diff --git a/public/app/features/explore/NodeGraph/NodeGraphContainer.test.tsx b/public/app/features/explore/NodeGraph/NodeGraphContainer.test.tsx
index bc1f3f2ae1f..20286348e2b 100644
--- a/public/app/features/explore/NodeGraph/NodeGraphContainer.test.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/explore/NodeGraph/NodeGraphContainer.test.tsx
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ const nodes = new MutableDataFrame({
     ['secondaryStat', ['1047.29ms (99.82%)']],
     ['color', [0.9982395121342127]],
   ]),
+  meta: { preferredVisualisationType: 'nodeGraph' },
 });
 
 function toFields(fields: Array<[string, unknown[]]>) {
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/panel/nodeGraph/utils.ts b/public/app/plugins/panel/nodeGraph/utils.ts
index cf8d6abb351..605d9f29af3 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/panel/nodeGraph/utils.ts
+++ b/public/app/plugins/panel/nodeGraph/utils.ts
@@ -433,6 +433,7 @@ function nodesFrame() {
       ...value,
       name: key,
     })),
+    meta: { preferredVisualisationType: 'nodeGraph' },
   });
 }
 
@@ -480,6 +481,7 @@ function edgesFrame() {
       ...value,
       name: key,
     })),
+    meta: { preferredVisualisationType: 'nodeGraph' },
   });
 }