diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/prometheus/querycache/QueryCache.ts b/public/app/plugins/datasource/prometheus/querycache/QueryCache.ts
index 1551139fd8d..2ba7ca76c42 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/prometheus/querycache/QueryCache.ts
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/prometheus/querycache/QueryCache.ts
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ export class QueryCache {
     const newTo = request.range.to.valueOf();
 
     // only cache 'now'-relative queries (that can benefit from a backfill cache)
-    const shouldCache = request.rangeRaw?.to?.toString() === 'now';
+    const shouldCache = request.rangeRaw?.to?.toString() === 'now' && !request.targets.some((targ) => targ.instant);
 
     // all targets are queried together, so we check for any that causes group cache invalidation & full re-query
     let doPartialQuery = shouldCache;