diff --git a/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/rule-editor/alert-rule-form/simplifiedRouting/__snapshots__/SimplifiedRuleEditor.test.tsx.snap b/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/rule-editor/alert-rule-form/simplifiedRouting/__snapshots__/SimplifiedRuleEditor.test.tsx.snap
index 4c4fa2694cc..4b78f3f6f26 100644
--- a/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/rule-editor/alert-rule-form/simplifiedRouting/__snapshots__/SimplifiedRuleEditor.test.tsx.snap
+++ b/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/rule-editor/alert-rule-form/simplifiedRouting/__snapshots__/SimplifiedRuleEditor.test.tsx.snap
@@ -79,9 +79,7 @@ exports[`Can create a new grafana managed alert using simplified routing can cre
                         "type": "and",
                       },
                       "query": {
-                        "params": [
-                          "B",
-                        ],
+                        "params": [],
                       },
                       "reducer": {
                         "params": [],
@@ -249,9 +247,7 @@ exports[`Can create a new grafana managed alert using simplified routing switch
                         "type": "and",
                       },
                       "query": {
-                        "params": [
-                          "B",
-                        ],
+                        "params": [],
                       },
                       "reducer": {
                         "params": [],
@@ -422,9 +418,7 @@ exports[`Can create a new grafana managed alert using simplified routing switch
                         "type": "and",
                       },
                       "query": {
-                        "params": [
-                          "B",
-                        ],
+                        "params": [],
                       },
                       "reducer": {
                         "params": [],
@@ -598,9 +592,7 @@ exports[`Can create a new grafana managed alert using simplified routing switch
                         "type": "and",
                       },
                       "query": {
-                        "params": [
-                          "B",
-                        ],
+                        "params": [],
                       },
                       "reducer": {
                         "params": [],
@@ -771,9 +763,7 @@ exports[`Can create a new grafana managed alert using simplified routing switch
                         "type": "and",
                       },
                       "query": {
-                        "params": [
-                          "B",
-                        ],
+                        "params": [],
                       },
                       "reducer": {
                         "params": [],
diff --git a/public/app/features/alerting/unified/rule-editor/__snapshots__/RuleEditorGrafanaRules.test.tsx.snap b/public/app/features/alerting/unified/rule-editor/__snapshots__/RuleEditorGrafanaRules.test.tsx.snap
index 73ac81a4a3c..b95aee0339f 100644
--- a/public/app/features/alerting/unified/rule-editor/__snapshots__/RuleEditorGrafanaRules.test.tsx.snap
+++ b/public/app/features/alerting/unified/rule-editor/__snapshots__/RuleEditorGrafanaRules.test.tsx.snap
@@ -81,9 +81,7 @@ exports[`RuleEditor grafana managed rules can create new grafana managed alert 1
                         "type": "and",
                       },
                       "query": {
-                        "params": [
-                          "B",
-                        ],
+                        "params": [],
                       },
                       "reducer": {
                         "params": [],
diff --git a/public/app/features/alerting/unified/utils/rule-form.test.ts b/public/app/features/alerting/unified/utils/rule-form.test.ts
index fea528c2075..54154e199e5 100644
--- a/public/app/features/alerting/unified/utils/rule-form.test.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/alerting/unified/utils/rule-form.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { PromQuery } from '@grafana/prometheus';
-import { ExpressionDatasourceUID, ExpressionQueryType } from 'app/features/expressions/types';
+import { ExpressionDatasourceUID, ExpressionQuery, ExpressionQueryType } from 'app/features/expressions/types';
 import { RuleWithLocation } from 'app/types/unified-alerting';
 import {
   AlertDataQuery,
@@ -452,15 +452,24 @@ describe('getInstantFromDataQuery', () => {
   });
 });
 
+function isExpressionQuery(model: unknown): model is ExpressionQuery {
+  return typeof model === 'object' && model !== null && 'type' in model;
+}
+
 describe('getDefaultExpressions', () => {
   it('should create a reduce expression as the first query', () => {
     const result = getDefaultExpressions('B', 'C');
     const reduceQuery = result[0];
-    const model = reduceQuery.model;
+    const { model } = reduceQuery;
 
