diff --git a/pkg/services/alerting/rule.go b/pkg/services/alerting/rule.go
index 529f3b9ff95..902c1660976 100644
--- a/pkg/services/alerting/rule.go
+++ b/pkg/services/alerting/rule.go
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/components/simplejson"
 	m "github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/models"
-
-	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/bus"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -129,28 +127,10 @@ func NewRuleFromDBAlert(ruleDef *m.Alert) (*Rule, error) {
 	for _, v := range ruleDef.Settings.Get("notifications").MustArray() {
 		jsonModel := simplejson.NewFromAny(v)
 		if id, err := jsonModel.Get("id").Int64(); err == nil {
-			cmd := m.GetAlertNotificationsQuery{
-				Id:    id,
-				OrgId: ruleDef.OrgId,
-			}
-
-			if err = bus.Dispatch(&cmd); err != nil {
-				return nil, err
-			}
-
-			if cmd.Result == nil {
-				errString := fmt.Sprintf("Alert notification id %d doesn't exist", id)
-				return nil, ValidationError{Reason: errString, DashboardId: model.DashboardId, Alertid: model.Id, PanelId: model.PanelId}
-			}
-
-			if cmd.Result.Uid == "" {
-				errString := fmt.Sprintf("Alert notification id %d has empty uid", id)
-				return nil, ValidationError{Reason: errString, DashboardId: model.DashboardId, Alertid: model.Id, PanelId: model.PanelId}
-			}
-			model.Notifications = append(model.Notifications, cmd.Result.Uid)
+			model.Notifications = append(model.Notifications, fmt.Sprintf("%09d", id))
 		} else {
 			if uid, err := jsonModel.Get("uid").String(); err != nil {
-				return nil, ValidationError{Reason: "Neither id nor uid is specified", DashboardId: model.DashboardId, Alertid: model.Id, PanelId: model.PanelId}
+				return nil, ValidationError{Reason: "Neither id nor uid is specified, " + err.Error(), DashboardId: model.DashboardId, Alertid: model.Id, PanelId: model.PanelId}
 			} else {
 				model.Notifications = append(model.Notifications, uid)
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/services/alerting/rule_test.go b/pkg/services/alerting/rule_test.go
index 9b99278a5aa..7e8af888338 100644
--- a/pkg/services/alerting/rule_test.go
+++ b/pkg/services/alerting/rule_test.go
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ func TestAlertRuleModel(t *testing.T) {
 		Convey("can construct alert rule model", func() {
 			err := sqlstore.CreateOrg(&m.CreateOrgCommand{Name: "Main Org."})
 			So(err, ShouldBeNil)
-			firstNotification := m.CreateAlertNotificationCommand{Uid: "notifier1", OrgId: 1, Name: "1"}
+			firstNotification := m.CreateAlertNotificationCommand{OrgId: 1, Name: "1"}
 			err = sqlstore.CreateAlertNotificationCommand(&firstNotification)
 			So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 			secondNotification := m.CreateAlertNotificationCommand{Uid: "notifier2", OrgId: 1, Name: "2"}
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ func TestAlertRuleModel(t *testing.T) {
 
 				Convey("Can read notifications", func() {
 					So(len(alertRule.Notifications), ShouldEqual, 2)
-					So(alertRule.Notifications, ShouldContain, "notifier1")
+					So(alertRule.Notifications, ShouldContain, "000000001")
 					So(alertRule.Notifications, ShouldContain, "notifier2")
 				})
 			})
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ func TestAlertRuleModel(t *testing.T) {
 
 			_, err := NewRuleFromDBAlert(alert)
 			So(err, ShouldNotBeNil)
-			So(err.Error(), ShouldEqual, "Alert validation error: Neither id nor uid is specified AlertId: 1 PanelId: 1 DashboardId: 1")
+			So(err.Error(), ShouldEqual, "Alert validation error: Neither id nor uid is specified, type assertion to string failed AlertId: 1 PanelId: 1 DashboardId: 1")
 		})
 
 	})
diff --git a/pkg/services/sqlstore/alert_notification.go b/pkg/services/sqlstore/alert_notification.go
index 0b958489624..9231c896cf1 100644
--- a/pkg/services/sqlstore/alert_notification.go
+++ b/pkg/services/sqlstore/alert_notification.go
@@ -130,7 +130,6 @@ func getAlertNotificationInternal(query *m.GetAlertNotificationsQuery, sess *DBS
 
 	sql.WriteString(`SELECT
 										alert_notification.id,
-										alert_notification.uid,
 										alert_notification.org_id,
 										alert_notification.name,
 										alert_notification.type,