diff --git a/public/app/features/canvas/runtime/element.tsx b/public/app/features/canvas/runtime/element.tsx
index d2b0e0a04b9..2dd63cf2125 100644
--- a/public/app/features/canvas/runtime/element.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/canvas/runtime/element.tsx
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ export class ElementState implements LayerElement {
     };
     options.placement = options.placement ?? { width: 100, height: 100, top: 0, left: 0 };
     options.background = options.background ?? { color: { fixed: 'transparent' } };
+    options.border = options.border ?? { color: { fixed: 'dark-green' } };
     const scene = this.getScene();
     if (!options.name) {
       const newName = scene?.getNextElementName();
@@ -201,7 +202,9 @@ export class ElementState implements LayerElement {
     let parentBorderWidth = 0;
     if (!parentContainer) {
       parentContainer = this.div && this.div.parentElement?.getBoundingClientRect();
-      parentBorderWidth = parseFloat(getComputedStyle(this.div?.parentElement!).borderWidth);
+      parentBorderWidth = this.parent?.isRoot()
+        ? 0
+        : parseFloat(getComputedStyle(this.div?.parentElement!).borderWidth);
     }
 
     const relativeTop =
@@ -329,9 +332,9 @@ export class ElementState implements LayerElement {
       }
     }
 
-    if (border && border.color && border.width) {
+    if (border && border.color && border.width !== undefined) {
       const color = ctx.getColor(border.color);
-      css.borderWidth = border.width;
+      css.borderWidth = `${border.width}px`;
       css.borderStyle = 'solid';
       css.borderColor = color.value();