diff --git a/public/app/features/expressions/ExpressionQueryEditor.tsx b/public/app/features/expressions/ExpressionQueryEditor.tsx
index de0d59c2920..bb5b98bc382 100644
--- a/public/app/features/expressions/ExpressionQueryEditor.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/expressions/ExpressionQueryEditor.tsx
@@ -118,7 +118,16 @@ export function ExpressionQueryEditor(props: ExpressionQueryEditorProps) {
         return <Threshold onChange={onChange} query={query} labelWidth={labelWidth} refIds={refIds} />;
 
       case ExpressionQueryType.sql:
-        return <SqlExpr onChange={onChange} query={query} refIds={refIds} queries={queries} metadata={props} />;
+        return (
+          <SqlExpr
+            onChange={onChange}
+            query={query}
+            refIds={refIds}
+            queries={queries}
+            metadata={props}
+            onRunQuery={onRunQuery}
+          />
+        );
     }
   };
 
diff --git a/public/app/features/expressions/components/QueryToolbox.tsx b/public/app/features/expressions/components/QueryToolbox.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..08a5abf3a99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/public/app/features/expressions/components/QueryToolbox.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+import { css } from '@emotion/css';
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react';
+
+import { GrafanaTheme2 } from '@grafana/data';
+import { t } from '@grafana/i18n';
+import { IconButton, useStyles2, Stack, InlineToast, Tooltip, Icon } from '@grafana/ui';
+
+import { SqlExpressionQuery } from '../types';
+
+interface QueryToolboxProps {
+  onFormatCode?: () => void;
+  onExpand?: (isExpanded: boolean) => void;
+  isExpanded?: boolean;
+  query: SqlExpressionQuery;
+}
+
+const SHOW_SUCCESS_DURATION = 2 * 1000;
+
+export const QueryToolbox = ({ onFormatCode, onExpand, isExpanded, query }: QueryToolboxProps): JSX.Element => {
+  const styles = useStyles2(getStyles);
+
+  const [showCopySuccess, setShowCopySuccess] = useState(false);
+  const buttonRef = useRef<HTMLButtonElement>(null);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!showCopySuccess) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const timeoutId = setTimeout(() => {
+      setShowCopySuccess(false);
+    }, SHOW_SUCCESS_DURATION);
+
+    return () => clearTimeout(timeoutId);
+  }, [showCopySuccess]);
+
+  const copyTextCallback = useCallback(async () => {
+    try {
+      await navigator.clipboard.writeText(query.expression ?? '');
+      setShowCopySuccess(true);
+    } catch (e) {
+      console.error(e);
+    }
+  }, [query.expression]);
+
+  const copiedText = t('clipboard-button.inline-toast.success', 'Copied');
+
+  return (
+    <div className={styles.container}>
+      <Stack alignItems="center" direction="row" gap={1}>
+        {onFormatCode && (
+          <IconButton
+            onClick={onFormatCode}
+            name="brackets-curly"
+            size="xs"
+            tooltip={t('expressions.query-toolbox.tooltip-format-query', 'Format query')}
+          />
+        )}
+        {onExpand && (
+          <IconButton
+            onClick={() => onExpand(!isExpanded)}
+            name={isExpanded ? 'angle-double-up' : 'angle-double-down'}
+            size="xs"
+            tooltip={
+              isExpanded
+                ? t('expressions.query-toolbox.tooltip-collapse-editor', 'Collapse editor')
+                : t('expressions.query-toolbox.tooltip-expand-editor', 'Expand editor')
+            }
+          />
+        )}
+        {showCopySuccess && (
+          <InlineToast placement="top" referenceElement={buttonRef.current}>
+            {copiedText}
+          </InlineToast>
+        )}
+        <IconButton
+          name={showCopySuccess ? 'check' : 'copy'}
+          onClick={copyTextCallback}
+          ref={buttonRef}
+          size="xs"
+          tooltip={t('expressions.query-toolbox.tooltip-copy-query', 'Copy query')}
+          variant={showCopySuccess ? 'primary' : 'secondary'}
+        />
+        {!isExpanded && (
+          <Tooltip content={t('expressions.query-toolbox.tooltip-run-query', 'Hit ctrl/cmd+enter to run query')}>
+            <Icon name="keyboard" />
+          </Tooltip>
+        )}
+      </Stack>
+    </div>
+  );
+};
+
+const getStyles = (theme: GrafanaTheme2) => ({
+  container: css({
+    border: `1px solid ${theme.colors.border.medium}`,
+    borderTop: 'none',
+    padding: theme.spacing(1),
+    display: 'flex',
+    flexGrow: 1,
+    justifyContent: 'end',
+    fontSize: theme.typography.bodySmall.fontSize,
+  }),
+});
diff --git a/public/app/features/expressions/components/SqlExpr.tsx b/public/app/features/expressions/components/SqlExpr.tsx
index 6b1c467168a..ab2d25ab5d3 100644
--- a/public/app/features/expressions/components/SqlExpr.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/expressions/components/SqlExpr.tsx
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 import { css } from '@emotion/css';
-import { useMemo, useRef, useEffect, useState, lazy, Suspense } from 'react';
+import { useMemo, useRef, useEffect, useState, lazy, Suspense, useCallback } from 'react';
+import { useMeasure } from 'react-use';
+import AutoSizer from 'react-virtualized-auto-sizer';
 
