diff --git a/pkg/tsdb/cloudwatch/sort_frame.go b/pkg/tsdb/cloudwatch/sort_frame.go
index 757f55ef802..94fdc59dd70 100644
--- a/pkg/tsdb/cloudwatch/sort_frame.go
+++ b/pkg/tsdb/cloudwatch/sort_frame.go
@@ -37,5 +37,13 @@ func (a ByTime) Less(i, j int) bool {
 		return false
 	}
 
+	if timeField.At(i).(*time.Time) == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	if timeField.At(j).(*time.Time) == nil {
+		return true
+	}
+
 	return (timeField.At(i).(*time.Time)).Before(*timeField.At(j).(*time.Time))
 }
diff --git a/pkg/tsdb/cloudwatch/sort_frame_test.go b/pkg/tsdb/cloudwatch/sort_frame_test.go
index 076059c25be..cc7408d9c67 100644
--- a/pkg/tsdb/cloudwatch/sort_frame_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tsdb/cloudwatch/sort_frame_test.go
@@ -12,46 +12,77 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestFrameSort(t *testing.T) {
-	timeA, _ := time.Parse("2006-01-02 15:04:05.000", "2020-03-02 17:04:05.000")
-	timeB, _ := time.Parse("2006-01-02 15:04:05.000", "2020-03-02 16:04:05.000")
-	timeC, _ := time.Parse("2006-01-02 15:04:05.000", "2020-03-02 15:04:05.000")
-	timeVals := []*time.Time{
-		&timeA, &timeB, &timeC,
-	}
-	timeField := data.NewField("@timestamp", nil, timeVals)
+	t.Run("sort simple frame", func(t *testing.T) {
+		timeA, _ := time.Parse("2006-01-02 15:04:05.000", "2020-03-02 17:04:05.000")
+		timeB, _ := time.Parse("2006-01-02 15:04:05.000", "2020-03-02 16:04:05.000")
+		timeC, _ := time.Parse("2006-01-02 15:04:05.000", "2020-03-02 15:04:05.000")
+		timeVals := []*time.Time{
+			&timeA, &timeB, &timeC,
+		}
+		timeField := data.NewField("@timestamp", nil, timeVals)
 
-	stringField := data.NewField("line", nil, []*string{
-		aws.String("test message 1"),
-		aws.String("test message 2"),
-		aws.String("test message 3"),
+		stringField := data.NewField("line", nil, []*string{
+			aws.String("test message 1"),
+			aws.String("test message 2"),
+			aws.String("test message 3"),
+		})
+
+		numberField := data.NewField("nums", nil, []*float64{
+			aws.Float64(20.0),
+			aws.Float64(50.0),
+			aws.Float64(17.0),
+		})
+
+		expectedDataframe := &data.Frame{
+			Name: "CloudWatchLogsResponse",
+			Fields: []*data.Field{
+				timeField,
+				stringField,
+				numberField,
+			},
+		}
+
+		sort.Sort(ByTime(*expectedDataframe))
+
+		for i := 1; i < timeField.Len(); i++ {
+			assert.True(t, timeField.At(i).(*time.Time).After(*(timeField.At(i - 1).(*time.Time))))
+		}
+
+		assert.Equal(t, *stringField.At(0).(*string), "test message 3")
+		assert.Equal(t, *stringField.At(1).(*string), "test message 2")
+		assert.Equal(t, *stringField.At(2).(*string), "test message 1")
+
+		assert.Equal(t, *numberField.At(0).(*float64), 17.0)
+		assert.Equal(t, *numberField.At(1).(*float64), 50.0)
+		assert.Equal(t, *numberField.At(2).(*float64), 20.0)
 	})
 
-	numberField := data.NewField("nums", nil, []*float64{
-		aws.Float64(20.0),
-		aws.Float64(50.0),
-		aws.Float64(17.0),
+	t.Run("sort with nil", func(t *testing.T) {
+		timeA, _ := time.Parse("2006-01-02 15:04:05.000", "2020-03-02 17:04:05.000")
+		timeB, _ := time.Parse("2006-01-02 15:04:05.000", "2020-03-02 16:04:05.000")
+		timeVals := []*time.Time{
+			&timeA, &timeB, nil,
+		}
+		timeField := data.NewField("@timestamp", nil, timeVals)
+
+		stringField := data.NewField("line", nil, []*string{
+			aws.String("test message 1"),
+			aws.String("test message 2"),
+			aws.String("test message 3"),
+		})
+
+		frame := &data.Frame{
+			Name: "CloudWatchLogsResponse",
+			Fields: []*data.Field{
+				timeField,
+				stringField,
+			},
+		}
+
+		sort.Sort(ByTime(*frame))
+
+		assert.Equal(t, *stringField.At(0).(*string), "test message 2")
+		assert.Equal(t, *stringField.At(1).(*string), "test message 1")
+		assert.Equal(t, *stringField.At(2).(*string), "test message 3")
 	})
-
-	expectedDataframe := &data.Frame{
-		Name: "CloudWatchLogsResponse",
-		Fields: []*data.Field{
-			timeField,
-			stringField,
-			numberField,
-		},
-	}
-
-	sort.Sort(ByTime(*expectedDataframe))
-
-	for i := 1; i < timeField.Len(); i++ {
-		assert.True(t, timeField.At(i).(*time.Time).After(*(timeField.At(i - 1).(*time.Time))))
-	}
-
-	assert.Equal(t, *stringField.At(0).(*string), "test message 3")
-	assert.Equal(t, *stringField.At(1).(*string), "test message 2")
-	assert.Equal(t, *stringField.At(2).(*string), "test message 1")
-
-	assert.Equal(t, *numberField.At(0).(*float64), 17.0)
-	assert.Equal(t, *numberField.At(1).(*float64), 50.0)
-	assert.Equal(t, *numberField.At(2).(*float64), 20.0)
 }