diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/edit-pane/DashboardEditPane.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/edit-pane/DashboardEditPane.tsx
index b6fc29882fd..b07791ff607 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/edit-pane/DashboardEditPane.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/edit-pane/DashboardEditPane.tsx
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ export function DashboardEditPaneRenderer({ editPane, isCollapsed, onToggleColla
   const selectedObject = selection?.getFirstObject();
   const [outlineCollapsed, setOutlineCollapsed] = useLocalStorage(
     'grafana.dashboard.edit-pane.outline.collapsed',
-    false
+    true
   );
   const [outlinePaneSize = 0.4, setOutlinePaneSize] = useLocalStorage('grafana.dashboard.edit-pane.outline.size', 0.4);
 
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/edit-pane/DashboardOutline.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/edit-pane/DashboardOutline.tsx
index 67a7ba72c14..63ad898edb5 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/edit-pane/DashboardOutline.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/edit-pane/DashboardOutline.tsx
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ function getStyles(theme: GrafanaTheme2) {
       boxShadow: 'none',
       border: 'none',
       background: 'transparent',
-      padding: theme.spacing(0.25, 1),
+      padding: theme.spacing(0.25, 1, 0.25, 0),
       borderRadius: theme.shape.radius.default,
       color: theme.colors.text.secondary,
       display: 'flex',
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/panel-edit/getPanelFrameOptions.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/panel-edit/getPanelFrameOptions.tsx
index 26def57f9d7..31037a28413 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/panel-edit/getPanelFrameOptions.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/panel-edit/getPanelFrameOptions.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { selectors } from '@grafana/e2e-selectors';
 import { config } from '@grafana/runtime';
 import { SceneTimeRangeLike, VizPanel } from '@grafana/scenes';
 import { DataLinksInlineEditor, Input, TextArea, Switch } from '@grafana/ui';
+import { t } from 'app/core/internationalization';
 import { GenAIPanelDescriptionButton } from 'app/features/dashboard/components/GenAI/GenAIPanelDescriptionButton';
 import { GenAIPanelTitleButton } from 'app/features/dashboard/components/GenAI/GenAIPanelTitleButton';
 import { OptionsPaneCategoryDescriptor } from 'app/features/dashboard/components/PanelEditor/OptionsPaneCategoryDescriptor';
@@ -110,7 +111,12 @@ function ScenePanelLinksEditor({ panelLinks }: ScenePanelLinksEditorProps) {
 
 export function PanelFrameTitleInput({ panel }: { panel: VizPanel }) {
   const { title } = panel.useState();
-  let ref = useEditPaneInputAutoFocus({ noAutoFocus: panel.getPanelContext().app === CoreApp.PanelEditor });
+  const notInPanelEdit = panel.getPanelContext().app !== CoreApp.PanelEditor;
+  const newPanelTitle = t('dashboard.new-panel-title', 'New panel');
+
+  let ref = useEditPaneInputAutoFocus({
+    autoFocus: notInPanelEdit && title === newPanelTitle,
+  });
 
   return (
     <Input
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-rows/RowItem.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-rows/RowItem.tsx
index e31caf6798e..3311441190f 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-rows/RowItem.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-rows/RowItem.tsx
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ export interface RowItemState extends SceneObjectState {
   fillScreen?: boolean;
   isDropTarget?: boolean;
   conditionalRendering?: ConditionalRendering;
+  isNew?: boolean;
 }
 
 export class RowItem
@@ -161,7 +162,7 @@ export class RowItem
   }
 
   public onChangeTitle(title: string) {
-    this.setState({ title });
+    this.setState({ title, isNew: false });
   }
 
   public onHeaderHiddenToggle(hideHeader = !this.state.hideHeader) {
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-rows/RowItemEditor.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-rows/RowItemEditor.tsx
index 394da98c40e..2e3a91a2870 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-rows/RowItemEditor.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-rows/RowItemEditor.tsx
@@ -79,8 +79,8 @@ export function getEditOptions(model: RowItem): OptionsPaneCategoryDescriptor[]
 }
 
 function RowTitleInput({ row }: { row: RowItem }) {
-  const { title } = row.useState();
-  const ref = useEditPaneInputAutoFocus();
+  const { title, isNew } = row.useState();
+  const ref = useEditPaneInputAutoFocus({ autoFocus: isNew });
 
   return (
     <Input
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-rows/RowsLayoutManager.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-rows/RowsLayoutManager.tsx
index 863ded45b63..41d65fdea75 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-rows/RowsLayoutManager.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-rows/RowsLayoutManager.tsx
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ export class RowsLayoutManager extends SceneObjectBase<RowsLayoutManagerState> i
   }
 
   public addNewRow(): RowItem {
-    const row = new RowItem();
+    const row = new RowItem({ isNew: true });
     this.setState({ rows: [...this.state.rows, row] });
     this.publishEvent(new NewObjectAddedToCanvasEvent(row), true);
     return row;
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ export class RowsLayoutManager extends SceneObjectBase<RowsLayoutManagerState> i
 
   public addRowAbove(row: RowItem): RowItem {
     const index = this.state.rows.indexOf(row);
-    const newRow = new RowItem();
+    const newRow = new RowItem({ isNew: true });
     const newRows = [...this.state.rows];
 
     newRows.splice(index, 0, newRow);
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ export class RowsLayoutManager extends SceneObjectBase<RowsLayoutManagerState> i
       index = index + 1;
     }
 