 import { SelectableValue, GrafanaTheme2 } from '@grafana/data';
-import { Trans } from '@grafana/i18n';
+import { t, Trans } from '@grafana/i18n';
 import { SQLEditor, CompletionItemKind, LanguageDefinition, TableIdentifier } from '@grafana/plugin-ui';
 import { DataQuery } from '@grafana/schema/dist/esm/index';
-import { useStyles2, Stack, Button } from '@grafana/ui';
+import { formatSQL } from '@grafana/sql';
+import { useStyles2, Stack, Button, Modal } from '@grafana/ui';
 
 import { ExpressionQueryEditorProps } from '../ExpressionQueryEditor';
 import { SqlExpressionQuery } from '../types';
@@ -13,6 +16,7 @@ import { fetchSQLFields } from '../utils/metaSqlExpr';
 
 import { useSQLExplanations } from './GenAI/hooks/useSQLExplanations';
 import { useSQLSuggestions } from './GenAI/hooks/useSQLSuggestions';
+import { QueryToolbox } from './QueryToolbox';
 import { getSqlCompletionProvider } from './sqlCompletionProvider';
 
 // Lazy load the GenAI components to avoid circular dependencies
@@ -54,12 +58,13 @@ export interface SqlExprProps {
   query: SqlExpressionQuery;
   queries: DataQuery[] | undefined;
   onChange: (query: SqlExpressionQuery) => void;
+  onRunQuery?: () => void;
   /** Should the `format` property be set to `alerting`? */
   alerting?: boolean;
   metadata?: ExpressionQueryEditorProps;
 }
 
-export const SqlExpr = ({ onChange, refIds, query, alerting = false, queries, metadata }: SqlExprProps) => {
+export const SqlExpr = ({ onChange, refIds, query, alerting = false, queries, metadata, onRunQuery }: SqlExprProps) => {
   const vars = useMemo(() => refIds.map((v) => v.value!), [refIds]);
   const completionProvider = useMemo(
     () =>
@@ -74,15 +79,21 @@ export const SqlExpr = ({ onChange, refIds, query, alerting = false, queries, me
   const EDITOR_LANGUAGE_DEFINITION: LanguageDefinition = {
     id: 'mysql',
     completionProvider,
+    formatter: formatSQL,
   };
 
-  const initialQuery = `SELECT *
-  FROM ${vars[0]}
-  LIMIT 10`;
+  const initialQuery = `SELECT
+  *
+FROM
+  ${vars[0]}
+LIMIT
+  10`;
 
   const styles = useStyles2(getStyles);
   const containerRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
   const [dimensions, setDimensions] = useState({ height: 0 });
+  const [toolboxRef, toolboxMeasure] = useMeasure<HTMLDivElement>();
+  const [isExpanded, setIsExpanded] = useState(false);
 
   const { handleApplySuggestion, handleHistoryUpdate, handleCloseDrawer, handleOpenDrawer, isDrawerOpen, suggestions } =
     useSQLSuggestions();
@@ -150,6 +161,12 @@ export const SqlExpr = ({ onChange, refIds, query, alerting = false, queries, me
     handleApplySuggestion(suggestion);
   };
 
+  const executeQuery = useCallback(() => {
+    if (query.expression && onRunQuery) {
+      onRunQuery();
+    }
+  }, [query.expression, onRunQuery]);
+
   // Set up resize observer to handle container resizing
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!containerRef.current) {
@@ -174,78 +191,139 @@ export const SqlExpr = ({ onChange, refIds, query, alerting = false, queries, me
     // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
   }, []);
 
