diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/graphite/gfunc.ts b/public/app/plugins/datasource/graphite/gfunc.ts
index 15cb79f00b5..3fe341deaaf 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/graphite/gfunc.ts
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/graphite/gfunc.ts
@@ -966,7 +966,6 @@ export class FuncInstance {
     const str = this.def.name + '(';
 
     const parameters = _.map(this.params, (value, index) => {
-      const valueInterpolated = replaceVariables(value);
       let paramType;
 
       if (index < this.def.params.length) {
@@ -980,6 +979,8 @@ export class FuncInstance {
         return value;
       }
 
+      const valueInterpolated = _.isString(value) ? replaceVariables(value) : value;
+
       // param types that might be quoted
       // To quote variables correctly we need to interpolate it to check if it contains a numeric or string value
       if (_.includes(['int_or_interval', 'node_or_tag'], paramType) && _.isFinite(+valueInterpolated)) {
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/graphite/specs/gfunc.test.ts b/public/app/plugins/datasource/graphite/specs/gfunc.test.ts
index a1d888cea33..25461ad98d7 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/graphite/specs/gfunc.test.ts
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/graphite/specs/gfunc.test.ts
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ describe('when creating func instance from func names', () => {
 });
 
 function replaceVariablesDummy(str: string) {
-  return str;
+  // important that this does replace
+  return str.replace('asdasdas', 'asdsad');
 }
 
 describe('when rendering func instance', () => {