diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/DashboardGrid.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/DashboardGrid.tsx
index 7727cd6a3ad..365caab319d 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/DashboardGrid.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/DashboardGrid.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 // Libraries
 import React, { PureComponent } from 'react';
-import { hot } from 'react-hot-loader';
 import ReactGridLayout, { ItemCallback } from 'react-grid-layout';
 import classNames from 'classnames';
 // @ts-ignore
@@ -98,11 +97,22 @@ export interface Props {
   isPanelEditorOpen?: boolean;
 }
 
-export class DashboardGrid extends PureComponent<Props> {
+export interface State {
+  isLayoutInitialized: boolean;
+}
+export class DashboardGrid extends PureComponent<Props, State> {
   private panelMap: { [id: string]: PanelModel } = {};
   private panelRef: { [id: string]: HTMLElement } = {};
   private eventSubs = new Subscription();
 
+  constructor(props: Props) {
+    super(props);
+
+    this.state = {
+      isLayoutInitialized: false,
+    };
+  }
+
   componentDidMount() {
     const { dashboard } = this.props;
     this.eventSubs.add(dashboard.events.subscribe(DashboardPanelsChangedEvent, this.triggerForceUpdate));
@@ -153,8 +163,10 @@ export class DashboardGrid extends PureComponent<Props> {
 
     this.props.dashboard.sortPanelsByGridPos();
 
-    // Call render() after any changes.  This is called when the layout loads
-    this.forceUpdate();
+    // onLayoutChange is called onMount this marks layout as initialized and we are ready to render panels
+    if (!this.state.isLayoutInitialized) {
+      this.setState({ isLayoutInitialized: true });
+    }
   };
 
   triggerForceUpdate = () => {
@@ -163,10 +175,6 @@ export class DashboardGrid extends PureComponent<Props> {
 
   updateGridPos = (item: ReactGridLayout.Layout, layout: ReactGridLayout.Layout[]) => {
     this.panelMap[item.i!].updateGridPos(item);
-
-    // react-grid-layout has a bug (#670), and onLayoutChange() is only called when the component is mounted.
-    // So it's required to call it explicitly when panel resized or moved to save layout changes.
-    this.onLayoutChange(layout);
   };
 
   onResize: ItemCallback = (layout, oldItem, newItem) => {
@@ -259,7 +267,6 @@ export class DashboardGrid extends PureComponent<Props> {
 
   render() {
     const { dashboard, viewPanel } = this.props;
-
     return (
       <SizedReactLayoutGrid
         className={classNames({ layout: true })}
@@ -277,5 +284,3 @@ export class DashboardGrid extends PureComponent<Props> {
     );
   }
 }
-
-export default hot(module)(DashboardGrid);
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/state/DashboardModel.ts b/public/app/features/dashboard/state/DashboardModel.ts
index b359b21dcbb..073d336431e 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/state/DashboardModel.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/state/DashboardModel.ts
@@ -1088,6 +1088,13 @@ export class DashboardModel {
     return this.meta.canEdit || this.meta.canMakeEditable;
   }
 
+  shouldUpdateDashboardPanelFromJSON(updatedPanel: PanelModel, panel: PanelModel) {
+    const shouldUpdateGridPositionLayout = !isEqual(updatedPanel?.gridPos, panel?.gridPos);
+    if (shouldUpdateGridPositionLayout) {
+      this.events.publish(new DashboardPanelsChangedEvent());
+    }
+  }
+
   private getPanelRepeatVariable(panel: PanelModel) {
     return this.getVariablesFromState().find((variable) => variable.name === panel.repeat);
   }
diff --git a/public/app/features/inspector/InspectJSONTab.tsx b/public/app/features/inspector/InspectJSONTab.tsx
index f0c469dc41f..296d9b101fa 100644
--- a/public/app/features/inspector/InspectJSONTab.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/inspector/InspectJSONTab.tsx
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ export class InspectJSONTab extends PureComponent<Props, State> {
           appEvents.emit(AppEvents.alertError, ['Unable to apply']);
         } else {
           const updates = JSON.parse(this.state.text);
+          dashboard!.shouldUpdateDashboardPanelFromJSON(updates, panel!);
           panel!.restoreModel(updates);
           panel!.refresh();
           appEvents.emit(AppEvents.alertSuccess, ['Panel model updated']);