diff --git a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/RadialGauge/RadialArcPath.tsx b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/RadialGauge/RadialArcPath.tsx
index a6278294029..b1a068c93a6 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/RadialGauge/RadialArcPath.tsx
+++ b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/RadialGauge/RadialArcPath.tsx
@@ -1,11 +1,18 @@
+import { useId } from 'react';
+
+import { colorManipulator } from '@grafana/data';
+
+import { RadialColorDefs } from './RadialColorDefs';
 import { GaugeDimensions, toRad } from './utils';
 
 export interface RadialArcPathPropsBase {
   startAngle: number;
   dimensions: GaugeDimensions;
-  color: string;
-  glowFilter?: string;
+  colorDef: RadialColorDefs;
   arcLengthDeg: number;
+  color?: string;
+  gradient?: string;
+  glowFilter?: string;
   roundedBars?: boolean;
   showGuideDots?: boolean;
   guideDotStartColor?: string;
@@ -22,17 +29,17 @@ type RadialArcPathProps = RadialArcPathPropsBase | RadialArcPathPropsWithGuideDo
 
 const MAX_DOT_RADIUS = 8;
 
-export function RadialArcPath({
-  startAngle: angle,
-  dimensions,
-  color,
-  glowFilter,
+function drawRadialArcPath({
+  angle,
   arcLengthDeg,
+  dimensions,
   roundedBars,
-  showGuideDots,
-  guideDotStartColor,
-  guideDotEndColor,
-}: RadialArcPathProps) {
+}: {
+  angle: number;
+  dimensions: GaugeDimensions;
+  arcLengthDeg: number;
+  roundedBars?: boolean;
+}): string {
   const { radius, centerX, centerY, barWidth } = dimensions;
 
   if (arcLengthDeg === 360) {
@@ -43,29 +50,111 @@ export function RadialArcPath({
   const startRadians = toRad(angle);
   const endRadians = toRad(angle + arcLengthDeg);
 
+  const largeArc = arcLengthDeg > 180 ? 1 : 0;
+
+  const outerR = radius + barWidth / 2;
+  const innerR = Math.max(0, radius - barWidth / 2);
+
+  const ox1 = centerX + outerR * Math.cos(startRadians);
+  const oy1 = centerY + outerR * Math.sin(startRadians);
+  const ox2 = centerX + outerR * Math.cos(endRadians);
+  const oy2 = centerY + outerR * Math.sin(endRadians);
+
+  const ix1 = centerX + innerR * Math.cos(startRadians);
+  const iy1 = centerY + innerR * Math.sin(startRadians);
+  const ix2 = centerX + innerR * Math.cos(endRadians);
+  const iy2 = centerY + innerR * Math.sin(endRadians);
+
+  const capR = barWidth / 2;
+
+  const pathParts = [
+    // start at outer start
+    'M',
+    ox1,
+    oy1,
+    // outer arc from start to end (clockwise)
+    'A',
+    outerR,
+    outerR,
+    0,
+    largeArc,
+    1,
+    ox2,
+    oy2,
+  ];
+
+  if (roundedBars) {
+    // rounded end cap: small arc connecting outer end to inner end
+    pathParts.push('A', capR, capR, 0, 0, 1, ix2, iy2);
+  } else {
+    // straight line to inner end
+    pathParts.push('L', ix2, iy2);
+  }
+
+  if (innerR <= 0) {
+    // if inner radius collapsed to center, line to center and close
+    pathParts.push('L', centerX, centerY, 'Z');
+  } else {
+    // inner arc from end back to start (counter-clockwise)
+    pathParts.push('A', innerR, innerR, 0, largeArc, 0, ix1, iy1);
+
+    if (roundedBars) {
+      // rounded start cap: small arc connecting inner start back to outer start
+      pathParts.push('A', capR, capR, 0, 0, 1, ox1, oy1);
+    } else {
+      // straight line back to outer start
+      pathParts.push('L', ox1, oy1);
+    }
+
+    pathParts.push('Z');
+  }
+
+  return pathParts.join(' ');
+}
+
+export function RadialArcPath({
+  startAngle: angle,
+  dimensions,
+  color,
+  colorDef,
+  gradient,
+  arcLengthDeg,
+  roundedBars,
+  showGuideDots,
+  guideDotStartColor,
+  guideDotEndColor,
+}: RadialArcPathProps) {
+  const id = useId();
+  const { radius, centerX, centerY, barWidth } = dimensions;
+
+  const startRadians = toRad(angle);
+  const endRadians = toRad(angle + arcLengthDeg);
+  const gradientList = colorDef?.getGradient();
+
+  const path = drawRadialArcPath({ angle, arcLengthDeg, dimensions, roundedBars });
   let x1 = centerX + radius * Math.cos(startRadians);
   let y1 = centerY + radius * Math.sin(startRadians);
   let x2 = centerX + radius * Math.cos(endRadians);
   let y2 = centerY + radius * Math.sin(endRadians);
 
