diff --git a/packages/grafana-data/src/index.ts b/packages/grafana-data/src/index.ts
index 2a190301d1d..016fb013123 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-data/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/grafana-data/src/index.ts
@@ -877,3 +877,5 @@ export {
   userHasAllPermissions,
   userHasAnyPermission,
 } from './rbac/rbac';
+
+export { type UserStorage } from './types/userStorage';
diff --git a/packages/grafana-data/src/types/datasource.ts b/packages/grafana-data/src/types/datasource.ts
index d760d916f4a..d75d3f0bec4 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-data/src/types/datasource.ts
+++ b/packages/grafana-data/src/types/datasource.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import { DataQuery } from './query';
 import { Scope } from './scopes';
 import { AdHocVariableFilter } from './templateVars';
 import { RawTimeRange, TimeRange } from './time';
+import { UserStorage } from './userStorage';
 import { CustomVariableSupport, DataSourceVariableSupport, StandardVariableSupport } from './variables';
 
 export interface DataSourcePluginOptionsEditorProps<
@@ -238,6 +239,11 @@ abstract class DataSourceApi<
    */
   interval?: string;
 
+  /**
+   * Initialized in datasource_srv.ts
+   */
+  userStorage?: UserStorage;
+
   constructor(instanceSettings: DataSourceInstanceSettings<TOptions>) {
     this.name = instanceSettings.name;
     this.id = instanceSettings.id;
diff --git a/packages/grafana-data/src/types/userStorage.ts b/packages/grafana-data/src/types/userStorage.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e34089ee6ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/grafana-data/src/types/userStorage.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+export interface UserStorage {
+  /**
+   * Retrieves an item from the backend user storage or local storage if not enabled.
+   * @param key - The key of the item to retrieve.
+   * @returns A promise that resolves to the item value or null if not found.
+   */
+  getItem(key: string): Promise<string | null>;
+  /**
+   * Sets an item in the backend user storage or local storage if not enabled.
+   * @param key - The key of the item to set.
+   * @param value - The value of the item to set.
+   * @returns A promise that resolves when the item is set.
+   */
+  setItem(key: string, value: string): Promise<void>;
+}
diff --git a/packages/grafana-runtime/src/utils/DataSourceWithBackend.ts b/packages/grafana-runtime/src/utils/DataSourceWithBackend.ts
index a40272f8a44..d9ed30eee0a 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-runtime/src/utils/DataSourceWithBackend.ts
+++ b/packages/grafana-runtime/src/utils/DataSourceWithBackend.ts
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ class DataSourceWithBackend<
   TQuery extends DataQuery = DataQuery,
   TOptions extends DataSourceJsonData = DataSourceJsonData,
 > extends DataSourceApi<TQuery, TOptions> {
-  protected userStorage: UserStorage;
+  userStorage: UserStorage;
 
   constructor(instanceSettings: DataSourceInstanceSettings<TOptions>) {
     super(instanceSettings);
diff --git a/packages/grafana-runtime/src/utils/userStorage.tsx b/packages/grafana-runtime/src/utils/userStorage.tsx
index 466bb5e8e7e..1bdb7cf68a2 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-runtime/src/utils/userStorage.tsx
+++ b/packages/grafana-runtime/src/utils/userStorage.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { get } from 'lodash';
 import { lastValueFrom } from 'rxjs';
 
-import { usePluginContext } from '@grafana/data';
+import { usePluginContext, type UserStorage as UserStorageType } from '@grafana/data';
 
 import { config } from '../config';
 import { BackendSrvRequest, getBackendSrv } from '../services';
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ async function apiRequest<T>(requestOptions: RequestOptions) {
  * A class for interacting with the backend user storage.
  * Exposed internally only to avoid misuse (wrong service name)..
  */
-export class UserStorage {
+export class UserStorage implements UserStorageType {
   private service: string;
   private resourceName: string;
   private userUID: string;
@@ -141,21 +141,8 @@ export class UserStorage {
   }
 }
 
-export interface PluginUserStorage {
-  /**
-   * Retrieves an item from the backend user storage or local storage if not enabled.
-   * @param key - The key of the item to retrieve.
-   * @returns A promise that resolves to the item value or null if not found.
-   */
-  getItem(key: string): Promise<string | null>;
-  /**
-   * Sets an item in the backend user storage or local storage if not enabled.
-   * @param key - The key of the item to set.
-   * @param value - The value of the item to set.
-   * @returns A promise that resolves when the item is set.
-   */
-  setItem(key: string, value: string): Promise<void>;
-}
+// This is a type alias to avoid breaking changes
+export interface PluginUserStorage extends UserStorageType {}
 
 /**
  * A hook for interacting with the backend user storage (or local storage if not enabled).
diff --git a/public/app/features/plugins/datasource_srv.ts b/public/app/features/plugins/datasource_srv.ts
index 4b5bcda96b8..f434681943f 100644
--- a/public/app/features/plugins/datasource_srv.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/plugins/datasource_srv.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import {
   TemplateSrv,
   isExpressionReference,
 } from '@grafana/runtime';
-import { ExpressionDatasourceRef } from '@grafana/runtime/internal';
+import { ExpressionDatasourceRef, UserStorage } from '@grafana/runtime/internal';
 import { DataQuery, DataSourceJsonData } from '@grafana/schema';
 import appEvents from 'app/core/app_events';
 import config from 'app/core/config';
@@ -205,6 +205,10 @@ export class DatasourceSrv implements DataSourceService {
       const instance = new dsPlugin.DataSourceClass(instanceSettings);
 
       instance.components = dsPlugin.components;
+      if (!instance.userStorage) {
+        // DatasourceApi does not instantiate a userStorage property, but DataSourceWithBackend does
+        instance.userStorage = new UserStorage(instanceSettings.type);
+      }
 
       // Some old plugins does not extend DataSourceApi so we need to manually patch them
       if (!(instance instanceof DataSourceApi)) {