diff --git a/pkg/tsdb/stackdriver/stackdriver.go b/pkg/tsdb/stackdriver/stackdriver.go
index b90420e9f03..495e62de22c 100644
--- a/pkg/tsdb/stackdriver/stackdriver.go
+++ b/pkg/tsdb/stackdriver/stackdriver.go
@@ -102,10 +102,8 @@ func (e *StackdriverExecutor) getGCEDefaultProject(ctx context.Context, tsdbQuer
 
 	gceDefaultProject, err := e.getDefaultProject(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
-		slog.Debug("Stackdriver", "Auth", "Failed to use GCE auth: ", err)
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Failed to retrieve default project from GCE metadata server. error: %v", err)
 	}
-	slog.Debug("Stackdriver", "Auth", "Successfully use GCE auth: ", gceDefaultProject)
 
 	queryResult.Meta.Set("defaultProject", gceDefaultProject)
 	result.Results[refId] = queryResult
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/stackdriver/components/Metrics.tsx b/public/app/plugins/datasource/stackdriver/components/Metrics.tsx
index 2ae137ca1a5..686e528d2d6 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/stackdriver/components/Metrics.tsx
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/stackdriver/components/Metrics.tsx
@@ -111,7 +111,6 @@ export function Metrics(props: Props) {
     return services.length > 0 ? _.uniqBy(services, s => s.value) : [];
   };
 
-  console.log('rerender', { service, metricType });
   return (
     <>
       <div className="gf-form-inline">
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/stackdriver/components/QueryEditor.test.tsx b/public/app/plugins/datasource/stackdriver/components/QueryEditor.test.tsx
index c7a75dadbac..6350f9675b7 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/stackdriver/components/QueryEditor.test.tsx
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/stackdriver/components/QueryEditor.test.tsx
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ const props: Props = {
   datasource: {
     getProjects: () => Promise.resolve([]),
     getDefaultProject: () => Promise.resolve('projectName'),
+    ensureGCEDefaultProject: () => {},
     getMetricTypes: () => Promise.resolve([]),
     getLabels: () => Promise.resolve([]),
     variables: [],
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/stackdriver/components/QueryEditor.tsx b/public/app/plugins/datasource/stackdriver/components/QueryEditor.tsx
index 0ce4ad77fd2..b751284acb1 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/stackdriver/components/QueryEditor.tsx
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/stackdriver/components/QueryEditor.tsx
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ export class QueryEditor extends React.Component<Props, State> {
 
   async componentDidMount() {
     const { events, target, templateSrv, datasource } = this.props;
+    await datasource.ensureGCEDefaultProject();
     if (!target.projectName) {
       target.projectName = datasource.getDefaultProject();
     }
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/stackdriver/components/__snapshots__/QueryEditor.test.tsx.snap b/public/app/plugins/datasource/stackdriver/components/__snapshots__/QueryEditor.test.tsx.snap
index e6eeee7acf2..81fc2058be9 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/stackdriver/components/__snapshots__/QueryEditor.test.tsx.snap
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/stackdriver/components/__snapshots__/QueryEditor.test.tsx.snap
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ Array [
       onClick={[Function]}
     >
       <a
-        className="gf-form-label query-part"
+        className="gf-form-label query-part query-placeholder"
       >
         Select Project
       </a>
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/stackdriver/datasource.ts b/public/app/plugins/datasource/stackdriver/datasource.ts
index 9251a21ec1d..670d31bd05c 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/stackdriver/datasource.ts
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/stackdriver/datasource.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ export default class StackdriverDatasource extends DataSourceApi<StackdriverQuer
   }
 
   async getTimeSeries(options: DataQueryRequest<StackdriverQuery>) {
+    await this.ensureGCEDefaultProject();
     const queries = options.targets
       .filter((target: StackdriverQuery) => {
         return !target.hide && target.metricType;
@@ -173,6 +174,7 @@ export default class StackdriverDatasource extends DataSourceApi<StackdriverQuer
   }
 
   async annotationQuery(options: any) {
+    await this.ensureGCEDefaultProject();
     const annotation = options.annotation;
     const queries = [
       {
@@ -218,6 +220,7 @@ export default class StackdriverDatasource extends DataSourceApi<StackdriverQuer
   }
 
   async metricFindQuery(query: VariableQueryData) {
+    await this.ensureGCEDefaultProject();
     const stackdriverMetricFindQuery = new StackdriverMetricFindQuery(this);
     return stackdriverMetricFindQuery.execute(query);
   }
@@ -320,12 +323,19 @@ export default class StackdriverDatasource extends DataSourceApi<StackdriverQuer
   getDefaultProject(): string {
     const { defaultProject, authenticationType, gceDefaultProject } = this.instanceSettings.jsonData;
     if (authenticationType === 'gce') {
-      return gceDefaultProject || defaultProject || '';
+      return gceDefaultProject || '';
     }
 
     return defaultProject || '';
   }
 
+  async ensureGCEDefaultProject() {
+    const { authenticationType, gceDefaultProject } = this.instanceSettings.jsonData;
+    if (authenticationType === 'gce' && !gceDefaultProject) {
+      this.instanceSettings.jsonData.gceDefaultProject = await this.getGCEDefaultProject();
+    }
+  }
+
   async getMetricTypes(projectName: string): Promise<MetricDescriptor[]> {
     try {
       if (!projectName) {