diff --git a/public/app/plugins/panel/state-timeline/__snapshots__/migrations.test.ts.snap b/public/app/plugins/panel/state-timeline/__snapshots__/migrations.test.ts.snap
index bf4852cfbe9..5ce47782afb 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/panel/state-timeline/__snapshots__/migrations.test.ts.snap
+++ b/public/app/plugins/panel/state-timeline/__snapshots__/migrations.test.ts.snap
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ exports[`Timeline Migrations from discrete panel 1`] = `
               "color": "#7EB26D",
             },
             "111": {
+              "color": "#F0F",
               "text": "ONE",
             },
             "20": {
@@ -32,6 +33,12 @@ exports[`Timeline Migrations from discrete panel 1`] = `
             "90": {
               "color": "#6ED0E0",
             },
+            "AAA": {
+              "color": "#FF0",
+            },
+            "ONE": {
+              "color": "#F0F",
+            },
           },
           "type": "value",
         },
@@ -39,6 +46,7 @@ exports[`Timeline Migrations from discrete panel 1`] = `
           "options": {
             "from": 1,
             "result": {
+              "color": "#FF0",
               "text": "AAA",
             },
             "to": 3,
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/panel/state-timeline/migrations.test.ts b/public/app/plugins/panel/state-timeline/migrations.test.ts
index 98b10d22a5a..d1511060df9 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/panel/state-timeline/migrations.test.ts
+++ b/public/app/plugins/panel/state-timeline/migrations.test.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,16 @@ const discreteInV8 = {
       color: '#E24D42',
       text: '5',
     },
+    {
+      $$hashKey: 'object:369',
+      color: '#FF0', // Should get linked to the range map below
+      text: 'AAA',
+    },
+    {
+      $$hashKey: 'object:369',
+      color: '#F0F', // Should get linked to the range map below
+      text: 'ONE',
+    },
   ],
   crosshairColor: '#8F070C',
   display: 'timeline',
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/panel/state-timeline/migrations.ts b/public/app/plugins/panel/state-timeline/migrations.ts
index c8762339409..30cb5eaaf95 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/panel/state-timeline/migrations.ts
+++ b/public/app/plugins/panel/state-timeline/migrations.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { isArray } from 'lodash';
 
-import { FieldConfigSource, MappingType, PanelModel, ValueMap } from '@grafana/data';
+import { FieldConfigSource, MappingType, PanelModel, ValueMap, RangeMap, ValueMapping } from '@grafana/data';
 
 import { FieldConfig, Options } from './panelcfg.gen';
 
@@ -74,9 +74,64 @@ export const timelinePanelChangedHandler = (
       }
     }
 
+    if (fieldConfig.defaults.mappings?.length) {
+      fieldConfig.defaults.mappings = expandColorMappings(fieldConfig.defaults.mappings);
+    }
+
     // mutates the input
     panel.fieldConfig = fieldConfig;
   }
 
   return options;
 };
+
+function expandColorMappings(mappings: ValueMapping[]): ValueMapping[] {
+  let keyToColor: Record<string, string> = {};
+  for (const m of mappings) {
+    if (isValueToText(m)) {
+      for (const key in m.options) {
+        const target = m.options[key];
+        if (target.color?.length) {
+          keyToColor[key] = target.color;
+        }
+      }
+    } else if (isRangeMap(m)) {
+      const { text, color } = m.options.result;
+      if (text?.length && color?.length && !keyToColor[text]) {
+        keyToColor[text] = color;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Set a color for values that match
+  return mappings.map((m) => {
+    if (isValueToText(m)) {
+      for (const key in m.options) {
+        const target = m.options[key];
+        if (!target.color?.length) {
+          let c = keyToColor[key];
+          if (!c && target.text) {
+            c = keyToColor[target.text];
+          }
+          if (c) {
+            target.color = c; // link the mapped color
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    } else if (isRangeMap(m)) {
+      const { text, color } = m.options.result;
+      if (!color && text && keyToColor[text]) {
+        m.options.result.color = keyToColor[text];
+      }
+    }
+    return m;
+  });
+}
+
+function isValueToText(m: ValueMapping): m is ValueMap {
+  return m.type === MappingType.ValueToText;
+}
+
+function isRangeMap(m: ValueMapping): m is RangeMap {
+  return m.type === MappingType.RangeToText;
+}