diff --git a/pkg/api/alertmanager.go b/pkg/api/alertmanager.go
index 5177aeea43c..89f2cf63e4c 100644
--- a/pkg/api/alertmanager.go
+++ b/pkg/api/alertmanager.go
@@ -174,10 +174,68 @@ type AlertingConfigResponse struct {
 type ApiAlertingConfig struct {
 	config.Config
 
+	// Override/eliminate Routes tree in AM config - we'll set it via new fields
+	Route struct{} `yaml:"route,omitempty" json:"route,omitempty"`
+
+	AlertManagerRoute   *config.Route `yaml:"alertmanager_route,omitempty" json:"alertmanager_route,omitempty"`
+	GrafanaManagedRoute *config.Route `yaml:"grafana_managed_route,omitempty" json:"grafana_managed_route,omitempty"`
+
 	// Override with our superset receiver type
 	Receivers []*ApiReceiver `yaml:"receivers,omitempty" json:"receivers,omitempty"`
 }
 
+func (c *ApiAlertingConfig) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) error {
+	type plain ApiAlertingConfig
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(b, (*plain)(c)); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return c.validate()
+}
+
+// validate ensures that the two routing trees use the correct receiver types.
+func (c *ApiAlertingConfig) validate() error {
+	receivers := make(map[string]ReceiverType, len(c.Receivers))
+
+	for _, r := range c.Receivers {
+		receivers[r.Name] = r.Type()
+	}
+
+	for _, receiver := range AllReceivers(c.GrafanaManagedRoute) {
+		t, ok := receivers[receiver]
+		if !ok {
+			return fmt.Errorf("unexpected receiver (%s) is undefined", receiver)
+		}
+		if t != GrafanaReceiverType {
+			return fmt.Errorf("unexpected receiver (%s): cannot use Alertmanager receiver types in Grafana managed routes", receiver)
+		}
+
+	}
+
+	for _, receiver := range AllReceivers(c.AlertManagerRoute) {
+		t, ok := receivers[receiver]
+		if !ok {
+			return fmt.Errorf("unexpected receiver (%s) is undefined", receiver)
+		}
+		if t != AlertmanagerReceiverType {
+			return fmt.Errorf("unexpected receiver (%s): cannot use Grafana receiver types in non-Grafana managed routes", receiver)
+		}
+
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// AllReceivers will recursively walk a routing tree and return a list of all the
+// referenced receiver names.
+func AllReceivers(route *config.Route) (res []string) {
+	res = append(res, route.Receiver)
+	for _, subRoute := range route.Routes {
+		res = append(res, AllReceivers(subRoute)...)
+	}
+	return res
+}
+
 type GrafanaReceiver models.CreateAlertNotificationCommand
 
 type ReceiverType int
@@ -227,6 +285,7 @@ func (r *ApiReceiver) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) error {
 		}
 