-  const largeArc = arcLengthDeg > 180 ? 1 : 0;
-
-  const path = ['M', x1, y1, 'A', radius, radius, 0, largeArc, 1, x2, y2].join(' ');
   const dotRadius = Math.min((barWidth / 2) * 0.4, MAX_DOT_RADIUS);
 
   return (
     <>
-      <path
-        d={path}
-        fill="none"
-        fillOpacity="1"
-        stroke={color}
-        strokeOpacity="1"
-        strokeWidth={barWidth}
-        filter={glowFilter}
-        strokeLinecap={roundedBars ? 'round' : 'butt'}
-        className="radial-arc-path"
-      />
+      <clipPath id={id}>
+        <path d={path} />
+      </clipPath>
+      <foreignObject x="0" y="0" width={centerX * 2} height={centerY * 2} clipPath={`url(#${id})`}>
+        <div style={{ width: '100%', height: '100%', backgroundImage: gradient, backgroundColor: color }} />
+      </foreignObject>
+
+      {roundedBars && gradientList && (
+        <>
+          <circle cx={x1} cy={y1} r={dotRadius} fill={gradientList[0].color} />
+          {/* this would actually need to be the color determined by the display */}
+          <circle cx={x2} cy={y2} r={dotRadius} fill={gradientList[gradientList.length - 1].color} />
+        </>
+      )}
       {showGuideDots && (
         <>
           {arcLengthDeg > 5 && <circle cx={x1} cy={y1} r={dotRadius} fill={guideDotStartColor} />}
diff --git a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/RadialGauge/RadialBar.tsx b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/RadialGauge/RadialBar.tsx
index c5552ad5bab..bb0dac60d45 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/RadialGauge/RadialBar.tsx
+++ b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/RadialGauge/RadialBar.tsx
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ export function RadialBar({
           dimensions={dimensions}
           startAngle={startAngle}
           arcLengthDeg={angle}
-          color={colorDefs.getMainBarColor()}
+          gradient={colorDefs.getGradientDef()}
           roundedBars={roundedBars}
           glowFilter={glowFilter}
           showGuideDots={roundedBars}
diff --git a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/RadialGauge/RadialColorDefs.tsx b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/RadialGauge/RadialColorDefs.tsx
index 9e42d7b1bc2..97b24b99054 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/RadialGauge/RadialColorDefs.tsx
+++ b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/RadialGauge/RadialColorDefs.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-import tinycolor from 'tinycolor2';
-
 import {
   colorManipulator,
   DisplayProcessor,
@@ -10,6 +8,7 @@ import {
 } from '@grafana/data';
 
 import { RadialGradientMode, RadialShape } from './RadialGauge';
+import { buildGradientColors } from './colors';
 import { GaugeDimensions } from './utils';
 
 export interface RadialColorDefsOptions {
@@ -124,50 +123,15 @@ export class RadialColorDefs {
 
   getGradient(baseColor = this.getFieldBaseColor(), forSegment?: boolean): Array<{ color: string; percent: number }> {
     const { gradient, fieldDisplay, theme } = this.options;
-    if (gradient === 'none') {
-      return [
-        { color: baseColor, percent: 0 },
-        { color: baseColor, percent: 1 },
-      ];
-    }
+    return buildGradientColors(gradient, baseColor, theme, fieldDisplay.field.color?.mode, forSegment);
+  }
 