     expect(reduceQuery.refId).toBe('B');
     expect(reduceQuery.datasourceUid).toBe(ExpressionDatasourceUID);
-    expect(reduceQuery.queryType).toBe('');
+    expect(reduceQuery.queryType).toBe('expression');
+
+    if (!isExpressionQuery(model)) {
+      throw new Error('Expected ExpressionQuery');
+    }
+
     expect(model.type).toBe(ExpressionQueryType.reduce);
     expect(model.datasource?.uid).toBe(ExpressionDatasourceUID);
     expect(model.reducer).toBe('last');
@@ -469,7 +478,11 @@ describe('getDefaultExpressions', () => {
   it('should create reduce expression with proper conditions structure', () => {
     const result = getDefaultExpressions('B', 'C');
     const reduceQuery = result[0];
-    const model = reduceQuery.model;
+    const { model } = reduceQuery;
+
+    if (!isExpressionQuery(model)) {
+      throw new Error('Expected ExpressionQuery');
+    }
 
     expect(model.conditions).toHaveLength(1);
     expect(model.expression).toBe('A');
@@ -495,11 +508,16 @@ describe('getDefaultExpressions', () => {
   it('should create a threshold expression as the second query', () => {
     const result = getDefaultExpressions('B', 'C');
     const thresholdQuery = result[1];
-    const model = thresholdQuery.model;
+    const { model } = thresholdQuery;
 
     expect(thresholdQuery.refId).toBe('C');
     expect(thresholdQuery.datasourceUid).toBe(ExpressionDatasourceUID);
-    expect(thresholdQuery.queryType).toBe('');
+    expect(thresholdQuery.queryType).toBe('expression');
+
+    if (!isExpressionQuery(model)) {
+      throw new Error('Expected ExpressionQuery');
+    }
+
     expect(model.type).toBe(ExpressionQueryType.threshold);
     expect(model.datasource?.uid).toBe(ExpressionDatasourceUID);
   });
@@ -507,7 +525,11 @@ describe('getDefaultExpressions', () => {
   it('should create threshold expression with proper conditions structure', () => {
     const result = getDefaultExpressions('B', 'C');
     const thresholdQuery = result[1];
-    const model = thresholdQuery.model;
+    const { model } = thresholdQuery;
+
+    if (!isExpressionQuery(model)) {
+      throw new Error('Expected ExpressionQuery');
+    }
 
     expect(model.conditions).toHaveLength(1);
     expect(model.conditions?.[0]).toEqual({
@@ -520,7 +542,7 @@ describe('getDefaultExpressions', () => {
         type: 'and',
       },
       query: {
-        params: [],
+        params: ['C'],
       },
       reducer: {
         params: [],
@@ -532,7 +554,11 @@ describe('getDefaultExpressions', () => {
   it('should reference the reduce expression in the threshold expression', () => {
     const result = getDefaultExpressions('B', 'C');
     const thresholdQuery = result[1];
-    const model = thresholdQuery.model;
+    const { model } = thresholdQuery;
+
+    if (!isExpressionQuery(model)) {
+      throw new Error('Expected ExpressionQuery');
+    }
 
     expect(model.expression).toBe('B');
   });
@@ -542,6 +568,10 @@ describe('getDefaultExpressions', () => {
     const reduceModel = result[0].model;
     const thresholdModel = result[1].model;
 
+    if (!isExpressionQuery(reduceModel) || !isExpressionQuery(thresholdModel)) {
+      throw new Error('Expected ExpressionQuery');
+    }
+
     expect(result[0].refId).toBe('X');
     expect(reduceModel.refId).toBe('X');
     expect(reduceModel.conditions?.[0].query.params).toEqual([]);
diff --git a/public/app/features/alerting/unified/utils/rule-form.ts b/public/app/features/alerting/unified/utils/rule-form.ts
index c0504c75b99..7d49d725bcb 100644
--- a/public/app/features/alerting/unified/utils/rule-form.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/alerting/unified/utils/rule-form.ts
@@ -559,7 +559,7 @@ export const getDefaultRecordingRulesQueries = (
   ];
 };
 
-const getDefaultExpressions = (...refIds: [string, string] | [string, string, string]): AlertQuery[] => {
+export const getDefaultExpressions = (...refIds: [string, string] | [string, string, string]): AlertQuery[] => {
   const refOne = refIds[0];
   const refTwo = refIds[1];
   // If a third parameter is provided, use it as the source query refId, otherwise default to 'A'
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ const getDefaultExpressions = (...refIds: [string, string] | [string, string, st
           type: 'and',
         },
         query: {
-          params: [refOne],
+          params: [],
         },
         reducer: {
           params: [],