config, skipping", "migration", migration.name)
 			continue
 		}
@@ -85,10 +88,193 @@ func registerMigrations(cfg *setting.Cfg, mg *sqlstoremigrator.Migrator, migrato
 	return nil
 }
 
-func getResourceDefinition(group, resource string) *ResourceDefinition {
+func registerDashboardAndFolderMigration(mg *sqlstoremigrator.Migrator,
+	migrator UnifiedMigrator,
+	client resource.ResourceClient,
+	opts ...ResourceMigrationOption,
+) {
+	foldersDef := getResourceDefinition("folder.grafana.app", "folders")
+	dashboardsDef := getResourceDefinition("dashboard.grafana.app", "dashboards")
+	driverName := mg.Dialect.DriverName()
+
+	folderCountValidator := NewCountValidator(
+		client,
+		foldersDef.groupResource,
+		"dashboard",
+		"org_id = ? and is_folder = true",
+		driverName,
+	)
+
+	dashboardCountValidator := NewCountValidator(
+		client,
+		dashboardsDef.groupResource,
+		"dashboard",
+		"org_id = ? and is_folder = false",
+		driverName,
+	)
+
+	folderTreeValidator := NewFolderTreeValidator(client, foldersDef.groupResource, driverName)
+
+	dashboardsAndFolders := NewResourceMigration(
+		migrator,
+		[]schema.GroupResource{foldersDef.groupResource, dashboardsDef.groupResource},
+		"folders-dashboards",
+		[]Validator{folderCountValidator, dashboardCountValidator, folderTreeValidator},
+		opts...,
+	)
+	mg.AddMigration("folders and dashboards migration", dashboardsAndFolders)
+}
+
+func registerPlaylistMigration(mg *sqlstoremigrator.Migrator,
+	migrator UnifiedMigrator,
+	client resource.ResourceClient,
+	opts ...ResourceMigrationOption,
+) {
+	playlistsDef := getResourceDefinition("playlist.grafana.app", "playlists")
+	driverName := mg.Dialect.DriverName()
+
+	playlistCountValidator := NewCountValidator(
+		client,
+		playlistsDef.groupResource,
+		"playlist",
+		"org_id = ?",
+		driverName,
+	)
+
+	playlistsMigration := NewResourceMigration(
+		migrator,
+		[]schema.GroupResource{playlistsDef.groupResource},
+		"playlists",
+		[]Validator{playlistCountValidator},
+		opts...,
+	)
+	mg.AddMigration("playlists migration", playlistsMigration)
+}
+
+// TODO: remove this before Grafana 13 GA: https://github.com/grafana/search-and-storage-team/issues/613
+func shouldAutoMigrate(ctx context.Context, migration migrationDefinition, cfg *setting.Cfg, sqlStore db.DB) bool {
+	autoMigrate := false
+
+	for _, res := range migration.resources {
+		config := cfg.UnifiedStorageConfig(res)
+
+		if config.DualWriterMode == 5 {
+			return false
+		}
+
+		if !setting.AutoMigratedUnifiedResources[res] {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if checkIfAlreadyMigrated(ctx, migration, sqlStore) {
+			for _, res := range migration.resources {
+				cfg.EnableMode5(res)
+			}
+			logger.Info("Auto-migration already completed, enabling mode 5 for resources", "migration", migration.name)
+			return true
+		}
+
+		autoMigrate = true
+		threshold := int64(setting.DefaultAutoMigrationThreshold)
+		if config.AutoMigrationThreshold > 0 {
+			threshold = int64(config.AutoMigrationThreshold)
+		}
+
+		count, err := countResource(ctx, sqlStore, res)
+		if err != nil {
+			logger.Warn("Failed to count resource for auto migration check", "resource", res, "error", err)
+			return false
+		}
+
+		logger.Info("Resource count for auto migration check", "resource", res, "count", count, "threshold", threshold)
+
+		if count > threshold {
+			return false
+		}
+	}
+
+	if !autoMigrate {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	logger.Info("Auto-migration enabled for migration", "migration", migration.name)
+	return true
+}
+
+func checkIfAlreadyMigrated(ctx context.Context, migration migrationDefinition, sqlStore db.DB) bool {
+	if migration.migrationID == "" {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	exists, err := migrationExists(ctx, sqlStore, migration.migrationID)
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.Warn("Failed to check if migration exists", "migration", migration.name, "error", err)
+		return false
+	}
+
+	return exists
+}
+
+func isMigrationEnabled(migration migrationDefinition, cfg *setting.Cfg) (bool, error) {
+	var (
+		hasValue   bool
+		allEnabled bool
+	)
+
+	for _, res := range migration.resources {
+		enabled := cfg.UnifiedStorage[res].EnableMigration
