diff --git a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/uPlot/Plot.test.tsx b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/uPlot/Plot.test.tsx
index 2e543ac5f46..999d1fd0d56 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/uPlot/Plot.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/uPlot/Plot.test.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import uPlot from 'uplot';
 import createMockRaf from 'mock-raf';
 import { UPlotConfigBuilder } from './config/UPlotConfigBuilder';
 import { preparePlotData } from './utils';
+import { SeriesProps } from './config/UPlotSeriesBuilder';
 
 const mockRaf = createMockRaf();
 const setDataMock = jest.fn();
@@ -52,7 +53,9 @@ const mockData = () => {
     raw: { from: '1602673200000', to: '1602680400000' },
   };
 
-  return { data, timeRange, config: new UPlotConfigBuilder() };
+  const config = new UPlotConfigBuilder();
+  config.addSeries({} as SeriesProps);
+  return { data, timeRange, config };
 };
 
 describe('UPlotChart', () => {
@@ -159,14 +162,11 @@ describe('UPlotChart', () => {
 
       expect(uPlot).toBeCalledTimes(1);
 
+      const nextConfig = new UPlotConfigBuilder();
+      nextConfig.addSeries({} as SeriesProps);
+
       rerender(
-        <UPlotChart
-          data={preparePlotData(data)}
-          config={new UPlotConfigBuilder()}
-          timeRange={timeRange}
-          width={100}
-          height={100}
-        />
+        <UPlotChart data={preparePlotData(data)} config={nextConfig} timeRange={timeRange} width={100} height={100} />
       );
 
       expect(destroyMock).toBeCalledTimes(1);
@@ -190,11 +190,13 @@ describe('UPlotChart', () => {
       act(() => {
         mockRaf.step({ count: 1 });
       });
+      const nextConfig = new UPlotConfigBuilder();
+      nextConfig.addSeries({} as SeriesProps);
 
       rerender(
         <UPlotChart
           data={preparePlotData(data)} // frame
-          config={new UPlotConfigBuilder()}
+          config={nextConfig}
           timeRange={timeRange}
           width={200}
           height={200}
@@ -205,5 +207,68 @@ describe('UPlotChart', () => {
       expect(uPlot).toBeCalledTimes(1);
       expect(setSizeMock).toBeCalledTimes(1);
     });
+
+    it('does not initialize plot when config and data are not in sync', () => {
+      const { data, timeRange, config } = mockData();
+
+      // 1 series in data, 2 series in config
+      config.addSeries({} as SeriesProps);
+
+      render(
+        <UPlotChart
+          data={preparePlotData(data)} // frame
+          config={config}
+          timeRange={timeRange}
+          width={100}
+          height={100}
+        />
+      );
+
+      // we wait 1 frame for plugins initialisation logic to finish
+      act(() => {
+        mockRaf.step({ count: 1 });
+      });
+
+      expect(destroyMock).toBeCalledTimes(0);
+      expect(uPlot).toBeCalledTimes(0);
+    });
+
+    it('does not reinitialize plot when config and data are not in sync', () => {
+      const { data, timeRange, config } = mockData();
+
+      // 1 series in data, 1 series in config
+      const { rerender } = render(
+        <UPlotChart
+          data={preparePlotData(data)} // frame
+          config={config}
+          timeRange={timeRange}
+          width={100}
+          height={100}
+        />
+      );
+
+      // we wait 1 frame for plugins initialisation logic to finish
+      act(() => {
+        mockRaf.step({ count: 1 });
+      });
+
+      const nextConfig = new UPlotConfigBuilder();
+      nextConfig.addSeries({} as SeriesProps);
+      nextConfig.addSeries({} as SeriesProps);
+
+      // 1 series in data, 2 series in config
+      rerender(
+        <UPlotChart
+          data={preparePlotData(data)} // frame
+          config={nextConfig}
+          timeRange={timeRange}
+          width={200}
+          height={200}
+        />
+      );
+
+      expect(destroyMock).toBeCalledTimes(0);
+      expect(uPlot).toBeCalledTimes(1);
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/uPlot/Plot.tsx b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/uPlot/Plot.tsx
index d59f1a0fe22..796078d479d 100755
--- a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/uPlot/Plot.tsx
+++ b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/uPlot/Plot.tsx
@@ -31,6 +31,14 @@ export const UPlotChart: React.FC<PlotProps> = (props) => {
       return;
     }
 
+    // 0. Exit if the data set length is different than number of series expected to render
+    // This may happen when GraphNG has not synced config yet with the aligned frame. Alignment happens before the render
+    // in the getDerivedStateFromProps, while the config creation happens in componentDidUpdate, causing one more render
+    // of the UPlotChart if the config needs to be updated.
+    if (currentConfig.current.series.length !== props.data.length) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     // 1. When config is ready and there is no uPlot instance, create new uPlot and return
     if (isConfigReady && !plotInstance.current) {
       plotInstance.current = initializePlot(props.data, currentConfig.current, canvasRef.current);