-    const colorModeId = fieldDisplay.field.color?.mode;
-    const colorMode = getFieldColorMode(colorModeId);
-
-    // Handle continusous color modes first
-    if (colorMode.isContinuous && colorMode.getColors && !forSegment) {
-      const colors = colorMode.getColors(theme);
-      return colors.map((color, idx) => ({ color, percent: idx / (colors.length - 1) }));
-    } else if (colorMode.isByValue) {
-      // For value based colors we want to stay more true to the specific color
-      // So a radial gradient that adds a bit of light and shade works best
-      const darkerColor = tinycolor(baseColor).darken(5);
-      const lighterColor = tinycolor(baseColor).spin(20).lighten(10);
-
-      const color1 = theme.isDark ? lighterColor : darkerColor;
-      const color2 = theme.isDark ? darkerColor : lighterColor;
-
-      return [
-        { color: color1.toString(), percent: 0 },
-        { color: color2.toString(), percent: 0.6 },
-        { color: color2.toString(), percent: 1 },
-      ];
-    }
-
-    // For value based colors we want to stay more true to the specific color
-    // So a radial gradient that adds a bit of light and shade works best
-    // we set the highest contrast color second based on the theme.
-    const darkerColor = tinycolor(baseColor).spin(-20).darken(5);
-    const lighterColor = tinycolor(baseColor).saturate(20).spin(20).brighten(10);
-    return theme.isDark
-      ? [
-          { color: darkerColor.darken(10).toString(), percent: 0 },
-          { color: lighterColor.lighten(10).toString(), percent: 1 },
-        ]
-      : [
-          { color: lighterColor.lighten(10).toString(), percent: 0 },
-          { color: darkerColor.toString(), percent: 1 },
-        ];
+  getGradientDef(): string {
+    const gradientStops = this.getGradient();
+    const colorStrings = gradientStops.map((stop) => `${stop.color} ${(stop.percent * 100).toFixed(2)}%`);
+    return this.options.shape === 'circle'
+      ? `conic-gradient(from -10deg, ${colorStrings.join(', ')})`
+      : 'linear-gradient(90deg, ' + colorStrings.join(', ') + ')';
   }
 
   getGuideDotColors(): [string, string] {
diff --git a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/RadialGauge/colors.ts b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/RadialGauge/colors.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..62a31470ed3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/RadialGauge/colors.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+import tinycolor from 'tinycolor2';
+
+import { FieldColorModeId, getFieldColorMode, GrafanaTheme2 } from '@grafana/data';
+
+import { RadialGradientMode } from './RadialGauge';
+
+export function buildGradientColors(
+  gradientMode: RadialGradientMode,
+  baseColor: string,
+  theme: GrafanaTheme2,
+  colorModeId?: FieldColorModeId | string,
+  forSegment?: boolean
+): Array<{ color: string; percent: number }> {
+  if (gradientMode === 'none') {
+    return [
+      { color: baseColor, percent: 0 },
+      { color: baseColor, percent: 1 },
+    ];
+  }
+
+  const colorMode = getFieldColorMode(colorModeId);
+
+  // TODO we need to return thresholded values here. those will have breakpoints
+  // which map to exact percentages, and we should show that correctly.
+  // Handle continuous color modes first
+  if (colorMode.isContinuous && colorMode.getColors && !forSegment) {
+    const colors = colorMode.getColors(theme);
+    return colors.map((color, idx) => ({ color, percent: idx / (colors.length - 1) }));
+  } else if (colorMode.isByValue) {
+    // For value based colors we want to stay more true to the specific color
+    // So a radial gradient that adds a bit of light and shade works best
+    const darkerColor = tinycolor(baseColor).darken(5);
+    const lighterColor = tinycolor(baseColor).spin(20).lighten(10);
+
+    const color1 = theme.isDark ? lighterColor : darkerColor;
+    const color2 = theme.isDark ? darkerColor : lighterColor;
+
+    return [
+      { color: color1.toString(), percent: 0 },
+      { color: color2.toString(), percent: 0.6 },
+      { color: color2.toString(), percent: 1 },
+    ];
+  }
+
+  // For value based colors we want to stay more true to the specific color
+  // So a radial gradient that adds a bit of light and shade works best
+  // we set the highest contrast color second based on the theme.
+  const darkerColor = tinycolor(baseColor).spin(-20).darken(5);
+  const lighterColor = tinycolor(baseColor).saturate(20).spin(20).brighten(10);
+  return theme.isDark
+    ? [
+        { color: darkerColor.darken(10).toString(), percent: 0 },
+        { color: lighterColor.lighten(10).toString(), percent: 1 },
+      ]
+    : [
+        { color: lighterColor.lighten(10).toString(), percent: 0 },
+        { color: darkerColor.toString(), percent: 1 },
+      ];
+}