+		if !hasValue {
+			allEnabled = enabled
+			hasValue = true
+			continue
+		}
+		if enabled != allEnabled {
+			return false, fmt.Errorf("cannot migrate resources separately: %v migration must be either all enabled or all disabled", migration.resources)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return allEnabled, nil
+}
+
+// TODO: remove this before Grafana 13 GA: https://github.com/grafana/search-and-storage-team/issues/613
+func countResource(ctx context.Context, sqlStore db.DB, resourceName string) (int64, error) {
+	var count int64
+	err := sqlStore.WithDbSession(ctx, func(sess *db.Session) error {
+		switch resourceName {
+		case setting.DashboardResource:
+			var err error
+			count, err = sess.Table("dashboard").Where("is_folder = ?", false).Count()
+			return err
+		case setting.FolderResource:
+			var err error
+			count, err = sess.Table("dashboard").Where("is_folder = ?", true).Count()
+			return err
+		default:
+			return fmt.Errorf("unknown resource: %s", resourceName)
+		}
+	})
+	return count, err
+}
+
+const migrationLogTableName = "unifiedstorage_migration_log"
+
+func migrationExists(ctx context.Context, sqlStore db.DB, migrationID string) (bool, error) {
+	var count int64
+	err := sqlStore.WithDbSession(ctx, func(sess *db.Session) error {
+		var err error
+		count, err = sess.Table(migrationLogTableName).Where("migration_id = ?", migrationID).Count()
+		return err
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("failed to check migration existence: %w", err)
+	}
+	return count > 0, nil
+}
+
+func getResourceDefinition(group, resource string) *resourceDefinition {
 	for i := range resourceRegistry {
 		r := &resourceRegistry[i]
-		if r.GroupResource.Group == group && r.GroupResource.Resource == resource {
+		if r.groupResource.Group == group && r.groupResource.Resource == resource {
 			return r
 		}
 	}
@@ -102,8 +288,8 @@ func buildResourceKey(group, resource, namespace string) *resourcepb.ResourceKey
 	}
 	return &resourcepb.ResourceKey{
 		Namespace: namespace,
-		Group:     def.GroupResource.Group,
-		Resource:  def.GroupResource.Resource,
+		Group:     def.groupResource.Group,
+		Resource:  def.groupResource.Resource,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -113,7 +299,7 @@ func getMigratorFunc(accessor legacy.MigrationDashboardAccessor, group, resource
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	switch def.MigratorFunc {
+	switch def.migratorFunc {
 	case "MigrateFolders":
 		return accessor.MigrateFolders
 	case "MigrateLibraryPanels":
@@ -130,7 +316,7 @@ func getMigratorFunc(accessor legacy.MigrationDashboardAccessor, group, resource
 func validateRegisteredResources() error {
 	registeredMap := make(map[string]bool)
 	for _, gr := range resourceRegistry {
-		key := fmt.Sprintf("%s.%s", gr.GroupResource.Resource, gr.GroupResource.Group)
+		key := fmt.Sprintf("%s.%s", gr.groupResource.Resource, gr.groupResource.Group)
 		registeredMap[key] = true
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/storage/unified/migrations/resources_test.go b/pkg/storage/unified/migrations/resources_test.go
index 5a519e9ad62..261cd49e244 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/unified/migrations/resources_test.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/unified/migrations/resources_test.go
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
 package migrations
 
 import (
+	"context"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	sqlstoremigrator "github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/sqlstore/migrator"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/setting"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/storage/unified/resource"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
 )
 
 // TestRegisterMigrations exercises registerMigrations with various EnableMigration configs using a table-driven test.
@@ -14,20 +17,28 @@ func TestRegisterMigrations(t *testing.T) {
 	origRegistry := migrationRegistry
 	t.Cleanup(func() { migrationRegistry = origRegistry })
 
+	// Use fake resource names that are NOT in setting.AutoMigratedUnifiedResources
+	// to avoid triggering the auto-migrate code path which requires a non-nil sqlStore.
