diff --git a/packages/grafana-e2e-selectors/src/types/selectors.ts b/packages/grafana-e2e-selectors/src/types/selectors.ts
index e58a9251cac..f19c55f5628 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-e2e-selectors/src/types/selectors.ts
+++ b/packages/grafana-e2e-selectors/src/types/selectors.ts
@@ -2,14 +2,23 @@ export type StringSelector = string;
 export type FunctionSelector = (id: string) => string;
 export type CssSelector = () => string;
 
+/**
+ * @alpha
+ */
 export interface Selectors {
   [key: string]: StringSelector | FunctionSelector | CssSelector | UrlSelector | Selectors;
 }
 
+/**
+ * @alpha
+ */
 export type E2ESelectors<S extends Selectors> = {
   [P in keyof S]: S[P];
 };
 
+/**
+ * @alpha
+ */
 export interface UrlSelector extends Selectors {
   url: string | FunctionSelector;
 }
diff --git a/public/app/features/variables/query/queryRunners.test.ts b/public/app/features/variables/query/queryRunners.test.ts
index 3d76a655f62..066defdd32a 100644
--- a/public/app/features/variables/query/queryRunners.test.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/variables/query/queryRunners.test.ts
@@ -293,6 +293,7 @@ describe('QueryRunners', () => {
         const target = runner.getTarget({ datasource, variable });
         expect(target).toEqual({ refId: 'A', query: 'A query' });
       });
+
       describe('and ref id is missing', () => {
         it('then it should return correct target with dummy ref id', () => {
           const { runner, datasource, variable } = getDatasourceTestContext();
diff --git a/public/app/features/variables/query/queryRunners.ts b/public/app/features/variables/query/queryRunners.ts
index b014d07034d..38d7fa60c12 100644
--- a/public/app/features/variables/query/queryRunners.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/variables/query/queryRunners.ts
@@ -160,10 +160,7 @@ class DatasourceQueryRunner implements QueryRunner {
 
   getTarget({ datasource, variable }: GetTargetArgs) {
     if (hasDatasourceVariableSupport(datasource)) {
-      if (!variable.query.refId) {
-        variable.query.refId = variableDummyRefId;
-      }
-      return variable.query;
+      return { ...variable.query, refId: variable.query.refId ?? variableDummyRefId };
     }
 
     throw new Error("Couldn't create a target with supplied arguments.");