diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/loki/querybuilder/components/LokiQueryBuilderContainer.tsx b/public/app/plugins/datasource/loki/querybuilder/components/LokiQueryBuilderContainer.tsx
index 3a428319d78..bc5e93b3c38 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/loki/querybuilder/components/LokiQueryBuilderContainer.tsx
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/loki/querybuilder/components/LokiQueryBuilderContainer.tsx
@@ -26,11 +26,15 @@ export interface State {
 export function LokiQueryBuilderContainer(props: Props) {
   const { query, onChange, onRunQuery, datasource } = props;
   const [state, dispatch] = useReducer(stateSlice.reducer, {
-    expr: '',
-    visQuery: {
-      labels: [],
-      operations: [{ id: '__line_contains', params: [''] }],
-    },
+    expr: query.expr,
+    // Use initial visual query only if query.expr is empty string
+    visQuery:
+      query.expr === ''
+        ? {
+            labels: [],
+            operations: [{ id: '__line_contains', params: [''] }],
+          }
+        : undefined,
   });
 
   // Only rebuild visual query if expr changes from outside
@@ -62,7 +66,7 @@ export function LokiQueryBuilderContainer(props: Props) {
 }
 
 const stateSlice = createSlice({
-  name: 'prom-builder-container',
+  name: 'loki-builder-container',
   initialState: { expr: '' } as State,
   reducers: {
     visualQueryChange: (state, action: PayloadAction<{ visQuery: LokiVisualQuery; expr: string }>) => {