diff --git a/pkg/infra/db/db.go b/pkg/infra/db/db.go
index ad2d58f3242..5e8e6a0355d 100644
--- a/pkg/infra/db/db.go
+++ b/pkg/infra/db/db.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 
 	"xorm.io/core"
+
 	"xorm.io/xorm"
 
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/sqlstore"
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ type InitTestDBOpt = sqlstore.InitTestDBOpt
 var SetupTestDB = sqlstore.SetupTestDB
 var CleanupTestDB = sqlstore.CleanupTestDB
 var ProvideService = sqlstore.ProvideService
+var SkipTestsOnSpanner = sqlstore.SkipTestsOnSpanner
 
 func InitTestDB(t sqlutil.ITestDB, opts ...InitTestDBOpt) *sqlstore.SQLStore {
 	db, _ := InitTestDBWithCfg(t, opts...)
diff --git a/pkg/services/ngalert/store/alertmanager_test.go b/pkg/services/ngalert/store/alertmanager_test.go
index 4f27e2b6e83..8f8d9414ebb 100644
--- a/pkg/services/ngalert/store/alertmanager_test.go
+++ b/pkg/services/ngalert/store/alertmanager_test.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
-	testsuite.Run(m)
+	testsuite.RunButSkipOnSpanner(m)
 }
 
 func TestIntegrationAlertmanagerStore(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/pkg/services/sqlstore/sqlstore.go b/pkg/services/sqlstore/sqlstore.go
index 10dcf1d0c14..a8a6636675c 100644
--- a/pkg/services/sqlstore/sqlstore.go
+++ b/pkg/services/sqlstore/sqlstore.go
@@ -414,6 +414,7 @@ var testSQLStoreSetup = false
 var testSQLStore *SQLStore
 var testSQLStoreMutex sync.Mutex
 var testSQLStoreCleanup []func()
+var testSQLStoreSkipTestsOnBackend string // When not empty and matches DB type, test is skipped.
 
 // InitTestDBOpt contains options for InitTestDB.
 type InitTestDBOpt struct {
@@ -458,6 +459,12 @@ func SetupTestDB() {
 	testSQLStoreSetup = true
 }
 
+func SkipTestsOnSpanner() {
+	testSQLStoreMutex.Lock()
+	defer testSQLStoreMutex.Unlock()
+	testSQLStoreSkipTestsOnBackend = "spanner"
+}
+
 func CleanupTestDB() {
 	testSQLStoreMutex.Lock()
 	defer testSQLStoreMutex.Unlock()
@@ -542,6 +549,10 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	if testSQLStore == nil {
 		dbType := sqlutil.GetTestDBType()
 
+		if testSQLStoreSkipTestsOnBackend != "" && testSQLStoreSkipTestsOnBackend == dbType {
+			t.Skipf("test skipped when using DB type %s", testSQLStoreSkipTestsOnBackend)
+		}
+
 		// set test db config
 		cfg := setting.NewCfg()
 		// nolint:staticcheck
diff --git a/pkg/services/sqlstore/sqlutil/sqlutil.go b/pkg/services/sqlstore/sqlutil/sqlutil.go
index d80104c55bd..2950aeabf76 100644
--- a/pkg/services/sqlstore/sqlutil/sqlutil.go
+++ b/pkg/services/sqlstore/sqlutil/sqlutil.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ type ITestDB interface {
 	Logf(format string, args ...any)
 	Log(args ...any)
 	Cleanup(func())
+	Skipf(format string, args ...any)
 }
 
 type TestDB struct {
diff --git a/pkg/tests/api/alerting/api_testing_test.go b/pkg/tests/api/alerting/api_testing_test.go
index dd04d3b8301..ccba1810f65 100644
--- a/pkg/tests/api/alerting/api_testing_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tests/api/alerting/api_testing_test.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ const (
 )
 
 func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
-	testsuite.Run(m)
+	testsuite.RunButSkipOnSpanner(m)
 }
 
 func TestGrafanaRuleConfig(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/pkg/tests/apis/alerting/notifications/receivers/receiver_test.go b/pkg/tests/apis/alerting/notifications/receivers/receiver_test.go
index 34475e9d4c3..d3c69f9771d 100644
--- a/pkg/tests/apis/alerting/notifications/receivers/receiver_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tests/apis/alerting/notifications/receivers/receiver_test.go
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ import (
 var testData embed.FS
 
 func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
-	testsuite.Run(m)
+	testsuite.RunButSkipOnSpanner(m)
 }
 
 func getTestHelper(t *testing.T) *apis.K8sTestHelper {
diff --git a/pkg/tests/apis/alerting/notifications/routingtree/routing_tree_test.go b/pkg/tests/apis/alerting/notifications/routingtree/routing_tree_test.go
index 29b941106ad..93ea886c5ff 100644
--- a/pkg/tests/apis/alerting/notifications/routingtree/routing_tree_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tests/apis/alerting/notifications/routingtree/routing_tree_test.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
-	testsuite.Run(m)
+	testsuite.RunButSkipOnSpanner(m)
 }
 
 func getTestHelper(t *testing.T) *apis.K8sTestHelper {
diff --git a/pkg/tests/apis/alerting/notifications/templategroup/templates_group_test.go b/pkg/tests/apis/alerting/notifications/templategroup/templates_group_test.go
index 3e6ef4dc14a..8dbaf88f4f2 100644
--- a/pkg/tests/apis/alerting/notifications/templategroup/templates_group_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tests/apis/alerting/notifications/templategroup/templates_group_test.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
-	testsuite.Run(m)
+	testsuite.RunButSkipOnSpanner(m)
 }
 
 func getTestHelper(t *testing.T) *apis.K8sTestHelper {
diff --git a/pkg/tests/apis/alerting/notifications/timeinterval/timeinterval_test.go b/pkg/tests/apis/alerting/notifications/timeinterval/timeinterval_test.go
index ac60110face..42b416d978d 100644
--- a/pkg/tests/apis/alerting/notifications/timeinterval/timeinterval_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tests/apis/alerting/notifications/timeinterval/timeinterval_test.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ import (
 var testData embed.FS
 
 func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
-	testsuite.Run(m)
+	testsuite.RunButSkipOnSpanner(m)
 }
 
 func getTestHelper(t *testing.T) *apis.K8sTestHelper {
diff --git a/pkg/tests/testsuite/testsuite.go b/pkg/tests/testsuite/testsuite.go
index 87ce57eaa15..80378e2530b 100644
--- a/pkg/tests/testsuite/testsuite.go
+++ b/pkg/tests/testsuite/testsuite.go
@@ -13,3 +13,8 @@ func Run(m *testing.M) {
 	db.CleanupTestDB()
 	os.Exit(code)
 }
+
+func RunButSkipOnSpanner(m *testing.M) {
+	db.SkipTestsOnSpanner()
+	Run(m)
+}