diff --git a/public/app/features/variables/state/actions.test.ts b/public/app/features/variables/state/actions.test.ts
index badb5ea7af9..18806f37884 100644
--- a/public/app/features/variables/state/actions.test.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/variables/state/actions.test.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import {
   fixSelectedInconsistency,
   initDashboardTemplating,
   initVariablesTransaction,
+  isVariableUrlValueDifferentFromCurrent,
   processVariables,
   validateVariableSelectionState,
 } from './actions';
@@ -775,4 +776,64 @@ describe('shared actions', () => {
       });
     });
   });
+
+  describe('isVariableUrlValueDifferentFromCurrent', () => {
+    describe('when called with a single valued variable', () => {
+      describe('and values are equal', () => {
+        it('then it should return false', () => {
+          const variable = queryBuilder().withMulti(false).withCurrent('A', 'A').build();
+          const urlValue = 'A';
+
+          expect(isVariableUrlValueDifferentFromCurrent(variable, urlValue)).toBe(false);
+        });
+      });
+
+      describe('and values are different', () => {
+        it('then it should return true', () => {
+          const variable = queryBuilder().withMulti(false).withCurrent('A', 'A').build();
+          const urlValue = 'B';
+
+          expect(isVariableUrlValueDifferentFromCurrent(variable, urlValue)).toBe(true);
+        });
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe('when called with a multi valued variable', () => {
+      describe('and values are equal', () => {
+        it('then it should return false', () => {
+          const variable = queryBuilder().withMulti(true).withCurrent(['A'], ['A']).build();
+          const urlValue = ['A'];
+
+          expect(isVariableUrlValueDifferentFromCurrent(variable, urlValue)).toBe(false);
+        });
+
+        describe('but urlValue is not an array', () => {
+          it('then it should return false', () => {
+            const variable = queryBuilder().withMulti(true).withCurrent(['A'], ['A']).build();
+            const urlValue = 'A';
+
+            expect(isVariableUrlValueDifferentFromCurrent(variable, urlValue)).toBe(false);
+          });
+        });
+      });
+
+      describe('and values are different', () => {
+        it('then it should return true', () => {
+          const variable = queryBuilder().withMulti(true).withCurrent(['A'], ['A']).build();
+          const urlValue = ['C'];
+
+          expect(isVariableUrlValueDifferentFromCurrent(variable, urlValue)).toBe(true);
+        });
+
+        describe('but urlValue is not an array', () => {
+          it('then it should return true', () => {
+            const variable = queryBuilder().withMulti(true).withCurrent(['A'], ['A']).build();
+            const urlValue = 'C';
+
+            expect(isVariableUrlValueDifferentFromCurrent(variable, urlValue)).toBe(true);
+          });
+        });
+      });
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/public/app/features/variables/state/actions.ts b/public/app/features/variables/state/actions.ts
index b251e08f9a6..5d4a2bae90c 100644
--- a/public/app/features/variables/state/actions.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/variables/state/actions.ts
@@ -622,11 +622,15 @@ export const templateVarsChangedInUrl = (vars: ExtendedUrlQueryMap): ThunkResult
   }
 };
 
-const isVariableUrlValueDifferentFromCurrent = (variable: VariableModel, urlValue: any): boolean => {
-  const stringUrlValue = ensureStringValues(urlValue);
+export function isVariableUrlValueDifferentFromCurrent(variable: VariableModel, urlValue: any): boolean {
+  const variableValue = variableAdapters.get(variable.type).getValueForUrl(variable);
+  let stringUrlValue = ensureStringValues(urlValue);
+  if (Array.isArray(variableValue) && !Array.isArray(stringUrlValue)) {
+    stringUrlValue = [stringUrlValue];
+  }
   // lodash isEqual handles array of value equality checks as well
-  return !isEqual(variableAdapters.get(variable.type).getValueForUrl(variable), stringUrlValue);
-};
+  return !isEqual(variableValue, stringUrlValue);
+}
 
 const getQueryWithVariables = (getState: () => StoreState): UrlQueryMap => {
   const queryParams = locationService.getSearchObject();