diff --git a/public/app/core/components/QueryOperationRow/QueryOperationRow.tsx b/public/app/core/components/QueryOperationRow/QueryOperationRow.tsx
index 83c38c9a0bc..5d6b3edb8d3 100644
--- a/public/app/core/components/QueryOperationRow/QueryOperationRow.tsx
+++ b/public/app/core/components/QueryOperationRow/QueryOperationRow.tsx
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ export interface QueryOperationRowProps {
   collapsable?: boolean;
   disabled?: boolean;
   expanderMessages?: ExpanderMessages;
-  isFocused?: boolean;
+  highlight?: boolean;
 }
 
 export type QueryOperationRowRenderProp = ((props: QueryOperationRowRenderProps) => React.ReactNode) | React.ReactNode;
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ export function QueryOperationRow({
   index,
   id,
   expanderMessages,
-  isFocused = false,
+  highlight = false,
 }: QueryOperationRowProps) {
   const [isContentVisible, setIsContentVisible] = useState(isOpen !== undefined ? isOpen : true);
   const styles = useStyles2(getQueryOperationRowStyles);
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ export function QueryOperationRow({
                     reportDragMousePosition={reportDragMousePosition}
                     title={title}
                     expanderMessages={expanderMessages}
-                    isFocused={isFocused}
+                    highlight={highlight}
                   />
                 </div>
                 {isContentVisible && <div className={styles.content}>{children}</div>}
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ export function QueryOperationRow({
         reportDragMousePosition={reportDragMousePosition}
         title={title}
         expanderMessages={expanderMessages}
-        isFocused={isFocused}
+        highlight={highlight}
       />
       {isContentVisible && <div className={styles.content}>{children}</div>}
     </div>
diff --git a/public/app/core/components/QueryOperationRow/QueryOperationRowHeader.tsx b/public/app/core/components/QueryOperationRow/QueryOperationRowHeader.tsx
index 9e05979f8a2..7ace50b64a3 100644
--- a/public/app/core/components/QueryOperationRow/QueryOperationRowHeader.tsx
+++ b/public/app/core/components/QueryOperationRow/QueryOperationRowHeader.tsx
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export interface QueryOperationRowHeaderProps {
   title?: string;
   id: string;
   expanderMessages?: ExpanderMessages;
-  isFocused?: boolean;
+  highlight?: boolean;
 }
 
 export interface ExpanderMessages {
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ export const QueryOperationRowHeader = ({
   title,
   id,
   expanderMessages,
-  isFocused = false,
+  highlight = false,
 }: QueryOperationRowHeaderProps) => {
   const styles = useStyles2(getStyles);
 
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ export const QueryOperationRowHeader = ({
   const dragAndDropLabel = t('query-operation.header.drag-and-drop', 'Drag and drop to reorder');
 
   return (
-    <div className={cx(styles.header, isFocused && styles.focused)}>
+    <div className={cx(styles.header, { [styles.highlighted]: highlight })}>
       <div className={styles.column}>
         {collapsable && (
           <IconButton
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ const getStyles = (theme: GrafanaTheme2) => ({
       outline: 'none',
     },
   }),
-  focused: css({
+  highlighted: css({
     border: `2px solid ${theme.colors.primary.border}`,
   }),
   column: css({
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/panel-edit/PanelDataPane/PanelDataQueriesTab.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/panel-edit/PanelDataPane/PanelDataQueriesTab.tsx
index 484bfda39d3..8881c23d3af 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/panel-edit/PanelDataPane/PanelDataQueriesTab.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/panel-edit/PanelDataPane/PanelDataQueriesTab.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import { css, cx } from '@emotion/css';
-import { useState } from 'react';
 
 import { CoreApp, DataSourceApi, DataSourceInstanceSettings, getDataSourceRef } from '@grafana/data';
 import { selectors } from '@grafana/e2e-selectors';
@@ -47,6 +46,7 @@ interface PanelDataQueriesTabState extends SceneObjectState {
   datasource?: DataSourceApi;
   dsSettings?: DataSourceInstanceSettings;
   panelRef: SceneObjectRef<VizPanel>;
+  hasFocusedQuery?: boolean;
 }
 export class PanelDataQueriesTab extends SceneObjectBase<PanelDataQueriesTabState> implements PanelDataPaneTab {
   static Component = PanelDataQueriesTabRendered;
@@ -251,6 +251,10 @@ export class PanelDataQueriesTab extends SceneObjectBase<PanelDataQueriesTabStat
     this.queryRunner.runQueries();
   };
 