-  return (
+  // cmd/ctrl + enter to run query
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const handleKeyDown = (event: KeyboardEvent) => {
+      const isMac = navigator.userAgent.includes('Mac');
+      const isCmdOrCtrl = isMac ? event.metaKey : event.ctrlKey;
+
+      if (isCmdOrCtrl && event.key === 'Enter') {
+        event.preventDefault();
+        event.stopPropagation();
+        executeQuery();
+      }
+    };
+
+    document.addEventListener('keydown', handleKeyDown, true);
+    return () => document.removeEventListener('keydown', handleKeyDown, true);
+  }, [executeQuery]);
+
+  const renderToolbox = (formatQuery: () => void) => (
+    <div ref={toolboxRef}>
+      <QueryToolbox query={query} onFormatCode={formatQuery} onExpand={setIsExpanded} isExpanded={isExpanded} />
+    </div>
+  );
+
+  const renderSQLButtons = () => (
+    <div className={styles.sqlButtons}>
+      <Stack direction="row" gap={1} alignItems="center" justifyContent="end">
+        <Button icon="play" onClick={executeQuery} size="sm">
+          {t('expressions.sql-expr.button-run-query', 'Run query')}
+        </Button>
+        <Suspense fallback={null}>
+          {shouldShowViewExplanation ? (
+            <Button
+              fill="outline"
+              icon="gf-movepane-right"
+              onClick={handleOpenExplanation}
+              size="sm"
+              variant="secondary"
+            >
+              <Trans i18nKey="sql-expressions.view-explanation">View explanation</Trans>
+            </Button>
+          ) : (
+            <GenAISQLExplainButton
+              currentQuery={query.expression || ''}
+              onExplain={handleExplain}
+              queryContext={queryContext}
+              refIds={vars}
+              // schemas={schemas} // Will be added when schema extraction is implemented
+            />
+          )}
+        </Suspense>
+        <Suspense fallback={null}>
+          <GenAISQLSuggestionsButton
+            currentQuery={query.expression || ''}
+            initialQuery={initialQuery}
+            onGenerate={() => {}} // Noop - history is managed via onHistoryUpdate
+            onHistoryUpdate={handleHistoryUpdate}
+            queryContext={queryContext}
+            refIds={vars}
+            errorContext={errorContext} // Will be added when error tracking is implemented
+            // schemas={schemas} // Will be added when schema extraction is implemented
+          />
+        </Suspense>
+      </Stack>
+      {suggestions.length > 0 && (
+        <Suspense fallback={null}>
+          <SuggestionsDrawerButton handleOpenDrawer={handleOpenDrawer} suggestions={suggestions} />
+        </Suspense>
+      )}
+    </div>
+  );
+
+  const renderSQLEditor = (width?: number, height?: number) => (
     <>
       <div className={styles.sqlContainer}>
-        <div className={styles.sqlButtons}>
-          <Stack direction="row" gap={1} alignItems="center" justifyContent="end">
-            <Suspense fallback={null}>
-              {shouldShowViewExplanation ? (
-                <Button
-                  fill="outline"
-                  icon="gf-movepane-right"
-                  onClick={handleOpenExplanation}
-                  size="sm"
-                  variant="secondary"
-                >
-                  <Trans i18nKey="sql-expressions.view-explanation">View explanation</Trans>
-                </Button>
-              ) : (
-                <GenAISQLExplainButton
-                  currentQuery={query.expression || ''}
-                  onExplain={handleExplain}
-                  queryContext={queryContext}
-                  refIds={vars}
-                  // schemas={schemas} // Will be added when schema extraction is implemented
-                />
-              )}
-            </Suspense>
-            <Suspense fallback={null}>
-              <GenAISQLSuggestionsButton
-                currentQuery={query.expression || ''}
-                initialQuery={initialQuery}
-                onGenerate={() => {}} // Noop - history is managed via onHistoryUpdate
-                onHistoryUpdate={handleHistoryUpdate}
-                queryContext={queryContext}
-                refIds={vars}
-                errorContext={errorContext} // Will be added when error tracking is implemented
-                // schemas={schemas} // Will be added when schema extraction is implemented
