diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/save_modal.ts b/public/app/features/dashboard/save_modal.ts
index 1c364fbc55f..be6738f6d5f 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/save_modal.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/save_modal.ts
@@ -16,13 +16,13 @@ const template = `
 
   <form name="ctrl.saveForm" ng-submit="ctrl.save()" class="modal-content" novalidate>
     <div class="p-t-1">
-      <div class="gf-form-group" ng-if="ctrl.timeChange || ctrl.variableChange">
+      <div class="gf-form-group" ng-if="ctrl.timeChange || ctrl.variableValueChange">
 		    <gf-form-switch class="gf-form"
 			    label="Save current time range" ng-if="ctrl.timeChange" label-class="width-12" switch-class="max-width-6"
 			    checked="ctrl.saveTimerange" on-change="buildUrl()">
 		    </gf-form-switch>
 		    <gf-form-switch class="gf-form"
-			    label="Save current variables" ng-if="ctrl.variableChange" label-class="width-12" switch-class="max-width-6"
+			    label="Save current variables" ng-if="ctrl.variableValueChange" label-class="width-12" switch-class="max-width-6"
 			    checked="ctrl.saveVariables" on-change="buildUrl()">
 		    </gf-form-switch>
 	    </div>
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ export class SaveDashboardModalCtrl {
   saveForm: any;
   dismiss: () => void;
   timeChange = false;
-  variableChange = false;
+  variableValueChange = false;
 
   /** @ngInject */
   constructor(private dashboardSrv) {
@@ -91,18 +91,24 @@ export class SaveDashboardModalCtrl {
   }
 
   compareTemplating() {
+    //checks if variables has been added or removed, if so variables will be saved automatically
+    if (this.dashboardSrv.dash.originalTemplating.length !== this.dashboardSrv.dash.templating.list.length) {
+      return (this.variableValueChange = false);
+    }
+
+    //checks if variable value has changed
     if (this.dashboardSrv.dash.templating.list.length > 0) {
       for (let i = 0; i < this.dashboardSrv.dash.templating.list.length; i++) {
         if (
           this.dashboardSrv.dash.templating.list[i].current.text !==
           this.dashboardSrv.dash.originalTemplating[i].current.text
         ) {
-          return (this.variableChange = true);
+          return (this.variableValueChange = true);
         }
       }
-      return (this.variableChange = false);
+      return (this.variableValueChange = false);
     } else {
-      return (this.variableChange = false);
+      return (this.variableValueChange = false);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/specs/save_modal.jest.ts b/public/app/features/dashboard/specs/save_modal.jest.ts
index 05281cc6097..ebae6f0f5bd 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/specs/save_modal.jest.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/specs/save_modal.jest.ts
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ describe('SaveDashboardModal', () => {
       let modal = new SaveDashboardModalCtrl(fakeDashboardSrv);
 
       expect(modal.timeChange).toBe(true);
-      expect(modal.variableChange).toBe(true);
+      expect(modal.variableValueChange).toBe(true);
     });
 
     it('should hide checkboxes', () => {
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ describe('SaveDashboardModal', () => {
               {
                 current: {
                   selected: true,
-                  //tags: Array(0),
                   text: 'server_002',
                   value: 'server_002',
                 },
@@ -84,7 +83,46 @@ describe('SaveDashboardModal', () => {
       };
       let modal = new SaveDashboardModalCtrl(fakeDashboardSrv);
       expect(modal.timeChange).toBe(false);
-      expect(modal.variableChange).toBe(false);
+      expect(modal.variableValueChange).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it('should hide variable checkboxes', () => {
+      let fakeDashboardSrv = {
+        dash: {
+          templating: {
+            list: [
+              {
+                current: {
+                  selected: true,
+                  text: 'server_002',
+                  value: 'server_002',
+                },
+                name: 'Server',
+              },
+              {
+                current: {
+                  selected: true,
+                  text: 'web_002',
+                  value: 'web_002',
+                },
+                name: 'Web',
+              },
+            ],
+          },
+          originalTemplating: [
+            {
+              current: {
+                selected: true,
+                text: 'server_002',
+                value: 'server_002',
+              },
+              name: 'Server',
+            },
+          ],
+        },
+      };
+      let modal = new SaveDashboardModalCtrl(fakeDashboardSrv);
+      expect(modal.variableValueChange).toBe(false);
     });
   });
 });