-    const newRow = new RowItem();
+    const newRow = new RowItem({ isNew: true });
     const newRows = [...this.state.rows];
 
     newRows.splice(index + 1, 0, newRow);
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabItem.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabItem.tsx
index d92461f43af..e29fe6cd7d7 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabItem.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabItem.tsx
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ import { TabsLayoutManager } from './TabsLayoutManager';
 export interface TabItemState extends SceneObjectState {
   layout: DashboardLayoutManager;
   title?: string;
+  /**
+   * Used to auto focus the title input
+   */
+  isNew?: boolean;
   isDropTarget?: boolean;
 }
 
@@ -123,7 +127,7 @@ export class TabItem
   }
 
   public onChangeTitle(title: string) {
-    this.setState({ title });
+    this.setState({ title, isNew: false });
   }
 
   public setIsDropTarget(isDropTarget: boolean) {
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabItemEditor.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabItemEditor.tsx
index 13ae006ab43..8d4528022c6 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabItemEditor.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabItemEditor.tsx
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ export function getEditOptions(model: TabItem): OptionsPaneCategoryDescriptor[]
 }
 
 function TabTitleInput({ tab }: { tab: TabItem }) {
-  const { title } = tab.useState();
-  const ref = useEditPaneInputAutoFocus();
+  const { title, isNew } = tab.useState();
+  const ref = useEditPaneInputAutoFocus({ autoFocus: isNew });
 
   return <Input ref={ref} value={title} onChange={(e) => tab.onChangeTitle(e.currentTarget.value)} />;
 }
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabsLayoutManager.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabsLayoutManager.tsx
index e8477e002b4..c7b51462e7a 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabsLayoutManager.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layout-tabs/TabsLayoutManager.tsx
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ export class TabsLayoutManager extends SceneObjectBase<TabsLayoutManagerState> i
   }
 
   public addNewTab() {
-    const newTab = new TabItem();
+    const newTab = new TabItem({ isNew: true });
     this.setState({ tabs: [...this.state.tabs, newTab], currentTabIndex: this.state.tabs.length });
     this.publishEvent(new NewObjectAddedToCanvasEvent(newTab), true);
     return newTab;
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ export class TabsLayoutManager extends SceneObjectBase<TabsLayoutManagerState> i
   }
 
   public addTabBefore(tab: TabItem): TabItem {
-    const newTab = new TabItem();
+    const newTab = new TabItem({ isNew: true });
     const tabs = this.state.tabs.slice();
     tabs.splice(tabs.indexOf(tab), 0, newTab);
     this.setState({ tabs, currentTabIndex: this.state.currentTabIndex });
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ export class TabsLayoutManager extends SceneObjectBase<TabsLayoutManagerState> i
   }
 
   public addTabAfter(tab: TabItem): TabItem {
-    const newTab = new TabItem();
+    const newTab = new TabItem({ isNew: true });
     const tabs = this.state.tabs.slice();
     tabs.splice(tabs.indexOf(tab) + 1, 0, newTab);
     this.setState({ tabs, currentTabIndex: this.state.currentTabIndex + 1 });
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layouts-shared/utils.ts b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layouts-shared/utils.ts
index 9d4dbc3b2ce..e704e108c04 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layouts-shared/utils.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/scene/layouts-shared/utils.ts
@@ -19,18 +19,18 @@ export function findParentLayout(sceneObject: SceneObject): DashboardLayoutManag
 }
 
 export interface EditPaneInputAutoFocusProps {
-  noAutoFocus?: boolean;
+  autoFocus?: boolean;
 }
 
-export function useEditPaneInputAutoFocus({ noAutoFocus }: EditPaneInputAutoFocusProps = {}) {
+export function useEditPaneInputAutoFocus({ autoFocus }: EditPaneInputAutoFocusProps = {}) {
   const ref = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (ref.current && !noAutoFocus) {
+    if (ref.current && autoFocus) {
       // Need the setTimeout here for some reason
       setTimeout(() => ref.current?.focus(), 200);
     }
-  }, [noAutoFocus]);
+  }, [autoFocus]);
 
   return ref;
 }