diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-rows/RowItemRenderer.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-rows/RowItemRenderer.tsx
index 80c16b2f2a1..8d74ff46e3c 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-rows/RowItemRenderer.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-rows/RowItemRenderer.tsx
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ import { isDashboardLayoutGrid } from '../types/DashboardLayoutGrid';
 import { RowItem } from './RowItem';
 
 export function RowItemRenderer({ model }: SceneComponentProps<RowItem>) {
-  const { layout, collapse: isCollapsed, fillScreen, hideHeader: isHeaderHidden, isDropTarget, key } = model.useState();
+  const { layout, collapse, fillScreen, hideHeader: isHeaderHidden, isDropTarget, key } = model.useState();
+  const isCollapsed = collapse && !isHeaderHidden; // never allow a row without a header to be collapsed
   const isClone = isRepeatCloneOrChildOf(model);
   const { isEditing } = useDashboardState(model);
   const [isConditionallyHidden, conditionalRenderingClass, conditionalRenderingOverlay] = useIsConditionallyHidden(