+  public onFocusQuery = (hasFocusedQuery: boolean) => {
+    this.setState({ hasFocusedQuery });
+  };
+
   public getQueries() {
     return this.queryRunner.state.queries;
   }
@@ -336,19 +340,15 @@ export class PanelDataQueriesTab extends SceneObjectBase<PanelDataQueriesTabStat
 }
 
 export function PanelDataQueriesTabRendered({ model }: SceneComponentProps<PanelDataQueriesTab>) {
-  const { datasource, dsSettings } = model.useState();
+  const { datasource, dsSettings, hasFocusedQuery } = model.useState();
   const { data, queries } = model.queryRunner.useState();
   const { openDrawer: openQueryLibraryDrawer, queryLibraryEnabled } = useQueryLibraryContext();
-  const [hasFocusedQuery, setHasFocusedQuery] = useState(false);
   const styles = useStyles2(getStyles);
 
   if (!datasource || !dsSettings || !data) {
     return null;
   }
 
-  const showAddButton = !isSharedDashboardQuery(dsSettings.name) && !hasFocusedQuery;
-  const showExpressionButton =
-    config.expressionsEnabled && model.isExpressionsSupported(dsSettings) && !hasFocusedQuery;
   const onSelectQueryFromLibrary = async (query: DataQuery) => {
     // ensure all queries explicitly define a datasource
     const enrichedQueries = queries.map((q) =>
@@ -374,6 +374,10 @@ export function PanelDataQueriesTabRendered({ model }: SceneComponentProps<Panel
     }
   };
 
+  const canAddQueries = !isSharedDashboardQuery(dsSettings.name);
+  const canAddExpressions = config.expressionsEnabled && model.isExpressionsSupported(dsSettings);
+  const showActionButtons = !hasFocusedQuery;
+
   return (
     <div
       data-testid={selectors.components.QueryTab.content}
@@ -396,52 +400,54 @@ export function PanelDataQueriesTabRendered({ model }: SceneComponentProps<Panel
         queries={queries}
         dsSettings={dsSettings}
         onAddQuery={model.onAddQuery}
-        onFocusQuery={setHasFocusedQuery}
+        onFocusQuery={model.onFocusQuery}
         onQueriesChange={model.onQueriesChange}
         onRunQueries={model.onRunQueries}
         onUpdateDatasources={queryLibraryEnabled ? model.updateDatasourceIfNeeded : undefined}
         app={CoreApp.PanelEditor}
       />
 
-      <Stack gap={2}>
-        {showAddButton && (
-          <>
-            <Button
-              icon="plus"
-              onClick={model.addQueryClick}
-              variant="secondary"
-              data-testid={selectors.components.QueryTab.addQuery}
-            >
-              <Trans i18nKey="dashboard-scene.panel-data-queries-tab-rendered.add-query">Add query</Trans>
-            </Button>
-            {queryLibraryEnabled && (
+      {showActionButtons && (
+        <Stack gap={2}>
+          {canAddQueries && (
+            <>
               <Button
                 icon="plus"
-                onClick={() =>
-                  openQueryLibraryDrawer({
-                    onSelectQuery: onSelectQueryFromLibrary,
-                    options: {
-                      context: CoreApp.PanelEditor,
-                    },
-                  })
-                }
+                onClick={model.addQueryClick}
                 variant="secondary"
-                data-testid={selectors.components.QueryTab.addQueryFromLibrary}
+                data-testid={selectors.components.QueryTab.addQuery}
               >
-                <Trans i18nKey={'dashboards.panel-queries.add-from-saved-queries'}>Add from saved queries</Trans>
+                <Trans i18nKey="dashboard-scene.panel-data-queries-tab-rendered.add-query">Add query</Trans>
               </Button>
-            )}
-          </>
-        )}
-        {showExpressionButton && (
-          <ExpressionTypeDropdown handleOnSelect={model.onAddExpressionOfType}>
-            <Button icon="plus" variant="secondary" data-testid={selectors.components.QueryTab.addExpression}>
-              <Trans i18nKey="dashboard-scene.panel-data-queries-tab-rendered.expression">Expression&nbsp;</Trans>
-            </Button>
-          </ExpressionTypeDropdown>
-        )}
-        {model.renderExtraActions()}
-      </Stack>
+              {queryLibraryEnabled && (
+                <Button
+                  icon="plus"
+                  onClick={() =>
+                    openQueryLibraryDrawer({
+                      onSelectQuery: onSelectQueryFromLibrary,
+                      options: {
+                        context: CoreApp.PanelEditor,
+                      },
+                    })
+                  }
+                  variant="secondary"
+                  data-testid={selectors.components.QueryTab.addQueryFromLibrary}
+                >
+                  <Trans i18nKey={'dashboards.panel-queries.add-from-saved-queries'}>Add from saved queries</Trans>
+                </Button>
+              )}
+            </>
+          )}
+          {canAddExpressions && (
+            <ExpressionTypeDropdown handleOnSelect={model.onAddExpressionOfType}>
+              <Button icon="plus" variant="secondary" data-testid={selectors.components.QueryTab.addExpression}>
+                <Trans i18nKey="dashboard-scene.panel-data-queries-tab-rendered.expression">Expression&nbsp;</Trans>
+              </Button>
+            </ExpressionTypeDropdown>
+          )}
+          {model.renderExtraActions()}
+        </Stack>
+      )}
     </div>
   );
 }
diff --git a/public/app/features/query/components/QueryEditorRow.tsx b/public/app/features/query/components/QueryEditorRow.tsx
index dda45418910..a9859853bc5 100644
--- a/public/app/features/query/components/QueryEditorRow.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/query/components/QueryEditorRow.tsx
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import { selectors } from '@grafana/e2e-selectors';
 import { Trans, t } from '@grafana/i18n';
 import { getDataSourceSrv, renderLimitedComponents, reportInteraction, usePluginComponents } from '@grafana/runtime';
 import { DataQuery } from '@grafana/schema';
-import { Badge, Button, Dropdown, ErrorBoundaryAlert, Icon, List, Menu, Stack, Text, TextLink } from '@grafana/ui';
+import { Badge, Button, Dropdown, ErrorBoundaryAlert, Icon, List, Menu, Stack, Text } from '@grafana/ui';
 import { OperationRowHelp } from 'app/core/components/QueryOperationRow/OperationRowHelp';
 import {
   QueryOperationAction,
@@ -393,44 +393,15 @@ export class QueryEditorRow<TQuery extends DataQuery> extends PureComponent<Prop
     return extraActions;
   };
 
