diff --git a/public/app/features/variables/state/actions.test.ts b/public/app/features/variables/state/actions.test.ts
index a4fbbe56715..badb5ea7af9 100644
--- a/public/app/features/variables/state/actions.test.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/variables/state/actions.test.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import {
   cancelVariables,
   changeVariableMultiValue,
   cleanUpVariables,
+  fixSelectedInconsistency,
   initDashboardTemplating,
   initVariablesTransaction,
   processVariables,
@@ -686,4 +687,92 @@ describe('shared actions', () => {
       });
     });
   });
+
+  describe('fixSelectedInconsistency', () => {
+    describe('when called for a single value variable', () => {
+      describe('and there is an inconsistency between current and selected in options', () => {
+        it('then it should set the correct selected', () => {
+          const variable = customBuilder().withId('custom').withCurrent('A').withOptions('A', 'B', 'C').build();
+          variable.options[1].selected = true;
+
+          expect(variable.options).toEqual([
+            { text: 'A', value: 'A', selected: false },
+            { text: 'B', value: 'B', selected: true },
+            { text: 'C', value: 'C', selected: false },
+          ]);
+
+          fixSelectedInconsistency(variable);
+
+          expect(variable.options).toEqual([
+            { text: 'A', value: 'A', selected: true },
+            { text: 'B', value: 'B', selected: false },
+            { text: 'C', value: 'C', selected: false },
+          ]);
+        });
+      });
+
+      describe('and there is no matching option in options', () => {
+        it('then the first option should be selected', () => {
+          const variable = customBuilder().withId('custom').withCurrent('A').withOptions('X', 'Y', 'Z').build();
+
+          expect(variable.options).toEqual([
+            { text: 'X', value: 'X', selected: false },
+            { text: 'Y', value: 'Y', selected: false },
+            { text: 'Z', value: 'Z', selected: false },
+          ]);
+
+          fixSelectedInconsistency(variable);
+
+          expect(variable.options).toEqual([
+            { text: 'X', value: 'X', selected: true },
+            { text: 'Y', value: 'Y', selected: false },
+            { text: 'Z', value: 'Z', selected: false },
+          ]);
+        });
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe('when called for a multi value variable', () => {
+      describe('and there is an inconsistency between current and selected in options', () => {
+        it('then it should set the correct selected', () => {
+          const variable = customBuilder().withId('custom').withCurrent(['A', 'C']).withOptions('A', 'B', 'C').build();
+          variable.options[1].selected = true;
+
+          expect(variable.options).toEqual([
+            { text: 'A', value: 'A', selected: false },
+            { text: 'B', value: 'B', selected: true },
+            { text: 'C', value: 'C', selected: false },
+          ]);
+
+          fixSelectedInconsistency(variable);
+
+          expect(variable.options).toEqual([
+            { text: 'A', value: 'A', selected: true },
+            { text: 'B', value: 'B', selected: false },
+            { text: 'C', value: 'C', selected: true },
+          ]);
+        });
+      });
+
+      describe('and there is no matching option in options', () => {
+        it('then the first option should be selected', () => {
+          const variable = customBuilder().withId('custom').withCurrent(['A', 'C']).withOptions('X', 'Y', 'Z').build();
+
+          expect(variable.options).toEqual([
+            { text: 'X', value: 'X', selected: false },
+            { text: 'Y', value: 'Y', selected: false },
+            { text: 'Z', value: 'Z', selected: false },
+          ]);
+
+          fixSelectedInconsistency(variable);
+
+          expect(variable.options).toEqual([
+            { text: 'X', value: 'X', selected: true },
+            { text: 'Y', value: 'Y', selected: false },
+            { text: 'Z', value: 'Z', selected: false },
+          ]);
+        });
+      });
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/public/app/features/variables/state/actions.ts b/public/app/features/variables/state/actions.ts
index d4d7dbd37e7..6bc96693666 100644
--- a/public/app/features/variables/state/actions.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/variables/state/actions.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ import {
 import { contextSrv } from 'app/core/services/context_srv';
 import { getTemplateSrv, TemplateSrv } from '../../templating/template_srv';
 import { alignCurrentWithMulti } from '../shared/multiOptions';
-import { hasLegacyVariableSupport, hasStandardVariableSupport, isMulti, isQuery } from '../guard';
+import { hasLegacyVariableSupport, hasOptions, hasStandardVariableSupport, isMulti, isQuery } from '../guard';
 import { getTimeSrv } from 'app/features/dashboard/services/TimeSrv';
 import { DashboardModel } from 'app/features/dashboard/state';
 import { createErrorNotification } from '../../../core/copy/appNotification';
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ export const initDashboardTemplating = (list: VariableModel[]): ThunkResult<void
   return (dispatch, getState) => {
     let orderIndex = 0;
     for (let index = 0; index < list.length; index++) {
-      const model = list[index];
+      const model = fixSelectedInconsistency(list[index]);
       if (!variableAdapters.getIfExists(model.type)) {
         continue;
       }
@@ -110,6 +110,32 @@ export const initDashboardTemplating = (list: VariableModel[]): ThunkResult<void
   };
 };
 
+export function fixSelectedInconsistency(model: VariableModel): VariableModel | VariableWithOptions {
+  if (!hasOptions(model)) {
+    return model;
+  }
+
+  let found = false;
+  for (const option of model.options) {
+    option.selected = false;
+    if (Array.isArray(model.current.value)) {
+      for (const value of model.current.value) {
+        if (option.value === value) {
+          option.selected = found = true;
+        }
+      }
+    } else if (option.value === model.current.value) {
+      option.selected = found = true;
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (!found && model.options.length) {
+    model.options[0].selected = true;
+  }
+
+  return model;
+}
+
 export const addSystemTemplateVariables = (dashboard: DashboardModel): ThunkResult<void> => {
   return (dispatch) => {
     const dashboardModel: DashboardVariableModel = {