diff --git a/public/app/plugins/panel/table/transformers.ts b/public/app/plugins/panel/table/transformers.ts
index b1cc644790e..12e1b528422 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/panel/table/transformers.ts
+++ b/public/app/plugins/panel/table/transformers.ts
@@ -152,8 +152,27 @@ transformers['table'] = {
       throw {message: 'Query result is not in table format, try using another transform.'};
     }
 
-    model.columns = data[0].columns;
-    model.rows = data[0].rows;
+    var i,j,k, entry;
+
+    if (panel.columns.length === 0) {
+      for (i = 0; i < data[0].columns.length; i++) {
+        panel.columns.push({ text: data[0].columns[i].text, value : data[0].columns[i].text});
+      }
+    }
+    var indices = [];
+    for (i = 0; i < panel.columns.length; i++) {
+      var column = _.findWhere(data[0].columns, { "text" : panel.columns[i].text });
+      indices.push(_.indexOf(data[0].columns, column));
+      model.columns.push(column);
+    }
+
+    for (i = 0; i < data[0].rows.length; i++) {
+      entry = [];
+      for (j = 0; j < indices.length; j++) {
+        entry.push(data[0].rows[i][indices[j]]);
+      }
+      model.rows.push(entry);
+    }
   }
 };