diff --git a/public/app/features/templating/templateValuesSrv.js b/public/app/features/templating/templateValuesSrv.js
index 46d2f90bc03..5256c3e59b5 100644
--- a/public/app/features/templating/templateValuesSrv.js
+++ b/public/app/features/templating/templateValuesSrv.js
@@ -27,29 +27,72 @@ function (angular, _, kbn) {
       var queryParams = $location.search();
       var promises = [];
 
+      //use promises to delay processing variables that
+      //depend on other variables.
+      this.variableLock = {};
+      var self = this;
+      _.forEach(this.variables, function(variable) {
+        self.variableLock[variable.name] = $q.defer();
+      });
+
       for (var i = 0; i < this.variables.length; i++) {
         var variable = this.variables[i];
-        var urlValue = queryParams['var-' + variable.name];
-        if (urlValue !== void 0) {
-          promises.push(this.setVariableFromUrl(variable, urlValue));
-        }
-        else if (variable.refresh) {
-          promises.push(this.updateOptions(variable));
-        }
-        else if (variable.type === 'interval') {
-          this.updateAutoInterval(variable);
-        }
+        promises.push(this.processVariable(variable, queryParams));
       }
 
       return $q.all(promises);
     };
 
+    this.processVariable = function(variable, queryParams) {
+      var dependencies = [];
+      var self = this;
+      // determine our dependencies.
+      if (variable.type === "query") {
+        _.forEach(this.variables, function(v) {
+          if (templateSrv.containsVariable(variable.query, v.name)) {
+            dependencies.push(self.variableLock[v.name].promise);
+          }
+        });
+      }
+      return $q.all(dependencies).then(function() {
+        var variableName = variable.name;
+        var urlValue = queryParams['var-' + variable.name];
+        if (urlValue !== void 0) {
+          return self.setVariableFromUrl(variable, urlValue).then(function() {
+            self.variableLock[variableName].resolve();
+          });
+        }
+        else if (variable.refresh) {
+          return self.updateOptions(variable).then(function() {
+            self.variableLock[variableName].resolve();
+          });
+        }
+        else if (variable.type === 'interval') {
+          self.updateAutoInterval(variable);
+          self.variableLock[variableName].resolve();
+        } else {
+          self.variableLock[variableName].resolve();
+        }
+      });
+    };
+
     this.setVariableFromUrl = function(variable, urlValue) {
+      if (variable.refresh) {
+        var self = this;
+        //refresh the list of options before setting the value
+        return this.updateOptions(variable).then(function() {
+          var option = _.findWhere(variable.options, { text: urlValue });
+          option = option || { text: urlValue, value: urlValue };
+
+          self.updateAutoInterval(variable);
+          return self.setVariableValue(variable, option, true);
+        });
+      }
       var option = _.findWhere(variable.options, { text: urlValue });
       option = option || { text: urlValue, value: urlValue };
 
       this.updateAutoInterval(variable);
-      return this.setVariableValue(variable, option);
+      return this.setVariableValue(variable, option, true);
     };
 
     this.updateAutoInterval = function(variable) {
@@ -64,7 +107,7 @@ function (angular, _, kbn) {
       templateSrv.setGrafanaVariable('$__auto_interval', interval);
     };
 
-    this.setVariableValue = function(variable, option) {
+    this.setVariableValue = function(variable, option, firstLoad) {
       variable.current = angular.copy(option);
 
       if (_.isArray(variable.current.value)) {
@@ -74,6 +117,11 @@ function (angular, _, kbn) {
       self.selectOptionsForCurrentValue(variable);
 
       templateSrv.updateTemplateData();
+      // on first load, variable loading is ordered to ensure
+      // that parents are updated before children.
+      if (firstLoad) {
+        return $q.when();
+      }
       return self.updateOptionsInChildVariables(variable);
     };
 
@@ -119,8 +167,7 @@ function (angular, _, kbn) {
 
       return datasourceSrv.get(variable.datasource)
         .then(_.partial(this.updateOptionsFromMetricFindQuery, variable))
-        .then(_.partial(this.updateTags, variable))
-        .then(_.partial(this.validateVariableSelectionState, variable));
+        .then(_.partial(this.updateTags, variable));
     };
 
     this.selectOptionsForCurrentValue = function(variable) {