-  renderActions = (props: QueryOperationRowRenderProps) => {
-    const {
-      query,
-      hideHideQueryButton: hideHideQueryButton = false,
-      queryLibraryRef,
-      app,
-      isFocused,
-      onFocusQuery,
-    } = this.props;
+  buildMenuItems = (): ReactNode[] => {
+    const { isFocused, onFocusQuery } = this.props;
     const { datasource, showingHelp } = this.state;
-    const isHidden = !!query.hide;
-
     const hasEditorHelp = datasource?.components?.QueryEditorHelp;
-    const isEditingQueryLibrary = queryLibraryRef !== undefined;
-    const isUnifiedAlerting = app === CoreApp.UnifiedAlerting;
-    const isExpressionQuery = query.datasource?.uid === ExpressionDatasourceUID;
+    const isEditingQueryLibrary = this.props.queryLibraryRef !== undefined;
 
-    // Build menu items for the actions dropdown
-    const menuItems: ReactNode[] = [];
-
-    // Saved query buttons (if applicable) - keep separate as it returns complex ReactNode
-    const savedQueryButtons =
-      !isEditingQueryLibrary && !isUnifiedAlerting && !isExpressionQuery ? (
-        <SavedQueryButtons
-          query={{
-            ...query,
-            datasource: datasource ? { uid: datasource.uid, type: datasource.type } : query.datasource,
-          }}
-          app={app}
-          onUpdateSuccess={this.onExitQueryLibraryEditingMode}
-          onSelectQuery={this.onSelectQueryFromLibrary}
-          datasourceFilters={datasource?.name ? [datasource.name] : []}
-        />
-      ) : null;
-
-    // Data source help (toggle action)
-    if (hasEditorHelp) {
-      menuItems.push(
+    return [
+      // Data source help
+      hasEditorHelp && (
         <Menu.Item
           key="datasource-help"
           label={
@@ -442,24 +413,18 @@ export class QueryEditorRow<TQuery extends DataQuery> extends PureComponent<Prop
           onClick={this.onToggleHelp}
           active={showingHelp}
         />
-      );
-    }
-
-    // Duplicate query
-    if (!isEditingQueryLibrary) {
-      menuItems.push(
+      ),
+      // Duplicate query
+      !isEditingQueryLibrary && (
         <Menu.Item
           key="duplicate-query"
           label={t('query-operation.header.duplicate-query', 'Duplicate query')}
           icon="copy"
           onClick={this.onCopyQuery}
         />
-      );
-    }
-
-    // Focus query
-    if (onFocusQuery) {
-      menuItems.push(
+      ),
+      // Focus query
+      onFocusQuery && (
         <Menu.Item
           key="focus-query"
           label={
@@ -472,11 +437,44 @@ export class QueryEditorRow<TQuery extends DataQuery> extends PureComponent<Prop
           active={Boolean(isFocused)}
           testId={selectors.components.QueryEditorRow.actionButton('Focus query')}
         />
-      );
+      ),
+    ].filter((item): item is JSX.Element => Boolean(item));
+  };
+
+  renderSavedQueryButtons = (): ReactNode => {
+    const { query, app, queryLibraryRef } = this.props;
+    const { datasource } = this.state;
+    const isUnifiedAlerting = app === CoreApp.UnifiedAlerting;
+    const isExpressionQuery = query.datasource?.uid === ExpressionDatasourceUID;
+    const isEditingQueryLibrary = queryLibraryRef !== undefined;
+
+    if (isEditingQueryLibrary || isUnifiedAlerting || isExpressionQuery) {
+      return null;
     }
 