+	const (
+		fakePlaylistResource  = "fake.playlists.resource"
+		fakeFolderResource    = "fake.folders.resource"
+		fakeDashboardResource = "fake.dashboards.resource"
+	)
+
 	// helper to build a fake registry with custom register funcs that bump counters
 	makeFakeRegistry := func(migrationCalls map[string]int) []migrationDefinition {
 		return []migrationDefinition{
 			{
 				name:      "playlists",
-				resources: []string{setting.PlaylistResource},
-				registerFunc: func(mg *sqlstoremigrator.Migrator, migrator UnifiedMigrator, client resource.ResourceClient) {
+				resources: []string{fakePlaylistResource},
+				registerFunc: func(mg *sqlstoremigrator.Migrator, migrator UnifiedMigrator, client resource.ResourceClient, opts ...ResourceMigrationOption) {
 					migrationCalls["playlists"]++
 				},
 			},
 			{
 				name:      "folders and dashboards",
-				resources: []string{setting.FolderResource, setting.DashboardResource},
-				registerFunc: func(mg *sqlstoremigrator.Migrator, migrator UnifiedMigrator, client resource.ResourceClient) {
+				resources: []string{fakeFolderResource, fakeDashboardResource},
+				registerFunc: func(mg *sqlstoremigrator.Migrator, migrator UnifiedMigrator, client resource.ResourceClient, opts ...ResourceMigrationOption) {
 					migrationCalls["folders and dashboards"]++
 				},
 			},
@@ -38,7 +49,9 @@ func TestRegisterMigrations(t *testing.T) {
 	makeCfg := func(vals map[string]bool) *setting.Cfg {
 		cfg := &setting.Cfg{UnifiedStorage: make(map[string]setting.UnifiedStorageConfig)}
 		for k, v := range vals {
-			cfg.UnifiedStorage[k] = setting.UnifiedStorageConfig{EnableMigration: v}
+			cfg.UnifiedStorage[k] = setting.UnifiedStorageConfig{
+				EnableMigration: v,
+			}
 		}
 		return cfg
 	}
@@ -71,13 +84,13 @@ func TestRegisterMigrations(t *testing.T) {
 			migrationRegistry = makeFakeRegistry(migrationCalls)
 
 			cfg := makeCfg(map[string]bool{
-				setting.PlaylistResource:  tt.enablePlaylist,
-				setting.FolderResource:    tt.enableFolder,
-				setting.DashboardResource: tt.enableDashboard,
+				fakePlaylistResource:  tt.enablePlaylist,
+				fakeFolderResource:    tt.enableFolder,
+				fakeDashboardResource: tt.enableDashboard,
 			})
 
 			// We pass nils for migrator dependencies because our fake registerFuncs don't use them
-			err := registerMigrations(cfg, nil, nil, nil)
+			err := registerMigrations(context.Background(), cfg, nil, nil, nil, nil)
 
 			if tt.wantErr {
 				require.Error(t, err, "expected error for mismatched enablement")
@@ -90,3 +103,176 @@ func TestRegisterMigrations(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+// TestResourceMigration_AutoMigrateEnablesMode5 verifies the autoMigrate behavior:
+// - When autoMigrate=true AND cfg is set AND storage type is "unified", mode 5 should be enabled
+// - In all other cases, mode 5 should NOT be enabled
+func TestResourceMigration_AutoMigrateEnablesMode5(t *testing.T) {
+	// Helper to create a cfg with unified storage type
+	makeUnifiedCfg := func() *setting.Cfg {
+		cfg := setting.NewCfg()
+		cfg.Raw.Section("grafana-apiserver").Key("storage_type").SetValue("unified")
+		cfg.UnifiedStorage = make(map[string]setting.UnifiedStorageConfig)
+		return cfg
+	}
+
+	// Helper to create a cfg with legacy storage type
+	makeLegacyCfg := func() *setting.Cfg {
+		cfg := setting.NewCfg()
+		cfg.Raw.Section("grafana-apiserver").Key("storage_type").SetValue("legacy")
+		cfg.UnifiedStorage = make(map[string]setting.UnifiedStorageConfig)
+		return cfg
+	}
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name             string
+		autoMigrate      bool
+		cfg              *setting.Cfg
+		resources        []string
+		wantMode5Enabled bool
+		description      string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:             "autoMigrate enabled with unified storage",