-              />
-            </Suspense>
-          </Stack>
-          {suggestions.length > 0 && (
-            <Suspense fallback={null}>
-              <SuggestionsDrawerButton handleOpenDrawer={handleOpenDrawer} suggestions={suggestions} />
-            </Suspense>
-          )}
-        </div>
-
+        {renderSQLButtons()}
         <div ref={containerRef} className={styles.editorContainer}>
           <SQLEditor
             query={query.expression || initialQuery}
             onChange={onEditorChange}
-            height={dimensions.height - EDITOR_BORDER_ADJUSTMENT}
+            width={width}
+            height={height ?? dimensions.height - EDITOR_BORDER_ADJUSTMENT - toolboxMeasure.height}
             language={EDITOR_LANGUAGE_DEFINITION}
-          />
+          >
+            {({ formatQuery }) => renderToolbox(formatQuery)}
+          </SQLEditor>
         </div>
       </div>
-      <>
-        <Suspense fallback={null}>
-          <GenAISuggestionsDrawer
-            isOpen={isDrawerOpen}
-            onApplySuggestion={onApplySuggestion}
-            onClose={handleCloseDrawer}
-            suggestions={suggestions}
-          />
-        </Suspense>
-        <Suspense fallback={null}>
-          <GenAIExplanationDrawer
-            isOpen={isExplanationOpen}
-            onClose={handleCloseExplanation}
-            explanation={explanation}
-          />
-        </Suspense>
-      </>
+      <Suspense fallback={null}>
+        <GenAISuggestionsDrawer
+          isOpen={isDrawerOpen}
+          onApplySuggestion={onApplySuggestion}
+          onClose={handleCloseDrawer}
+          suggestions={suggestions}
+        />
+      </Suspense>
+      <Suspense fallback={null}>
+        <GenAIExplanationDrawer isOpen={isExplanationOpen} onClose={handleCloseExplanation} explanation={explanation} />
+      </Suspense>
+    </>
+  );
+
+  const renderStandaloneEditor = () => (
+    <AutoSizer>
+      {({ width, height }) => (
+        <SQLEditor
+          query={query.expression || initialQuery}
+          onChange={onEditorChange}
+          width={width}
+          height={height ? height - EDITOR_BORDER_ADJUSTMENT - toolboxMeasure.height : undefined}
+          language={EDITOR_LANGUAGE_DEFINITION}
+        >
+          {({ formatQuery }) => renderToolbox(formatQuery)}
+        </SQLEditor>
+      )}
+    </AutoSizer>
+  );
+
+  return (
+    <>
+      {renderSQLEditor()}
+      {isExpanded && (
+        <Modal
+          title={t('expressions.sql-expr.modal-title', 'SQL Editor')}
+          closeOnBackdropClick={false}
+          closeOnEscape={false}
+          className={styles.modal}
+          contentClassName={styles.modalContent}
+          isOpen={isExpanded}
+          onDismiss={() => setIsExpanded(false)}
+        >
+          {renderStandaloneEditor()}
+        </Modal>
+      )}
     </>
   );
 };
@@ -267,6 +345,14 @@ const getStyles = (theme: GrafanaTheme2) => ({
     overflow: 'auto',
     minHeight: '100px',
   }),
+  modal: css({
+    width: '95vw',
+    height: '95vh',
+  }),
+  modalContent: css({
+    height: '100%',
+    paddingTop: 0,
+  }),
   // This is NOT ideal. The alternative is to expose SQL buttons as a separate component,
   // Then consume them in ExpressionQueryEditor. This requires a lot of refactoring and
   // can be prioritized later.
diff --git a/public/locales/en-US/grafana.json b/public/locales/en-US/grafana.json
index 13445a18190..646a89bb698 100644
--- a/public/locales/en-US/grafana.json
+++ b/public/locales/en-US/grafana.json
@@ -7475,6 +7475,13 @@
       "tooltip-title": "Math operator",
       "tooltip-trigger": "Expression"
     },
+    "query-toolbox": {
+      "tooltip-collapse-editor": "Collapse editor",
+      "tooltip-copy-query": "Copy query",
+      "tooltip-expand-editor": "Expand editor",
+      "tooltip-format-query": "Format query",
+      "tooltip-run-query": "Hit ctrl/cmd+enter to run query"
+    },
     "reduce": {
       "label-function": "Function",
       "label-input": "Input",
@@ -7491,6 +7498,8 @@
       "tooltip-s-m-h": "10s, 1m, 30m, 1h"
     },
     "sql-expr": {
+      "button-run-query": "Run query",
+      "modal-title": "SQL Editor",
       "tooltip-experimental": "SQL Expressions LLM integration is experimental. Please report any issues to the Grafana team."
     },
     "threshold": {