diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/DashboardControls.test.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/DashboardControls.test.tsx
index dc4c492bf92..c01808f411e 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/DashboardControls.test.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/DashboardControls.test.tsx
@@ -14,17 +14,56 @@ describe('DashboardControls', () => {
       expect(scene.state.refreshPicker).toBeDefined();
     });
 
-    it('should return if time controls are hidden', () => {
-      const scene = buildTestScene({
-        hideTimeControls: false,
-        hideVariableControls: false,
-        hideLinksControls: false,
+    describe('.hasControls()', () => {
+      it('should return TRUE if any of the controls are available', () => {
+        const scene = buildTestScene({
+          hideTimeControls: false,
+          hideVariableControls: false,
+          hideLinksControls: false,
+          hideDashboardControls: false,
+        });
+
+        // All controls visible
+        expect(scene.hasControls()).toBeTruthy();
+
+        // Hiding time controls
+        scene.setState({
+          hideTimeControls: true,
+          hideVariableControls: false,
+          hideLinksControls: false,
+          hideDashboardControls: false,
+        });
+        expect(scene.hasControls()).toBeTruthy();
+
+        // Hide variable controls as well
+        scene.setState({
+          hideTimeControls: true,
+          hideVariableControls: true,
+          hideLinksControls: false,
+          hideDashboardControls: false,
+        });
+        expect(scene.hasControls()).toBeTruthy();
+
+        // Hide link controls as well
+        scene.setState({
+          hideTimeControls: true,
+          hideVariableControls: true,
+          hideLinksControls: true,
+          hideDashboardControls: false,
+        });
+        expect(scene.hasControls()).toBeTruthy();
+      });
+
+      it('should return FALSE if no controls are available', () => {
+        const scene = buildTestScene({
+          hideTimeControls: true,
+          hideVariableControls: true,
+          hideLinksControls: true,
+          hideDashboardControls: true,
+        });
+
+        expect(scene.hasControls()).toBeFalsy();
       });
-      expect(scene.hasControls()).toBeTruthy();
-      scene.setState({ hideTimeControls: true });
-      expect(scene.hasControls()).toBeTruthy();
-      scene.setState({ hideVariableControls: true, hideLinksControls: true });
-      expect(scene.hasControls()).toBeFalsy();
     });
   });
 
@@ -52,10 +91,11 @@ describe('DashboardControls', () => {
         hideTimeControls: true,
         hideVariableControls: true,
         hideLinksControls: true,
+        hideDashboardControls: true,
       });
       const renderer = render(<scene.Component model={scene} />);
 
-      expect(await renderer.queryByTestId(selectors.pages.Dashboard.Controls)).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(renderer.queryByTestId(selectors.pages.Dashboard.Controls)).not.toBeInTheDocument();
     });
   });
 
@@ -63,7 +103,12 @@ describe('DashboardControls', () => {
     it('should return keys', () => {
       const scene = buildTestScene();
       // @ts-expect-error
-      expect(scene._urlSync.getKeys()).toEqual(['_dash.hideTimePicker', '_dash.hideVariables', '_dash.hideLinks']);
+      expect(scene._urlSync.getKeys()).toEqual([
+        '_dash.hideTimePicker',
+        '_dash.hideVariables',
+        '_dash.hideLinks',
+        '_dash.hideDashboardControls',
+      ]);
     });
 
     it('should not return url state for hide flags', () => {
@@ -73,6 +118,7 @@ describe('DashboardControls', () => {
         hideTimeControls: true,
         hideVariableControls: true,
         hideLinksControls: true,
+        hideDashboardControls: true,
       });
       expect(scene.getUrlState()).toEqual({});
     });
@@ -83,18 +129,22 @@ describe('DashboardControls', () => {
         '_dash.hideTimePicker': 'true',
         '_dash.hideVariables': 'true',
         '_dash.hideLinks': 'true',
+        '_dash.hideDashboardControls': 'true',
       });
       expect(scene.state.hideTimeControls).toBeTruthy();
       expect(scene.state.hideVariableControls).toBeTruthy();
       expect(scene.state.hideLinksControls).toBeTruthy();
+      expect(scene.state.hideDashboardControls).toBeTruthy();
       scene.updateFromUrl({
         '_dash.hideTimePicker': '',
         '_dash.hideVariables': '',
         '_dash.hideLinks': '',
+        '_dash.hideDashboardControls': '',
       });
       expect(scene.state.hideTimeControls).toBeTruthy();
       expect(scene.state.hideVariableControls).toBeTruthy();
       expect(scene.state.hideLinksControls).toBeTruthy();
+      expect(scene.state.hideDashboardControls).toBeTruthy();
     });
 
     it('should not override state if no new state comes from url', () => {
@@ -102,11 +152,13 @@ describe('DashboardControls', () => {
         hideTimeControls: true,
         hideVariableControls: true,
         hideLinksControls: true,
+        hideDashboardControls: true,
       });
       scene.updateFromUrl({});
       expect(scene.state.hideTimeControls).toBeTruthy();
       expect(scene.state.hideVariableControls).toBeTruthy();
       expect(scene.state.hideLinksControls).toBeTruthy();
+      expect(scene.state.hideDashboardControls).toBeTruthy();
     });
 
     it('should not call setState if no changes', () => {
@@ -114,6 +166,7 @@ describe('DashboardControls', () => {
         hideTimeControls: true,
         hideVariableControls: true,
         hideLinksControls: true,
+        hideDashboardControls: true,
       });
       const setState = jest.spyOn(scene, 'setState');
 
