diff --git a/packages/grafana-data/src/types/datasource.ts b/packages/grafana-data/src/types/datasource.ts
index 9a251d300e7..2c2e7b7eb30 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-data/src/types/datasource.ts
+++ b/packages/grafana-data/src/types/datasource.ts
@@ -591,6 +591,9 @@ export interface DataSourceInstanceSettings<T extends DataSourceJsonData = DataS
    */
   basicAuth?: string;
   withCredentials?: boolean;
+
+  /** When the name+uid are based on template variables, maintain access to the real values */
+  rawRef?: DataSourceRef;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/grafana-runtime/src/utils/DataSourceWithBackend.ts b/packages/grafana-runtime/src/utils/DataSourceWithBackend.ts
index aaecc23752f..5d33e4ea122 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-runtime/src/utils/DataSourceWithBackend.ts
+++ b/packages/grafana-runtime/src/utils/DataSourceWithBackend.ts
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ class DataSourceWithBackend<
           throw new Error(`Unknown Datasource: ${JSON.stringify(q.datasource)}`);
         }
 
-        datasource = getDataSourceRef(ds);
+        datasource = ds.rawRef ?? getDataSourceRef(ds);
       }
 
       return {
diff --git a/public/app/features/plugins/specs/datasource_srv.test.ts b/public/app/features/plugins/datasource_srv.test.ts
similarity index 93%
rename from public/app/features/plugins/specs/datasource_srv.test.ts
rename to public/app/features/plugins/datasource_srv.test.ts
index 9579f6d106c..a87d5a16891 100644
--- a/public/app/features/plugins/specs/datasource_srv.test.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/plugins/datasource_srv.test.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class TestDataSource {
   constructor(public instanceSettings: DataSourceInstanceSettings) {}
 }
 
-jest.mock('../plugin_loader', () => ({
+jest.mock('./plugin_loader', () => ({
   importDataSourcePlugin: (meta: DataSourcePluginMeta) => {
     return Promise.resolve(new DataSourcePlugin(TestDataSource as any));
   },
@@ -128,13 +128,21 @@ describe('datasource_srv', () => {
 
     describe('when getting instance settings', () => {
       it('should work by name or uid', () => {
-        expect(dataSourceSrv.getInstanceSettings('mmm')).toBe(dataSourceSrv.getInstanceSettings('uid-code-mmm'));
+        const ds = dataSourceSrv.getInstanceSettings('mmm');
+        expect(dataSourceSrv.getInstanceSettings('uid-code-mmm')).toBe(ds);
+        expect(dataSourceSrv.getInstanceSettings({ uid: 'uid-code-mmm' })).toBe(ds);
       });
 
       it('should work with variable', () => {
         const ds = dataSourceSrv.getInstanceSettings('${datasource}');
         expect(ds?.name).toBe('${datasource}');
         expect(ds?.uid).toBe('${datasource}');
+        expect(ds?.rawRef).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+          Object {
+            "type": "test-db",
+            "uid": "uid-code-BBB",
+          }
+        `);
       });
 
       it('should not set isDefault when being fetched via variable', () => {
@@ -146,6 +154,12 @@ describe('datasource_srv', () => {
         const ds = dataSourceSrv.getInstanceSettings('${datasourceDefault}');
         expect(ds?.name).toBe('${datasourceDefault}');
         expect(ds?.uid).toBe('${datasourceDefault}');
+        expect(ds?.rawRef).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+          Object {
+            "type": "test-db",
+            "uid": "uid-code-BBB",
+          }
+        `);
       });
     });
 
diff --git a/public/app/features/plugins/datasource_srv.ts b/public/app/features/plugins/datasource_srv.ts
index ac70b5fb410..4eeb058982b 100644
--- a/public/app/features/plugins/datasource_srv.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/plugins/datasource_srv.ts
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ export class DatasourceSrv implements DataSourceService {
         isDefault: false,
         name: nameOrUid,
         uid: nameOrUid,
+        rawRef: { type: dsSettings.type, uid: dsSettings.uid },
       };
     }
 
diff --git a/public/app/features/query/state/PanelQueryRunner.test.ts b/public/app/features/query/state/PanelQueryRunner.test.ts
index 2fa592dac1a..d6fb1b1b732 100644
--- a/public/app/features/query/state/PanelQueryRunner.test.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/query/state/PanelQueryRunner.test.ts
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ function describeQueryRunnerScenario(
           ctx.queryCalledWith = options;
           return Promise.resolve(response);
         },
+        getRef: () => ({ type: 'test', uid: 'TestDB-uid' }),
         testDatasource: jest.fn(),
       };
 
diff --git a/public/app/features/query/state/PanelQueryRunner.ts b/public/app/features/query/state/PanelQueryRunner.ts
index 80513be6b20..8b0ce2b93f9 100644
--- a/public/app/features/query/state/PanelQueryRunner.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/query/state/PanelQueryRunner.ts
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ export class PanelQueryRunner {
       // Attach the data source name to each query
       request.targets = request.targets.map((query) => {
         if (!query.datasource) {
-          query.datasource = { uid: ds.uid };
+          query.datasource = ds.getRef();
         }
         return query;
       });