diff --git a/pkg/services/query/query.go b/pkg/services/query/query.go
index 7aaafdea105..55fdb542c4f 100644
--- a/pkg/services/query/query.go
+++ b/pkg/services/query/query.go
@@ -311,16 +311,21 @@ func (s *ServiceImpl) handleQuerySingleDatasource(ctx context.Context, user iden
 	}
 }
 
-func getTimeRange(query *simplejson.Json, globalFrom string, globalTo string) gtime.TimeRange {
-	from := query.Get("timeRange").Get("from").MustString("")
-	to := query.Get("timeRange").Get("to").MustString("")
-
-	if (from == "") && (to == "") {
-		from = globalFrom
-		to = globalTo
+func getTimeRange(query *simplejson.Json, globalFrom string, globalTo string) (string, string, error) {
+	tr, ok := query.CheckGet("timeRange")
+	if !ok { // timeRange json node does not exist, use global from/to
+		return globalFrom, globalTo, nil
+	}
+	from, err := tr.Get("from").String()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", "", errors.New("time range: field 'from' is missing or invalid")
+	}
+	to, err := tr.Get("to").String()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", "", errors.New("time range: field 'to' is missing or invalid")
 	}
 
-	return gtime.NewTimeRange(from, to)
+	return from, to, nil
 }
 
 // parseRequest parses a request into parsed queries grouped by datasource uid
@@ -359,7 +364,11 @@ func (s *ServiceImpl) parseMetricRequest(ctx context.Context, user identity.Requ
 
 		var timeRange gtime.TimeRange
 		if supportLocalTimeRange {
-			timeRange = getTimeRange(query, reqDTO.From, reqDTO.To)
+			from, to, err := getTimeRange(query, reqDTO.From, reqDTO.To)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			timeRange = gtime.NewTimeRange(from, to)
 		} else {
 			timeRange = gtime.NewTimeRange(reqDTO.From, reqDTO.To)
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/services/query/query_test.go b/pkg/services/query/query_test.go
index 7187312da50..bf2737eab39 100644
--- a/pkg/services/query/query_test.go
+++ b/pkg/services/query/query_test.go
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ func TestIntegrationParseMetricRequest(t *testing.T) {
 		verifyTimestamps(parsedReq2, int64(0), int64(0), int64(0), int64(0))
 	})
 
-	t.Run("Test a datasource query with malformed local time range", func(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("Test a datasource query with local time range, malformed to-value", func(t *testing.T) {
 		tc := setup(t, false, nil)
 		mr := metricRequestWithQueries(t, `{
 			"refId": "A",
@@ -401,31 +401,69 @@ func TestIntegrationParseMetricRequest(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			"timeRange": {
 				"from": "1753944618000",
-				"not_to": "1753944619000"
+				"to": 1753944619000
 			}
-		}`, `{
-			"refId": "B",
+		}`)
+		mr.From = ""
+		mr.To = ""
+		_, err := tc.queryService.parseMetricRequest(context.Background(), tc.signedInUser, true, mr, true)
+		require.Error(t, err)
+		require.ErrorContains(t, err, "'to'")
+	})
+	t.Run("Test a datasource query with local time range, missing to-value", func(t *testing.T) {
+		tc := setup(t, false, nil)
+		mr := metricRequestWithQueries(t, `{
+			"refId": "A",
 			"datasource": {
 				"uid": "gIEkMvIVz",
 				"type": "postgres"
 			},
-			"timeRange": 42
+			"timeRange": {
+				"from": "1753944618000"
+			}
 		}`)
 		mr.From = ""
 		mr.To = ""
-		parsedReq, err := tc.queryService.parseMetricRequest(context.Background(), tc.signedInUser, true, mr, true)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-		require.NotNil(t, parsedReq)
-		assert.Len(t, parsedReq.parsedQueries, 1)
-		assert.Contains(t, parsedReq.parsedQueries, "gIEkMvIVz")
-		queries := parsedReq.getFlattenedQueries()
-		assert.Len(t, queries, 2)
-
-		assert.Equal(t, int64(1753944618000), queries[0].query.TimeRange.From.UnixMilli())
-		assert.Equal(t, int64(0), queries[0].query.TimeRange.To.UnixMilli())
-
-		assert.Equal(t, int64(0), queries[1].query.TimeRange.From.UnixMilli())
-		assert.Equal(t, int64(0), queries[1].query.TimeRange.To.UnixMilli())
+		_, err := tc.queryService.parseMetricRequest(context.Background(), tc.signedInUser, true, mr, true)
+		require.Error(t, err)
+		require.ErrorContains(t, err, "'to'")
+	})
+	t.Run("Test a datasource query with local time range, malformed from-value", func(t *testing.T) {
+		tc := setup(t, false, nil)
+		mr := metricRequestWithQueries(t, `{
+			"refId": "A",
+			"datasource": {
+				"uid": "gIEkMvIVz",
+				"type": "postgres"
+			},
+			"timeRange": {
+				"from": 1753944618000,
+				"to": "1753944619000"
+			}
+		}`)
+		mr.From = ""
+		mr.To = ""
+		_, err := tc.queryService.parseMetricRequest(context.Background(), tc.signedInUser, true, mr, true)
+		require.Error(t, err)
+		require.ErrorContains(t, err, "'from'")
+	})
+	t.Run("Test a datasource query with local time range, missing from-value", func(t *testing.T) {
+		tc := setup(t, false, nil)
+		mr := metricRequestWithQueries(t, `{
+			"refId": "A",
+			"datasource": {
+				"uid": "gIEkMvIVz",
+				"type": "postgres"
+			},
+			"timeRange": {
+				"to": "1753944619000"
+			}
+		}`)
+		mr.From = ""
+		mr.To = ""
+		_, err := tc.queryService.parseMetricRequest(context.Background(), tc.signedInUser, true, mr, true)
+		require.Error(t, err)
+		require.ErrorContains(t, err, "'from'")
 	})
 }