diff --git a/public/app/core/constants.ts b/public/app/core/constants.ts
index 7d295b27726..d51c4cf83d6 100644
--- a/public/app/core/constants.ts
+++ b/public/app/core/constants.ts
@@ -14,4 +14,3 @@ export const DASHBOARD_TOP_PADDING = 20;
 
 export const PANEL_HEADER_HEIGHT = 27;
 export const PANEL_BORDER = 2;
-export const PANEL_OPTIONS_KEY_PREFIX = 'options-';
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/state/DashboardMigrator.ts b/public/app/features/dashboard/state/DashboardMigrator.ts
index ba631102b81..bda139de28f 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/state/DashboardMigrator.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/state/DashboardMigrator.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ export class DashboardMigrator {
     let i, j, k, n;
     const oldVersion = this.dashboard.schemaVersion;
     const panelUpgrades = [];
-    this.dashboard.schemaVersion = 17;
+    this.dashboard.schemaVersion = 18;
 
     if (oldVersion === this.dashboard.schemaVersion) {
       return;
@@ -387,6 +387,16 @@ export class DashboardMigrator {
       });
     }
 
+    if (oldVersion < 18) {
+      // migrate change to gauge options
+      panelUpgrades.push(panel => {
+        if (panel['options-gauge']) {
+          panel.options = panel['options-gauge'];
+          delete panel['options-gauge'];
+        }
+      });
+    }
+
     if (panelUpgrades.length === 0) {
       return;
     }
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/state/PanelModel.test.ts b/public/app/features/dashboard/state/PanelModel.test.ts
index a7e112c7ba5..d96838dc640 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/state/PanelModel.test.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/state/PanelModel.test.ts
@@ -55,5 +55,19 @@ describe('PanelModel', () => {
         expect(model.alert).toBe(undefined);
       });
     });
+
+    describe('get panel options', () => {
+      it('should apply defaults', () => {
+        model.options = { existingProp: 10 };
+        const options = model.getOptions({
+          defaultProp: true,
+          existingProp: 0,
+        });
+
+        expect(options.defaultProp).toBe(true);
+        expect(options.existingProp).toBe(10);
+        expect(model.options).toBe(options);
+      });
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/state/PanelModel.ts b/public/app/features/dashboard/state/PanelModel.ts
index 2c0ff674e8a..b63f9cd6660 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/state/PanelModel.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/state/PanelModel.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ import _ from 'lodash';
 
 // Types
 import { Emitter } from 'app/core/utils/emitter';
-import { PANEL_OPTIONS_KEY_PREFIX } from 'app/core/constants';
 import { DataQuery, TimeSeries } from '@grafana/ui';
 import { TableData } from '@grafana/ui/src';
 
@@ -92,6 +91,7 @@ export class PanelModel {
   timeFrom?: any;
   timeShift?: any;
   hideTimeOverride?: any;
+  options: object;
 
   maxDataPoints?: number;
   interval?: string;
@@ -105,8 +105,6 @@ export class PanelModel {
   hasRefreshed: boolean;
   events: Emitter;
   cacheTimeout?: any;
-
-  // cache props between plugins
   cachedPluginOptions?: any;
 
   constructor(model) {
@@ -134,20 +132,14 @@ export class PanelModel {
   }
 
   getOptions(panelDefaults) {
-    return _.defaultsDeep(this[this.getOptionsKey()] || {}, panelDefaults);
+    return _.defaultsDeep(this.options || {}, panelDefaults);
   }
 
   updateOptions(options: object) {
-    const update: any = {};
-    update[this.getOptionsKey()] = options;
-    Object.assign(this, update);
+    this.options = options;
     this.render();
   }
 
-  private getOptionsKey() {
-    return PANEL_OPTIONS_KEY_PREFIX + this.type;
-  }
-
   getSaveModel() {
     const model: any = {};
     for (const property in this) {