diff --git a/public/app/features/query/components/QueryGroup.tsx b/public/app/features/query/components/QueryGroup.tsx
index 14af0b1c97d..14835278074 100644
--- a/public/app/features/query/components/QueryGroup.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/query/components/QueryGroup.tsx
@@ -104,7 +104,8 @@ export class QueryGroup extends PureComponent<Props, State> {
     const currentDS = dsSettings ? await getDataSourceSrv().get(dsSettings.uid) : undefined;
     const nextDS = await getDataSourceSrv().get(newSettings.uid);
 
-    const queries = await updateQueries(nextDS, this.state.queries, currentDS);
+    // We need to pass in newSettings.uid as well here as that can be a variable expression and we want to store that in the query model not the current ds variable value
+    const queries = await updateQueries(nextDS, newSettings.uid, this.state.queries, currentDS);
 
     const dataSource = await this.dataSourceSrv.get(newSettings.name);
     this.onChange({
diff --git a/public/app/features/query/state/updateQueries.test.ts b/public/app/features/query/state/updateQueries.test.ts
index ad87cb3be9d..f761b7a1d85 100644
--- a/public/app/features/query/state/updateQueries.test.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/query/state/updateQueries.test.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ describe('updateQueries', () => {
   it('Should update all queries except expression query when changing data source with same type', async () => {
     const updated = await updateQueries(
       newUidSameTypeDS,
+      'new-uid-same-type',
       [
         {
           refId: 'A',
@@ -64,9 +65,29 @@ describe('updateQueries', () => {
     expect(updated[1].datasource).toEqual(ExpressionDatasourceRef);
   });
 
+  it('Should update all to uid string passed in even when different from real current ds uid', async () => {
+    const updated = await updateQueries(
+      newUidSameTypeDS,
+      '${ds}',
+      [
+        {
+          refId: 'A',
+          datasource: {
+            uid: 'old-uid',
+            type: 'old-type',
+          },
+        },
+      ],
+      oldUidDS
+    );
+
+    expect(updated[0].datasource).toEqual({ type: 'old-type', uid: '${ds}' });
+  });
+
   it('Should clear queries when changing type', async () => {
     const updated = await updateQueries(
       newUidDS,
+      'new-uid',
       [
         {
           refId: 'A',
@@ -93,6 +114,7 @@ describe('updateQueries', () => {
   it('Should preserve query data source when changing to mixed', async () => {
     const updated = await updateQueries(
       mixedDS,
+      'mixed',
       [
         {
           refId: 'A',
@@ -119,6 +141,7 @@ describe('updateQueries', () => {
   it('should change nothing mixed updated to mixed', async () => {
     const updated = await updateQueries(
       mixedDS,
+      'mixed',
       [
         {
           refId: 'A',
@@ -192,7 +215,12 @@ describe('updateQueries with import', () => {
         },
       ];
 
-      const updated = await updateQueries(newUidDSWithAbstract as any, queries, oldUidDSWithAbstract as any);
+      const updated = await updateQueries(
+        newUidDSWithAbstract as any,
+        (newUidDSWithAbstract as any).uid,
+        queries,
+        oldUidDSWithAbstract as any
+      );
 
       expect(exportSpy).toBeCalledWith(queries);
       expect(importSpy).toBeCalledWith(queries.map((q) => ({ ...q, exported: true })));
@@ -262,7 +290,12 @@ describe('updateQueries with import', () => {
         },
       ];
 
-      const updated = await updateQueries(newUidDSWithAbstract as any, queries, oldUidDSWithAbstract as any);
+      const updated = await updateQueries(
+        newUidDSWithAbstract as any,
+        (newUidDSWithAbstract as any).uid,
+        queries,
+        oldUidDSWithAbstract as any
+      );
 
       expect(updated.length).toEqual(1);
       expect(updated[0].datasource).toEqual({ type: 'new-type', uid: 'new-uid' });
@@ -311,7 +344,7 @@ describe('updateQueries with import', () => {
         },
       ];
 
-      const updated = await updateQueries(newUidDSWithImport, queries, oldUidDS);
+      const updated = await updateQueries(newUidDSWithImport, newUidDSWithImport.uid, queries, oldUidDS);
 
       expect(importSpy).toBeCalledWith(queries, { uid: 'old-uid', type: 'old-type', meta: { id: 'old-type' } });
 
@@ -374,7 +407,7 @@ describe('updateQueries with import', () => {
         },
       ];
 
-      const updated = await updateQueries(newUidDSWithImport, queries, oldUidDS);
+      const updated = await updateQueries(newUidDSWithImport, 'new-uid', queries, oldUidDS);
 
       expect(updated.length).toEqual(1);
       expect(updated[0].datasource).toEqual({ type: 'new-type', uid: 'new-uid' });
diff --git a/public/app/features/query/state/updateQueries.ts b/public/app/features/query/state/updateQueries.ts
index 3eb1a1b5aa7..6e3015f6b67 100644
--- a/public/app/features/query/state/updateQueries.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/query/state/updateQueries.ts
@@ -3,11 +3,12 @@ import { isExpressionReference } from '@grafana/runtime/src/utils/DataSourceWith
 
 export async function updateQueries(
   nextDS: DataSourceApi,
+  nextDSUidOrVariableExpression: string,
   queries: DataQuery[],
   currentDS?: DataSourceApi
 ): Promise<DataQuery[]> {
   let nextQueries = queries;
-  const datasource = { type: nextDS.type, uid: nextDS.uid };
+  const datasource = { type: nextDS.type, uid: nextDSUidOrVariableExpression };
 
   // we are changing data source type
   if (currentDS?.meta.id !== nextDS.meta.id) {