diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/serialization/__snapshots__/transformSceneToSaveModel.test.ts.snap b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/serialization/__snapshots__/transformSceneToSaveModel.test.ts.snap
index 9b5c0a119ae..8ab27fc7a70 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/serialization/__snapshots__/transformSceneToSaveModel.test.ts.snap
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/serialization/__snapshots__/transformSceneToSaveModel.test.ts.snap
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ exports[`transformSceneToSaveModel Given a scene with rows Should transform back
   ],
   "preload": false,
   "refresh": "",
-  "schemaVersion": 39,
+  "schemaVersion": 40,
   "tags": [
     "templating",
     "gdev",
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@ exports[`transformSceneToSaveModel Given a simple scene with custom settings Sho
   ],
   "preload": false,
   "refresh": "5m",
-  "schemaVersion": 39,
+  "schemaVersion": 40,
   "tags": [
     "tag1",
     "tag2",
@@ -906,7 +906,7 @@ exports[`transformSceneToSaveModel Given a simple scene with variables Should tr
   ],
   "preload": false,
   "refresh": "",
-  "schemaVersion": 39,
+  "schemaVersion": 40,
   "tags": [
     "gdev",
     "graph-ng",
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/state/DashboardMigrator.test.ts b/public/app/features/dashboard/state/DashboardMigrator.test.ts
index b3aef514daf..6ba62a860e5 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/state/DashboardMigrator.test.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/state/DashboardMigrator.test.ts
@@ -2413,6 +2413,21 @@ describe('when migrating table cell display mode to cell options', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('when migrating variable refresh to on dashboard load', () => {
+  let model: DashboardModel;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    model = new DashboardModel({
+      //@ts-ignore
+      refresh: false,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('should migrate to empty string', () => {
+    expect(model.refresh).toBe('');
+  });
+});
+
 function createRow(options: any, panelDescriptions: any[]) {
   const PANEL_HEIGHT_STEP = GRID_CELL_HEIGHT + GRID_CELL_VMARGIN;
   const { collapse, showTitle, title, repeat, repeatIteration } = options;
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/state/DashboardMigrator.ts b/public/app/features/dashboard/state/DashboardMigrator.ts
index bd04031eebd..618d684ab16 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/state/DashboardMigrator.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/state/DashboardMigrator.ts
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ type PanelSchemeUpgradeHandler = (panel: PanelModel) => PanelModel;
  * kinds/dashboard/dashboard_kind.cue
  * Example PR: #87712
  */
-export const DASHBOARD_SCHEMA_VERSION = 39;
+export const DASHBOARD_SCHEMA_VERSION = 40;
 export class DashboardMigrator {
   dashboard: DashboardModel;
 
@@ -904,6 +904,13 @@ export class DashboardMigrator {
       });
     }
 
+    if (oldVersion < 40) {
+      // In old ashboards refresh property can be a boolean
+      if (typeof this.dashboard.refresh !== 'string') {
+        this.dashboard.refresh = '';
+      }
+    }
+
     /**
      * -==- Add migration here -==-
      * Your migration should go below the previous