diff --git a/public/app/core/components/Tooltip/Popper.tsx b/public/app/core/components/Tooltip/Popper.tsx
index 36cf0fe837e..d5ea1d93091 100644
--- a/public/app/core/components/Tooltip/Popper.tsx
+++ b/public/app/core/components/Tooltip/Popper.tsx
@@ -21,13 +21,21 @@ interface Props {
   placement?: any;
   content: string | ((props: any) => JSX.Element);
   refClassName?: string;
+  theme?: string;
+}
+
+export enum Themes {
+  Default = 'popper__background--default',
+  Error = 'popper__background--error',
 }
 
 class Popper extends PureComponent<Props> {
   render() {
-    const { children, renderContent, show, placement, refClassName } = this.props;
+    const { children, renderContent, show, placement, refClassName, theme } = this.props;
     const { content } = this.props;
 
+    const popperBackgroundClassName = 'popper__background' + (theme ? ' ' + theme : '');
+
     return (
       <Manager>
         <Reference>
@@ -53,7 +61,7 @@ class Popper extends PureComponent<Props> {
                       data-placement={placement}
                       className="popper"
                     >
-                      <div className="popper__background">
+                      <div className={popperBackgroundClassName}>
                         {renderContent(content)}
                         <div ref={arrowProps.ref} data-placement={placement} className="popper__arrow" />
                       </div>
diff --git a/public/app/core/components/Tooltip/withPopper.tsx b/public/app/core/components/Tooltip/withPopper.tsx
index 4ba05937531..7be12748247 100644
--- a/public/app/core/components/Tooltip/withPopper.tsx
+++ b/public/app/core/components/Tooltip/withPopper.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ export interface UsingPopperProps {
   content: string | ((props: any) => JSX.Element);
   className?: string;
   refClassName?: string;
+  theme?: string;
 }
 
 interface Props {
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ interface Props {
   className?: string;
   refClassName?: string;
   content: string | ((props: any) => JSX.Element);
+  theme?: string;
 }
 
 interface State {
@@ -71,7 +73,6 @@ export default function withPopper(WrappedComponent) {
     render() {
       const { show, placement } = this.state;
       const className = this.props.className || '';
-
       return (
         <WrappedComponent
           {...this.props}
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/DataPanel.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/DataPanel.tsx
index 7d752da95a8..d57b787bf57 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/DataPanel.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/DataPanel.tsx
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import kbn from 'app/core/utils/kbn';
 // Types
 import { DataQueryOptions, DataQueryResponse } from 'app/types';
 import { TimeRange, TimeSeries, LoadingState } from '@grafana/ui';
+import { Themes } from 'app/core/components/Tooltip/Popper';
 
 interface RenderProps {
   loading: LoadingState;
@@ -140,7 +141,7 @@ export class DataPanel extends Component<Props, State> {
     const timeSeries = response.data;
 
     if (isFirstLoad && loading === LoadingState.Loading) {
-      return this.renderLoadingState();
+      return this.renderLoadingStates();
     }
 
     if (!queries.length) {
@@ -153,7 +154,7 @@ export class DataPanel extends Component<Props, State> {
 
     return (
       <>
-        {this.renderLoadingState()}
+        {this.renderLoadingStates()}
         {this.props.children({
           timeSeries,
           loading,
@@ -162,7 +163,7 @@ export class DataPanel extends Component<Props, State> {
     );
   }
 
-  private renderLoadingState(): JSX.Element {
+  private renderLoadingStates(): JSX.Element {
     const { loading } = this.state;
     if (loading === LoadingState.Loading) {
       return (
@@ -177,6 +178,7 @@ export class DataPanel extends Component<Props, State> {
           className="popper__manager--block"
           refClassName={`panel-info-corner panel-info-corner--error`}
           placement="bottom-start"
+          theme={Themes.Error}
         >
           <i className="fa" />
           <span className="panel-info-corner-inner" />
diff --git a/public/sass/_variables.dark.scss b/public/sass/_variables.dark.scss
index 70db51a0fb2..8769164d5ec 100644
--- a/public/sass/_variables.dark.scss
+++ b/public/sass/_variables.dark.scss
@@ -302,12 +302,14 @@ $popover-error-bg: $btn-danger-bg;
 // Tooltips and popovers
 // -------------------------
 $tooltipColor: $popover-help-color;
-$tooltipBackground: $popover-help-bg;
 $tooltipArrowWidth: 5px;
-$tooltipArrowColor: $tooltipBackground;
 $tooltipLinkColor: $link-color;
 $graph-tooltip-bg: $dark-1;
 
+$tooltipBackground: $popover-help-bg;
+$tooltipArrowColor: $tooltipBackground;
+$tooltipBackgroundError: $brand-danger;
+
 // images
 $checkboxImageUrl: '../img/checkbox.png';
 
diff --git a/public/sass/_variables.light.scss b/public/sass/_variables.light.scss
index 6afd087a849..be2d05e2441 100644
--- a/public/sass/_variables.light.scss
+++ b/public/sass/_variables.light.scss
@@ -307,12 +307,14 @@ $popover-error-bg: $btn-danger-bg;
 // Tooltips and popovers
 // -------------------------
 $tooltipColor: $popover-help-color;
-$tooltipBackground: $popover-help-bg;
 $tooltipArrowWidth: 5px;
-$tooltipArrowColor: $tooltipBackground;
 $tooltipLinkColor: lighten($popover-help-color, 5%);
 $graph-tooltip-bg: $gray-5;
 
+$tooltipBackground: $popover-help-bg;
+$tooltipArrowColor: $tooltipBackground; // Used by Angular tooltip
+$tooltipBackgroundError: $brand-danger;
+
 // images
 $checkboxImageUrl: '../img/checkbox_white.png';
 
diff --git a/public/sass/components/_popper.scss b/public/sass/components/_popper.scss
index d869d52b92f..afa629d4043 100644
--- a/public/sass/components/_popper.scss
+++ b/public/sass/components/_popper.scss
@@ -8,7 +8,22 @@ $popper-margin-from-ref: 5px;
   text-align: center;
 }
 
-.popper .popper__arrow {
+.popper__background {
+  background: $tooltipBackground;
+  border-radius: $border-radius;
+  box-shadow: 0 0 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5);
+  padding: 10px;
+
+  // Themes
+  &.popper__background--error {
+    background: $tooltipBackgroundError;
+    .popper__arrow {
+      border-color: $tooltipBackgroundError;
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+.popper__arrow {
   width: 0;
   height: 0;
   border-style: solid;
@@ -16,17 +31,10 @@ $popper-margin-from-ref: 5px;
   margin: 0px;
 }
 
-.popper .popper__arrow {
+.popper__arrow {
   border-color: $tooltipBackground;
 }
 
-.popper__background {
-  background: $tooltipBackground;
-  border-radius: $border-radius;
-  box-shadow: 0 0 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5);
-  padding: 10px;
-}
-
 // Top
 .popper[data-placement^='top'] {
   padding-bottom: $popper-margin-from-ref;