+			autoMigrate:      true,
+			cfg:              makeUnifiedCfg(),
+			resources:        []string{setting.DashboardResource},
+			wantMode5Enabled: true,
+			description:      "Should enable mode 5 when autoMigrate=true and storage type is unified",
+		},
+		{
+			name:             "autoMigrate disabled with unified storage",
+			autoMigrate:      false,
+			cfg:              makeUnifiedCfg(),
+			resources:        []string{setting.DashboardResource},
+			wantMode5Enabled: false,
+			description:      "Should NOT enable mode 5 when autoMigrate=false",
+		},
+		{
+			name:             "autoMigrate enabled with legacy storage",
+			autoMigrate:      true,
+			cfg:              makeLegacyCfg(),
+			resources:        []string{setting.DashboardResource},
+			wantMode5Enabled: false,
+			description:      "Should NOT enable mode 5 when storage type is legacy",
+		},
+		{
+			name:             "autoMigrate enabled with nil cfg",
+			autoMigrate:      true,
+			cfg:              nil,
+			resources:        []string{setting.DashboardResource},
+			wantMode5Enabled: false,
+			description:      "Should NOT enable mode 5 when cfg is nil",
+		},
+		{
+			name:             "autoMigrate enabled with multiple resources",
+			autoMigrate:      true,
+			cfg:              makeUnifiedCfg(),
+			resources:        []string{setting.FolderResource, setting.DashboardResource},
+			wantMode5Enabled: true,
+			description:      "Should enable mode 5 for all resources when autoMigrate=true",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			// Build schema.GroupResource from resource strings
+			resources := make([]schema.GroupResource, 0, len(tt.resources))
+			for _, r := range tt.resources {
+				parts := strings.SplitN(r, ".", 2)
+				resources = append(resources, schema.GroupResource{
+					Resource: parts[0],
+					Group:    parts[1],
+				})
+			}
+
+			// Create the migration with options
+			var opts []ResourceMigrationOption
+			if tt.autoMigrate {
+				opts = append(opts, WithAutoMigrate(tt.cfg))
+			}
+
+			m := NewResourceMigration(nil, resources, "test-auto-migrate", nil, opts...)
+
+			// Simulate what happens at the end of a successful migration
+			// This is the logic from Exec() that we're testing
+			if m.autoMigrate && m.cfg != nil && m.cfg.UnifiedStorageType() == "unified" {
+				for _, gr := range m.resources {
+					m.cfg.EnableMode5(gr.Resource + "." + gr.Group)
+				}
+			}
+
+			// Verify mode 5 was enabled (or not) for each resource
+			for _, resourceName := range tt.resources {
+				if tt.cfg == nil {
+					// If cfg is nil, we can't check - just verify we didn't panic
+					continue
+				}
+				config := tt.cfg.UnifiedStorageConfig(resourceName)
+				if tt.wantMode5Enabled {
+					require.Equal(t, 5, int(config.DualWriterMode), "%s: %s", tt.description, resourceName)
+					require.True(t, config.EnableMigration, "%s: EnableMigration should be true for %s", tt.description, resourceName)
+					require.True(t, config.DualWriterMigrationDataSyncDisabled, "%s: DualWriterMigrationDataSyncDisabled should be true for %s", tt.description, resourceName)
+				} else {
+					require.Equal(t, 0, int(config.DualWriterMode), "%s: mode should be 0 for %s", tt.description, resourceName)
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestResourceMigration_SkipMigrationLog verifies the SkipMigrationLog behavior:
+//   - When ignoreErrors=true AND errors occurred (hadErrors=true), skip writing to migration log
+//     This allows the migration to be re-run on the next startup
+//   - In all other cases, write to migration log normally
+//
+// This is important for the folders/dashboards migration which uses WithIgnoreErrors() to handle
+// partial failures gracefully while still allowing retry on next startup.
