diff --git a/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/legacy/sql_dashboards.go b/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/legacy/sql_dashboards.go
index 0ede0dd5ca5..9a9712a51c0 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/legacy/sql_dashboards.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/legacy/sql_dashboards.go
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@ func (a *dashboardSqlAccess) buildSaveDashboardCommand(ctx context.Context, orgI
 	}
 
 	var userID int64
-	if claims.IsIdentityType(user.GetIdentityType(), claims.TypeUser) {
+	if claims.IsIdentityType(user.GetIdentityType(), claims.TypeUser) || claims.IsIdentityType(user.GetIdentityType(), claims.TypeServiceAccount) {
 		var err error
 		userID, err = identity.UserIdentifier(user.GetSubject())
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/legacy/sql_dashboards_test.go b/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/legacy/sql_dashboards_test.go
index da8d2bfe25d..e33841c044c 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/legacy/sql_dashboards_test.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/legacy/sql_dashboards_test.go
@@ -350,6 +350,42 @@ func TestBuildSaveDashboardCommand(t *testing.T) {
 			require.True(t, cmd.Overwrite)
 		})
 	}
+
+	t.Run("service account should have userID set", func(t *testing.T) {
+		mockStore := &dashboards.FakeDashboardStore{}
+		access := &dashboardSqlAccess{
+			dashStore: mockStore,
+			log:       log.New("test"),
+		}
+
+		dash := &dashboardV1.Dashboard{
+			TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{
+				APIVersion: dashboardV1.APIVERSION,
+			},
+			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+				Name: "test-dash",
+			},
+			Spec: common.Unstructured{
+				Object: map[string]interface{}{
+					"title": "Test Dashboard",
+				},
+			},
+		}
+
+		ctx := identity.WithRequester(context.Background(), &user.SignedInUser{
+			UserID:           123,
+			OrgID:            1,
+			OrgRole:          "Editor",
+			IsServiceAccount: true,
+		})
+
+		mockStore.On("GetDashboard", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(nil, nil).Once()
+		cmd, created, err := access.buildSaveDashboardCommand(ctx, 1, dash)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.True(t, created)
+		require.NotNil(t, cmd)
+		require.Equal(t, int64(123), cmd.UserID, "service account user ID should be set correctly")
+	})
 }
 
 func TestParseLibraryPanelRow(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/pkg/services/dashboardversion/dashverimpl/dashver.go b/pkg/services/dashboardversion/dashverimpl/dashver.go
index 858116ee9b7..199d45c4bf0 100644
--- a/pkg/services/dashboardversion/dashverimpl/dashver.go
+++ b/pkg/services/dashboardversion/dashverimpl/dashver.go
@@ -593,19 +593,19 @@ func unstructuredToLegacyDashboardVersionWithUsers(
 
 	obj := vspec.MetaAccessor
 
-	var createdBy *user.User
+	createdByID := int64(0)
 	if creator, ok := users[obj.GetCreatedBy()]; ok {
-		createdBy = creator
+		createdByID = creator.ID
 	}
 	// if updated by is set, then this version of the dashboard was "created"
-	// by that user
-	if updater, ok := users[obj.GetUpdatedBy()]; ok {
-		createdBy = updater
-	}
-
-	createdByID := int64(0)
-	if createdBy != nil {
-		createdByID = createdBy.ID
+	// by that user. note: this will be empty for the first version of a dashboard in unistore,
+	// but will be set in legacy
+	if obj.GetUpdatedBy() != "" {
+		if updater, ok := users[obj.GetUpdatedBy()]; ok {
+			createdByID = updater.ID
+		} else {
+			createdByID = -1
+		}
 	}
 
 	created := obj.GetCreationTimestamp().Time
diff --git a/pkg/services/dashboardversion/dashverimpl/dashver_test.go b/pkg/services/dashboardversion/dashverimpl/dashver_test.go
index e49df4e5ab0..909e98ee33c 100644
--- a/pkg/services/dashboardversion/dashverimpl/dashver_test.go
+++ b/pkg/services/dashboardversion/dashverimpl/dashver_test.go
@@ -128,6 +128,59 @@ func TestDashboardVersionService(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	})
 
+	t.Run("Get dashboard versions, with annonymous update", func(t *testing.T) {
+		dashboardService := dashboards.NewFakeDashboardService(t)
+		dashboardVersionService := Service{dashSvc: dashboardService, features: featuremgmt.WithFeatures()}
+		mockCli := new(client.MockK8sHandler)
+		dashboardVersionService.k8sclient = mockCli
+		dashboardVersionService.features = featuremgmt.WithFeatures()
+		dashboardService.On("GetDashboardUIDByID", mock.Anything, mock.AnythingOfType("*dashboards.GetDashboardRefByIDQuery")).Return(&dashboards.DashboardRef{UID: "uid"}, nil)
+
+		creationTimestamp := time.Now().Add(time.Hour * -24).UTC()
+		updatedTimestamp := time.Now().UTC().Truncate(time.Second)
+		dash := &unstructured.Unstructured{
+			Object: map[string]any{
+				"metadata": map[string]any{
+					"name":            "uid",
+					"resourceVersion": "12",
+					"generation":      int64(10),
+					"labels": map[string]any{
+						utils.LabelKeyDeprecatedInternalID: "42", // nolint:staticcheck
+					},
+					"annotations": map[string]any{
+						utils.AnnoKeyCreatedBy: "user:1",
+						utils.AnnoKeyUpdatedBy: "user:",
+					},
+				},
+				"spec": map[string]any{
+					"hello": "world",
+				},
+			}}
+		dash.SetCreationTimestamp(v1.NewTime(creationTimestamp))
+		obj, err := utils.MetaAccessor(dash)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		obj.SetUpdatedTimestamp(&updatedTimestamp)
+		mockCli.On("GetUsersFromMeta", mock.Anything, []string{"user:1", "user:"}).Return(map[string]*user.User{"user:1": {ID: 1}}, nil)
+		mockCli.On("List", mock.Anything, int64(1), mock.Anything).Return(&unstructured.UnstructuredList{
+			Items: []unstructured.Unstructured{*dash}}, nil).Once()
+		res, err := dashboardVersionService.Get(context.Background(), &dashver.GetDashboardVersionQuery{
+			DashboardID: 42,
+			OrgID:       1,
+			Version:     10,
+		})
+		require.Nil(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, res, &dashver.DashboardVersionDTO{
+			ID:            10,
+			Version:       10,
+			ParentVersion: 9,
+			DashboardID:   42,
+			DashboardUID:  "uid",
+			CreatedBy:     -1,
+			Created:       updatedTimestamp,
+			Data:          simplejson.NewFromAny(map[string]any{"uid": "uid", "version": int64(10), "hello": "world"}),
+		})
+	})
+
 	t.Run("should dashboard not found error when k8s returns not found", func(t *testing.T) {
 		dashboardService := dashboards.NewFakeDashboardService(t)
 		dashboardVersionService := Service{dashSvc: dashboardService, features: featuremgmt.WithFeatures()}