 	}
+
 	return nil
 
 }
diff --git a/pkg/api/alertmanager_test.go b/pkg/api/alertmanager_test.go
index 1a47516d581..a551e3775d3 100644
--- a/pkg/api/alertmanager_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/alertmanager_test.go
@@ -63,3 +63,241 @@ func Test_ApiReceiver_Marshaling(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func Test_AllReceivers(t *testing.T) {
+	input := &config.Route{
+		Receiver: "foo",
+		Routes: []*config.Route{
+			{
+				Receiver: "bar",
+				Routes: []*config.Route{
+					{
+						Receiver: "bazz",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			{
+				Receiver: "buzz",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	require.Equal(t, []string{"foo", "bar", "bazz", "buzz"}, AllReceivers(input))
+}
+
+func Test_ApiAlertingConfig_Marshaling(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, tc := range []struct {
+		desc  string
+		input ApiAlertingConfig
+		err   bool
+	}{
+		{
+			desc: "success",
+			input: ApiAlertingConfig{
+				Config: config.Config{},
+				AlertManagerRoute: &config.Route{
+					Receiver: "am",
+					Routes: []*config.Route{
+						{
+							Receiver: "am",
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				GrafanaManagedRoute: &config.Route{
+					Receiver: "graf",
+					Routes: []*config.Route{
+						{
+							Receiver: "graf",
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				Receivers: []*ApiReceiver{
+					{
+						Receiver: config.Receiver{
+							Name:         "am",
+							EmailConfigs: []*config.EmailConfig{{}},
+						},
+					},
+					{
+						Receiver: config.Receiver{
+							Name: "graf",
+						},
+						GrafanaReceivers: GrafanaReceivers{
+							GrafanaManagedReceivers: []*GrafanaReceiver{{}},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			desc: "failure undefined am receiver",
+			input: ApiAlertingConfig{
+				Config: config.Config{},
+				AlertManagerRoute: &config.Route{
+					Receiver: "am",
+					Routes: []*config.Route{
+						{
+							Receiver: "unmentioned",
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				GrafanaManagedRoute: &config.Route{
+					Receiver: "graf",
+					Routes: []*config.Route{
+						{
+							Receiver: "graf",
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				Receivers: []*ApiReceiver{
+					{
+						Receiver: config.Receiver{
+							Name:         "am",
+							EmailConfigs: []*config.EmailConfig{{}},
+						},
+					},
+					{
+						Receiver: config.Receiver{
+							Name: "graf",
+						},
+						GrafanaReceivers: GrafanaReceivers{
+							GrafanaManagedReceivers: []*GrafanaReceiver{{}},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			err: true,
+		},
+		{
+			desc: "failure undefined graf receiver",
+			input: ApiAlertingConfig{
+				Config: config.Config{},
+				AlertManagerRoute: &config.Route{
+					Receiver: "am",
+					Routes: []*config.Route{
+						{
+							Receiver: "am",
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				GrafanaManagedRoute: &config.Route{
+					Receiver: "graf",
+					Routes: []*config.Route{
+						{
+							Receiver: "unmentioned",
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				Receivers: []*ApiReceiver{
+					{
+						Receiver: config.Receiver{
+							Name:         "am",
+							EmailConfigs: []*config.EmailConfig{{}},
+						},
+					},
+					{
+						Receiver: config.Receiver{
+							Name: "graf",
+						},
+						GrafanaReceivers: GrafanaReceivers{
+							GrafanaManagedReceivers: []*GrafanaReceiver{{}},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			err: true,
+		},
+		{
+			desc: "failure mixed AM in Grafana",
+			input: ApiAlertingConfig{
+				Config: config.Config{},
+				AlertManagerRoute: &config.Route{
+					Receiver: "am",
+					Routes: []*config.Route{
+						{
+							Receiver: "am",
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				GrafanaManagedRoute: &config.Route{
+					Receiver: "graf",
+					Routes: []*config.Route{
+						{
+							Receiver: "am",
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				Receivers: []*ApiReceiver{
+					{
+						Receiver: config.Receiver{
+							Name:         "am",
+							EmailConfigs: []*config.EmailConfig{{}},
+						},
+					},
+					{
+						Receiver: config.Receiver{
+							Name: "graf",
+						},
+						GrafanaReceivers: GrafanaReceivers{
+							GrafanaManagedReceivers: []*GrafanaReceiver{{}},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			err: true,
+		},
+		{
+			desc: "failure mixed Grafana in AM",
+			input: ApiAlertingConfig{
+				Config: config.Config{},
+				AlertManagerRoute: &config.Route{
+					Receiver: "am",
+					Routes: []*config.Route{
+						{
+							Receiver: "graf",
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				GrafanaManagedRoute: &config.Route{
+					Receiver: "graf",
+					Routes: []*config.Route{
+						{
+							Receiver: "graf",
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				Receivers: []*ApiReceiver{
+					{
+						Receiver: config.Receiver{
+							Name:         "am",
+							EmailConfigs: []*config.EmailConfig{{}},
+						},
+					},
+					{
+						Receiver: config.Receiver{
+							Name: "graf",
+						},
+						GrafanaReceivers: GrafanaReceivers{
+							GrafanaManagedReceivers: []*GrafanaReceiver{{}},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			err: true,
+		},
+	} {
+		t.Run(tc.desc, func(t *testing.T) {
+			encoded, err := json.Marshal(tc.input)
+			require.Nil(t, err)
+
+			var out ApiAlertingConfig
+			err = json.Unmarshal(encoded, &out)
+
+			if tc.err {
+				require.Error(t, err)
+			} else {
+				require.Equal(t, tc.input, out)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}