@@ -121,6 +174,7 @@ describe('DashboardControls', () => {
         '_dash.hideTimePicker': 'true',
         '_dash.hideVariables': 'true',
         '_dash.hideLinks': 'true',
+        '_dash.hideDashboardControls': 'true',
       });
 
       expect(setState).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
@@ -151,6 +205,19 @@ function buildTestScene(state?: Partial<DashboardControlsState>): DashboardContr
         targetBlank: false,
         tooltip: 'Link',
       },
+      {
+        title: 'Link (dashboard controls)',
+        url: 'http://localhost:3000/$A',
+        type: 'link',
+        asDropdown: false,
+        icon: '',
+        includeVars: true,
+        keepTime: true,
+        tags: [],
+        targetBlank: false,
+        tooltip: 'Link',
+        placement: 'inControlsMenu',
+      },
     ],
     $variables: new SceneVariableSet({
       variables: [variable],
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/DashboardControls.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/DashboardControls.tsx
index f553cdb77b3..1a22dd8a2c0 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/DashboardControls.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/DashboardControls.tsx
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ export interface DashboardControlsState extends SceneObjectState {
   hideTimeControls?: boolean;
   hideVariableControls?: boolean;
   hideLinksControls?: boolean;
+  // Hides the dashbaord-controls dropdown menu
+  hideDashboardControls?: boolean;
 }
 
 export class DashboardControls extends SceneObjectBase<DashboardControlsState> {
@@ -41,7 +43,7 @@ export class DashboardControls extends SceneObjectBase<DashboardControlsState> {
   });
 
   protected _urlSync = new SceneObjectUrlSyncConfig(this, {
-    keys: ['_dash.hideTimePicker', '_dash.hideVariables', '_dash.hideLinks'],
+    keys: ['_dash.hideTimePicker', '_dash.hideVariables', '_dash.hideLinks', '_dash.hideDashboardControls'],
   });
 
   /**
@@ -53,7 +55,7 @@ export class DashboardControls extends SceneObjectBase<DashboardControlsState> {
   }
 
   updateFromUrl(values: SceneObjectUrlValues) {
-    const { hideTimeControls, hideVariableControls, hideLinksControls } = this.state;
+    const { hideTimeControls, hideVariableControls, hideLinksControls, hideDashboardControls } = this.state;
     const isEnabledViaUrl = (key: string) => values[key] === 'true' || values[key] === '';
 
     // Only allow hiding, never "unhiding" from url
@@ -70,6 +72,10 @@ export class DashboardControls extends SceneObjectBase<DashboardControlsState> {
     if (!hideLinksControls && isEnabledViaUrl('_dash.hideLinks')) {
       this.setState({ hideLinksControls: true });
     }
+
+    if (!hideDashboardControls && isEnabledViaUrl('_dash.hideDashboardControls')) {
+      this.setState({ hideDashboardControls: true });
+    }
   }
 
   public constructor(state: Partial<DashboardControlsState>) {
@@ -104,6 +110,18 @@ export class DashboardControls extends SceneObjectBase<DashboardControlsState> {
     }
   }
 
+  // Dashboard controls is a separate dropdown menu at the top-right of the controls
+  public hasDashboardControls(): boolean {
+    const dashboard = getDashboardSceneFor(this);
+    const { links } = dashboard.state;
+    const hasControlMenuVariables = sceneGraph
+      .getVariables(dashboard)
+      ?.state.variables.some((v) => v.state.showInControlsMenu === true);
+    const hasControlMenuLinks = links.some((link) => link.placement === 'inControlsMenu');
+
+    return hasControlMenuVariables || hasControlMenuLinks;
+  }
+
   public hasControls(): boolean {
     const hasVariables = sceneGraph
       .getVariables(this)
@@ -113,22 +131,25 @@ export class DashboardControls extends SceneObjectBase<DashboardControlsState> {
     const hideLinks = this.state.hideLinksControls || !hasLinks;
     const hideVariables = this.state.hideVariableControls || (!hasAnnotations && !hasVariables);
     const hideTimePicker = this.state.hideTimeControls;
+    const hideDashboardControls = this.state.hideDashboardControls || !this.hasDashboardControls();
 
-    return !(hideVariables && hideLinks && hideTimePicker);
+    return !(hideVariables && hideLinks && hideTimePicker && hideDashboardControls);
   }
 }
 
 function DashboardControlsRenderer({ model }: SceneComponentProps<DashboardControls>) {
-  const { refreshPicker, timePicker, hideTimeControls, hideVariableControls, hideLinksControls } = model.useState();
+  const {
+    refreshPicker,
+    timePicker,
+    hideTimeControls,
+    hideVariableControls,
+    hideLinksControls,
+    hideDashboardControls,
+  } = model.useState();
   const dashboard = getDashboardSceneFor(model);
   const { links, editPanel } = dashboard.useState();
   const styles = useStyles2(getStyles);
   const showDebugger = window.location.search.includes('scene-debugger');
-  const hasControlMenuVariables = sceneGraph
-    .getVariables(dashboard)
-    .useState()
-    .variables.some((v) => v.state.showInControlsMenu === true);
-  const hasControlMenuLinks = links.some((link) => link.placement === 'inControlsMenu');
 
   if (!model.hasControls()) {
     // To still have spacing when no controls are rendered
@@ -157,7 +178,7 @@ function DashboardControlsRenderer({ model }: SceneComponentProps<DashboardContr
           <refreshPicker.Component model={refreshPicker} />
         </div>
       )}
-      {(hasControlMenuVariables || hasControlMenuLinks) && (
+      {!hideDashboardControls && model.hasDashboardControls() && (
         <Stack>
           <DashboardControlsButton dashboard={dashboard} />
         </Stack>