+func TestResourceMigration_SkipMigrationLog(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name        string
+		autoMigrate bool
+		hadErrors   bool
+		want        bool
+		description string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:        "normal migration success",
+			autoMigrate: false,
+			hadErrors:   false,
+			want:        false,
+			description: "Normal successful migration should write to log",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "ignoreErrors migration success",
+			autoMigrate: true,
+			hadErrors:   false,
+			want:        false,
+			description: "Migration with ignoreErrors that succeeds should still write to log",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "normal migration with errors",
+			autoMigrate: false,
+			hadErrors:   true,
+			want:        false,
+			description: "Migration that fails without ignoreErrors should write error to log",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "ignoreErrors migration with errors - skip log",
+			autoMigrate: true,
+			hadErrors:   true,
+			want:        true,
+			description: "Migration with ignoreErrors that has errors should SKIP log to allow retry",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			m := &ResourceMigration{
+				autoMigrate: tt.autoMigrate,
+				hadErrors:   tt.hadErrors,
+			}
+			require.Equal(t, tt.want, m.SkipMigrationLog(), tt.description)
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/storage/unified/migrations/service.go b/pkg/storage/unified/migrations/service.go
index 4ac9cdad218..8dec7ed019e 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/unified/migrations/service.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/unified/migrations/service.go
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/storage/unified/resource"
 	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel"
-	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
 )
 
 var tracer = otel.Tracer("github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/storage/unified/migrations")
@@ -54,6 +53,7 @@ func (p *UnifiedStorageMigrationServiceImpl) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 		logger.Info("Data migrations are disabled, skipping")
 		return nil
 	}
+
 	logger.Info("Running migrations for unified storage")
 	metrics.MUnifiedStorageMigrationStatus.Set(3)
 	return RegisterMigrations(ctx, p.migrator, p.cfg, p.sqlStore, p.client)
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ func RegisterMigrations(
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if err := registerMigrations(cfg, mg, migrator, client); err != nil {
+	if err := registerMigrations(ctx, cfg, mg, migrator, client, sqlStore); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -92,65 +92,13 @@ func RegisterMigrations(
 		db.SetMaxOpenConns(3)
 		defer db.SetMaxOpenConns(maxOpenConns)
 	}
-	if err := mg.RunMigrations(ctx,
+	err := mg.RunMigrations(ctx,
 		sec.Key("migration_locking").MustBool(true),
-		sec.Key("locking_attempt_timeout_sec").MustInt()); err != nil {
+		sec.Key("locking_attempt_timeout_sec").MustInt())
+	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("unified storage data migration failed: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	logger.Info("Unified storage migrations completed successfully")
 	return nil
 }
-
-func registerDashboardAndFolderMigration(mg *sqlstoremigrator.Migrator, migrator UnifiedMigrator, client resource.ResourceClient) {
-	foldersDef := getResourceDefinition("folder.grafana.app", "folders")
-	dashboardsDef := getResourceDefinition("dashboard.grafana.app", "dashboards")
-	driverName := mg.Dialect.DriverName()
-
-	folderCountValidator := NewCountValidator(
-		client,
-		foldersDef.GroupResource,
-		"dashboard",
-		"org_id = ? and is_folder = true",
-		driverName,
-	)
-
-	dashboardCountValidator := NewCountValidator(
-		client,
-		dashboardsDef.GroupResource,
-		"dashboard",
-		"org_id = ? and is_folder = false",
-		driverName,
-	)
-
-	folderTreeValidator := NewFolderTreeValidator(client, foldersDef.GroupResource, driverName)
-
-	dashboardsAndFolders := NewResourceMigration(
-		migrator,
-		[]schema.GroupResource{foldersDef.GroupResource, dashboardsDef.GroupResource},
-		"folders-dashboards",
-		[]Validator{folderCountValidator, dashboardCountValidator, folderTreeValidator},
-	)
-	mg.AddMigration("folders and dashboards migration", dashboardsAndFolders)
-}
-
-func registerPlaylistMigration(mg *sqlstoremigrator.Migrator, migrator UnifiedMigrator, client resource.ResourceClient) {
-	playlistsDef := getResourceDefinition("playlist.grafana.app", "playlists")
-	driverName := mg.Dialect.DriverName()
-
-	playlistCountValidator := NewCountValidator(
-		client,
-		playlistsDef.GroupResource,
-		"playlist",
-		"org_id = ?",
-		driverName,
-	)
-
-	playlistsMigration := NewResourceMigration(
-		migrator,
-		[]schema.GroupResource{playlistsDef.GroupResource},
-		"playlists",
-		[]Validator{playlistCountValidator},
-	)
-	mg.AddMigration("playlists migration", playlistsMigration)
-}
diff --git a/pkg/storage/unified/migrations/threshold/migrator_threshold_test.go b/pkg/storage/unified/migrations/threshold/migrator_threshold_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4a542b3ae0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/storage/unified/migrations/threshold/migrator_threshold_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,211 @@
+package threshold
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"net/http"
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	authlib "github.com/grafana/authlib/types"
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/infra/db"
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/folder"
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/setting"
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/tests/apis"
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/tests/testinfra"
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/tests/testsuite"
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/util/testutil"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta"
+	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
+)
+
+// TODO: remove this test before Grafana 13 GA
+func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
+	testsuite.Run(m)
+}
+
+// TestIntegrationAutoMigrateThresholdExceeded verifies that auto-migration is skipped when
+// resource count exceeds the configured threshold.