-    // Extra actions (warnings, badges, etc.) - keep separate as they return complex ReactNodes
+    return (
+      <SavedQueryButtons
+        query={{
+          ...query,
+          datasource: datasource ? { uid: datasource.uid, type: datasource.type } : query.datasource,
+        }}
+        app={app}
+        onUpdateSuccess={this.onExitQueryLibraryEditingMode}
+        onSelectQuery={this.onSelectQueryFromLibrary}
+        datasourceFilters={datasource?.name ? [datasource.name] : []}
+      />
+    );
+  };
+
+  renderActions = () => {
+    const { query, hideHideQueryButton = false, queryLibraryRef } = this.props;
+    const isHidden = !!query.hide;
+    const isEditingQueryLibrary = queryLibraryRef !== undefined;
+
+    // Build all action components
+    const savedQueryButtons = this.renderSavedQueryButtons();
     const extraActions = this.renderExtraActions();
+    const menuItems = this.buildMenuItems();
 
     // Only render dropdown if there are menu items
     const actionsDropdown =
@@ -496,7 +494,7 @@ export class QueryEditorRow<TQuery extends DataQuery> extends PureComponent<Prop
       <>
         {savedQueryButtons}
         {extraActions}
-        {!hideHideQueryButton ? (
+        {!hideHideQueryButton && (
           <QueryOperationToggleAction
             dataTestId={selectors.components.QueryEditorRow.actionButton('Hide response')}
             title={
@@ -508,7 +506,7 @@ export class QueryEditorRow<TQuery extends DataQuery> extends PureComponent<Prop
             active={isHidden}
             onClick={this.onHideQuery}
           />
-        ) : null}
+        )}
         {!isEditingQueryLibrary && (
           <QueryOperationAction
             title={t('query-operation.header.remove-query', 'Remove query')}
@@ -586,7 +584,7 @@ export class QueryEditorRow<TQuery extends DataQuery> extends PureComponent<Prop
         actions={hideActionButtons ? undefined : this.renderActions}
         isOpen={isOpen}
         onOpen={onQueryOpenChanged}
-        isFocused={isFocused}
+        highlight={isFocused}
       >
         <div className={rowClasses} id={this.id}>
           <ErrorBoundaryAlert boundaryName="query-editor-operation-row">
diff --git a/public/app/features/query/components/QueryEditorRows.tsx b/public/app/features/query/components/QueryEditorRows.tsx
index 6fbb651e64c..30f639ff1b1 100644
--- a/public/app/features/query/components/QueryEditorRows.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/query/components/QueryEditorRows.tsx
@@ -179,6 +179,11 @@ export class QueryEditorRows extends PureComponent<Props, { focusedQueryRefId: s
     this.props.onFocusQuery?.(Boolean(refId));
   };
 
+  toggleFocusedQuery = (refId: string) => {
+    const newFocusedRefId = this.state.focusedQueryRefId === refId ? null : refId;
+    this.setFocusedQueryRefId(newFocusedRefId);
+  };
+
   render() {
     const {
       dsSettings,
@@ -252,9 +257,7 @@ export class QueryEditorRows extends PureComponent<Props, { focusedQueryRefId: s
                       onCancelQueryLibraryEdit={onCancelQueryLibraryEdit}
                       isOpen={isOpen}
                       isFocused={focusedQueryRefId === query.refId}
-                      onFocusQuery={() =>
-                        this.setFocusedQueryRefId(focusedQueryRefId === query.refId ? null : query.refId)
-                      }
+                      onFocusQuery={() => this.toggleFocusedQuery(query.refId)}
                     />
                   );