diff --git a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/Select/types.ts b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/Select/types.ts
index e2ecb59178a..b7bd318463d 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/Select/types.ts
+++ b/packages/grafana-ui/src/components/Select/types.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ export type ActionMeta = SelectActionMeta<{}>;
 export type InputActionMeta = {
   action: 'set-value' | 'input-change' | 'input-blur' | 'menu-close';
 };
+export type LoadOptionsCallback<T> = (options: Array<SelectableValue<T>>) => void;
 
 export interface SelectCommonProps<T> {
   /** Aria label applied to the input field */
@@ -87,8 +88,10 @@ export interface SelectCommonProps<T> {
 export interface SelectAsyncProps<T> {
   /** When specified as boolean the loadOptions will execute when component is mounted */
   defaultOptions?: boolean | Array<SelectableValue<T>>;
+
   /** Asynchronously load select options */
-  loadOptions?: (query: string) => Promise<Array<SelectableValue<T>>>;
+  loadOptions?: (query: string, cb?: LoadOptionsCallback<T>) => Promise<Array<SelectableValue<T>>> | void;
+
   /** If cacheOptions is true, then the loaded data will be cached. The cache will remain until cacheOptions changes value. */
   cacheOptions?: boolean;
   /** Message to display when options are loading */
diff --git a/public/app/core/components/Select/FolderPicker.tsx b/public/app/core/components/Select/FolderPicker.tsx
index 878e7d9d9fb..b8d5c006372 100644
--- a/public/app/core/components/Select/FolderPicker.tsx
+++ b/public/app/core/components/Select/FolderPicker.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import React, { PureComponent } from 'react';
 
 import { AppEvents, SelectableValue } from '@grafana/data';
 import { selectors } from '@grafana/e2e-selectors';
-import { ActionMeta, AsyncSelect } from '@grafana/ui';
+import { ActionMeta, AsyncSelect, LoadOptionsCallback } from '@grafana/ui';
 import { contextSrv } from 'app/core/services/context_srv';
 import { createFolder, getFolderById, searchFolders } from 'app/features/manage-dashboards/state/actions';
 import { DashboardSearchHit } from 'app/features/search/types';
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ export class FolderPicker extends PureComponent<Props, State> {
       folder: null,
     };
 
-    this.debouncedSearch = debounce(this.getOptions, 300, {
+    this.debouncedSearch = debounce(this.loadOptions, 300, {
       leading: true,
       trailing: true,
     });
@@ -82,7 +82,13 @@ export class FolderPicker extends PureComponent<Props, State> {
     await this.loadInitialValue();
   };
 
-  getOptions = async (query: string) => {
+  // when debouncing, we must use the callback form of react-select's loadOptions so we don't
+  // drop results for user input. This must not return a promise/use await.
+  loadOptions = (query: string, callback: LoadOptionsCallback<number>): void => {
+    this.searchFolders(query).then(callback);
+  };
+
+  private searchFolders = async (query: string) => {
     const {
       rootName,
       enableReset,
@@ -159,7 +165,7 @@ export class FolderPicker extends PureComponent<Props, State> {
     const resetFolder: SelectableValue<number> = { label: initialTitle, value: undefined };
     const rootFolder: SelectableValue<number> = { label: rootName, value: 0 };
 
-    const options = await this.getOptions('');
+    const options = await this.searchFolders('');
 
     let folder: SelectableValue<number> | null = null;
 
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/components/DashboardSettings/DashboardSettings.test.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard/components/DashboardSettings/DashboardSettings.test.tsx
index a694be7c3f6..c0a60e5bb55 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/components/DashboardSettings/DashboardSettings.test.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/components/DashboardSettings/DashboardSettings.test.tsx
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ jest.mock('@grafana/runtime', () => ({
 }));
 
 setBackendSrv({
-  get: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({}),
+  get: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue([]),
 } as any);
 
 describe('DashboardSettings', () => {
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/components/DashboardSettings/GeneralSettings.test.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard/components/DashboardSettings/GeneralSettings.test.tsx
index bbbaa0eda35..5d77b3db8bd 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/components/DashboardSettings/GeneralSettings.test.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/components/DashboardSettings/GeneralSettings.test.tsx
@@ -5,11 +5,16 @@ import { selectOptionInTest } from 'test/helpers/selectOptionInTest';
 import { byRole } from 'testing-library-selector';
 
 import { selectors } from '@grafana/e2e-selectors';
+import { setBackendSrv } from '@grafana/runtime';
 
 import { DashboardModel } from '../../state';
 
 import { GeneralSettingsUnconnected as GeneralSettings, Props } from './GeneralSettings';
 
+setBackendSrv({
+  get: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue([]),
+} as any);
+
 const setupTestContext = (options: Partial<Props>) => {
   const defaults: Props = {
     dashboard: {