+// TODO: remove this test before Grafana 13 GA
+func TestIntegrationAutoMigrateThresholdExceeded(t *testing.T) {
+	testutil.SkipIntegrationTestInShortMode(t)
+
+	if db.IsTestDbSQLite() {
+		// Share the same SQLite DB file between steps
+		tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+		dbPath := tmpDir + "/shared-threshold-test.db"
+
+		oldVal := os.Getenv("SQLITE_TEST_DB")
+		require.NoError(t, os.Setenv("SQLITE_TEST_DB", dbPath))
+		t.Cleanup(func() {
+			if oldVal == "" {
+				_ = os.Unsetenv("SQLITE_TEST_DB")
+			} else {
+				_ = os.Setenv("SQLITE_TEST_DB", oldVal)
+			}
+		})
+		t.Logf("Using shared database path: %s", dbPath)
+	}
+
+	var org1 *apis.OrgUsers
+	var orgB *apis.OrgUsers
+
+	dashboardGVR := schema.GroupVersionResource{
+		Group:    "dashboard.grafana.app",
+		Version:  "v1beta1",
+		Resource: "dashboards",
+	}
+	folderGVR := schema.GroupVersionResource{
+		Group:    "folder.grafana.app",
+		Version:  "v1beta1",
+		Resource: "folders",
+	}
+
+	dashboardKey := fmt.Sprintf("%s.%s", dashboardGVR.Resource, dashboardGVR.Group)
+	folderKey := fmt.Sprintf("%s.%s", folderGVR.Resource, folderGVR.Group)
+	playlistKey := "playlists.playlist.grafana.app"
+
+	// Step 1: Create resources exceeding the threshold (3 resources, threshold=1)
+	t.Run("Step 1: Create resources exceeding threshold", func(t *testing.T) {
+		unifiedConfig := map[string]setting.UnifiedStorageConfig{}
+		helper := apis.NewK8sTestHelper(t, testinfra.GrafanaOpts{
+			AppModeProduction:     true,
+			DisableAnonymous:      true,
+			DisableDataMigrations: true,
+			DisableDBCleanup:      true,
+			APIServerStorageType:  "unified",
+			UnifiedStorageConfig:  unifiedConfig,
+		})
+		org1 = &helper.Org1
+		orgB = &helper.OrgB
+
+		// Create 3 dashboards
+		for i := 1; i <= 3; i++ {
+			createTestDashboard(t, helper, fmt.Sprintf("Threshold Dashboard %d", i))
+		}
+
+		// Create 3 folders
+		for i := 1; i <= 3; i++ {
+			createTestFolder(t, helper, fmt.Sprintf("folder-%d", i), fmt.Sprintf("Threshold Folder %d", i), "")
+		}
+
+		// Explicitly shutdown helper before Step 1 ends to ensure database is properly closed
+		helper.Shutdown()
+	})
+
+	// Set SKIP_DB_TRUNCATE to prevent truncation in subsequent steps
+	oldSkipTruncate := os.Getenv("SKIP_DB_TRUNCATE")
+	require.NoError(t, os.Setenv("SKIP_DB_TRUNCATE", "true"))
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		if oldSkipTruncate == "" {
+			_ = os.Unsetenv("SKIP_DB_TRUNCATE")
+		} else {
+			_ = os.Setenv("SKIP_DB_TRUNCATE", oldSkipTruncate)
+		}
+	})
+
+	// Step 2: Verify auto-migration is skipped due to threshold
+	t.Run("Step 2: Verify auto-migration skipped (threshold exceeded)", func(t *testing.T) {
+		// Set threshold=1, but we have 3 resources of each type, so migration should be skipped
+		// Disable playlists migration since we're only testing dashboard/folder threshold behavior
+		unifiedConfig := map[string]setting.UnifiedStorageConfig{
+			dashboardKey: {AutoMigrationThreshold: 1, EnableMigration: false},
+			folderKey:    {AutoMigrationThreshold: 1, EnableMigration: false},
+			playlistKey:  {EnableMigration: false},
+		}
+		helper := apis.NewK8sTestHelperWithOpts(t, apis.K8sTestHelperOpts{
+			GrafanaOpts: testinfra.GrafanaOpts{
+				AppModeProduction:     true,
+				DisableAnonymous:      true,
+				DisableDataMigrations: false, // Allow migration system to run
