diff --git a/public/app/features/query/state/runRequest.test.ts b/public/app/features/query/state/runRequest.test.ts
index 6742d37d0bf..8a40ef7fd08 100644
--- a/public/app/features/query/state/runRequest.test.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/query/state/runRequest.test.ts
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ describe('runRequest', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  runRequestScenario('After tree responses, 2 with different keys', (ctx) => {
+  runRequestScenario('After three responses, 2 with different keys', (ctx) => {
     ctx.setup(() => {
       ctx.start();
       ctx.emitPacket({
@@ -186,6 +186,40 @@ describe('runRequest', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  runRequestScenario('When the key is defined in refId', (ctx) => {
+    ctx.setup(() => {
+      ctx.start();
+      ctx.emitPacket({
+        data: [{ name: 'DataX-1', refId: 'X' } as DataFrame],
+      });
+      ctx.emitPacket({
+        data: [{ name: 'DataY-1', refId: 'Y' } as DataFrame],
+      });
+      ctx.emitPacket({
+        data: [{ name: 'DataY-2', refId: 'Y' } as DataFrame],
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should emit 3 separate results', () => {
+      expect(ctx.results.length).toBe(3);
+    });
+
+    it('should keep data for X and Y', () => {
+      expect(ctx.results[2].series).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+        Array [
+          Object {
+            "name": "DataX-1",
+            "refId": "X",
+          },
+          Object {
+            "name": "DataY-2",
+            "refId": "Y",
+          },
+        ]
+      `);
+    });
+  });
+
   runRequestScenario('After response with state Streaming', (ctx) => {
     ctx.setup(() => {
       ctx.start();
diff --git a/public/app/features/query/state/runRequest.ts b/public/app/features/query/state/runRequest.ts
index 370df008e9b..76a7442ab3f 100644
--- a/public/app/features/query/state/runRequest.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/query/state/runRequest.ts
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@ export function processResponsePacket(packet: DataQueryResponse, state: RunningQ
     ...state.packets,
   };
 
-  packets[packet.key || 'A'] = packet;
+  // updates to the same key will replace previous values
+  const key = packet.key ?? packet.data?.[0]?.refId ?? 'A';
+  packets[key] = packet;
 
   let loadingState = packet.state || LoadingState.Done;
   let error: DataQueryError | undefined = undefined;