diff --git a/public/app/plugins/panel/annolist/AnnoListPanel.test.tsx b/public/app/plugins/panel/annolist/AnnoListPanel.test.tsx
index ca6201380aa..64a30151979 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/panel/annolist/AnnoListPanel.test.tsx
+++ b/public/app/plugins/panel/annolist/AnnoListPanel.test.tsx
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ async function setupTestContext({
     onOptionsChange: jest.fn(),
     options,
     renderCounter: 1,
-    replaceVariables: jest.fn(),
+    replaceVariables: (str: string) => str,
     timeRange: getDefaultTimeRange(),
     timeZone: 'utc',
     title: 'Test Title',
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/panel/annolist/AnnoListPanel.tsx b/public/app/plugins/panel/annolist/AnnoListPanel.tsx
index 7b3974ba3d7..c858d51171d 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/panel/annolist/AnnoListPanel.tsx
+++ b/public/app/plugins/panel/annolist/AnnoListPanel.tsx
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ export class AnnoListPanel extends PureComponent<Props, State> {
     }
 
     if (options.tags && options.tags.length) {
-      params.tags = options.tags;
+      params.tags = options.tags.map((tag) => this.props.replaceVariables(tag));
     }
 
     if (queryTags.length) {