+				APIServerStorageType:  "unified",
+				UnifiedStorageConfig:  unifiedConfig,
+			},
+			Org1Users: org1,
+			OrgBUsers: orgB,
+		})
+		t.Cleanup(helper.Shutdown)
+
+		namespace := authlib.OrgNamespaceFormatter(helper.Org1.OrgID)
+
+		dashCli := helper.GetResourceClient(apis.ResourceClientArgs{
+			User:      helper.Org1.Admin,
+			Namespace: namespace,
+			GVR:       dashboardGVR,
+		})
+		verifyResourceCount(t, dashCli, 3)
+
+		folderCli := helper.GetResourceClient(apis.ResourceClientArgs{
+			User:      helper.Org1.Admin,
+			Namespace: namespace,
+			GVR:       folderGVR,
+		})
+		verifyResourceCount(t, folderCli, 3)
+
+		// Verify migration did NOT run by checking the migration log
+		count, err := helper.GetEnv().SQLStore.GetEngine().Table("unifiedstorage_migration_log").
+			Where("migration_id = ?", "folders and dashboards migration").
+			Count()
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, int64(0), count, "Migration should not have run")
+	})
+}
+
+func createTestDashboard(t *testing.T, helper *apis.K8sTestHelper, title string) string {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	payload := fmt.Sprintf(`{"dashboard": {"title": "%s", "panels": []}, "overwrite": false}`, title)
+
+	result := apis.DoRequest(helper, apis.RequestParams{
+		User:   helper.Org1.Admin,
+		Method: "POST",
+		Path:   "/api/dashboards/db",
+		Body:   []byte(payload),
+	}, &map[string]interface{}{})
+
+	require.NotNil(t, result.Response)
+	require.Equal(t, 200, result.Response.StatusCode)
+
+	uid := (*result.Result)["uid"].(string)
+	require.NotEmpty(t, uid)
+	return uid
+}
+
+func createTestFolder(t *testing.T, helper *apis.K8sTestHelper, uid, title, parentUID string) *folder.Folder {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	payload := fmt.Sprintf(`{
+		"title": "%s",
+		"uid": "%s"`, title, uid)
+
+	if parentUID != "" {
+		payload += fmt.Sprintf(`,
+		"parentUid": "%s"`, parentUID)
+	}
+
+	payload += "}"
+
+	folderCreate := apis.DoRequest(helper, apis.RequestParams{
+		User:   helper.Org1.Admin,
+		Method: http.MethodPost,
+		Path:   "/api/folders",
+		Body:   []byte(payload),
+	}, &folder.Folder{})
+
+	require.NotNil(t, folderCreate.Result)
+	return folderCreate.Result
+}
+
+// verifyResourceCount verifies that the expected number of resources exist in K8s storage
+func verifyResourceCount(t *testing.T, client *apis.K8sResourceClient, expectedCount int) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	l, err := client.Resource.List(context.Background(), metav1.ListOptions{})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	resources, err := meta.ExtractList(l)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, expectedCount, len(resources))
+}
diff --git a/pkg/tests/testinfra/testinfra.go b/pkg/tests/testinfra/testinfra.go
index b5e04d65a40..17f1e9d84b2 100644
--- a/pkg/tests/testinfra/testinfra.go
+++ b/pkg/tests/testinfra/testinfra.go
@@ -557,6 +557,8 @@ func CreateGrafDir(t *testing.T, opts GrafanaOpts) (string, string) {
 			require.NoError(t, err)
 			_, err = section.NewKey("enableMigration", fmt.Sprintf("%t", v.EnableMigration))
 			require.NoError(t, err)
+			_, err = section.NewKey("autoMigrationThreshold", fmt.Sprintf("%d", v.AutoMigrationThreshold))
+			require.NoError(t, err)
 		}
 	}
 	if opts.UnifiedStorageEnableSearch {