diff --git a/pkg/tsdb/mssql/macros.go b/pkg/tsdb/mssql/macros.go
index 2c16b5cb27f..f33ab1d40be 100644
--- a/pkg/tsdb/mssql/macros.go
+++ b/pkg/tsdb/mssql/macros.go
@@ -110,6 +110,12 @@ func (m *msSqlMacroEngine) evaluateMacro(name string, args []string) (string, er
 			}
 		}
 		return fmt.Sprintf("FLOOR(DATEDIFF(second, '1970-01-01', %s)/%.0f)*%.0f", args[0], interval.Seconds(), interval.Seconds()), nil
+	case "__timeGroupAlias":
+		tg, err := m.evaluateMacro("__timeGroup", args)
+		if err == nil {
+			return tg + " AS [time]", err
+		}
+		return "", err
 	case "__unixEpochFilter":
 		if len(args) == 0 {
 			return "", fmt.Errorf("missing time column argument for macro %v", name)
diff --git a/pkg/tsdb/mssql/macros_test.go b/pkg/tsdb/mssql/macros_test.go
index 1895cd99442..ea50c418de7 100644
--- a/pkg/tsdb/mssql/macros_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tsdb/mssql/macros_test.go
@@ -55,15 +55,21 @@ func TestMacroEngine(t *testing.T) {
 			Convey("interpolate __timeGroup function", func() {
 				sql, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "GROUP BY $__timeGroup(time_column,'5m')")
 				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
+				sql2, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "GROUP BY $__timeGroupAlias(time_column,'5m')")
+				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
 				So(sql, ShouldEqual, "GROUP BY FLOOR(DATEDIFF(second, '1970-01-01', time_column)/300)*300")
+				So(sql2, ShouldEqual, sql+" AS [time]")
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __timeGroup function with spaces around arguments", func() {
 				sql, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "GROUP BY $__timeGroup(time_column , '5m')")
 				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
+				sql2, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "GROUP BY $__timeGroupAlias(time_column , '5m')")
+				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
 				So(sql, ShouldEqual, "GROUP BY FLOOR(DATEDIFF(second, '1970-01-01', time_column)/300)*300")
+				So(sql2, ShouldEqual, sql+" AS [time]")
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __timeGroup function with fill (value = NULL)", func() {
diff --git a/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros.go b/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros.go
index 078d1ff54f8..a56fd1ceb2a 100644
--- a/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros.go
+++ b/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros.go
@@ -105,6 +105,12 @@ func (m *mySqlMacroEngine) evaluateMacro(name string, args []string) (string, er
 			}
 		}
 		return fmt.Sprintf("UNIX_TIMESTAMP(%s) DIV %.0f * %.0f", args[0], interval.Seconds(), interval.Seconds()), nil
+	case "__timeGroupAlias":
+		tg, err := m.evaluateMacro("__timeGroup", args)
+		if err == nil {
+			return tg + " AS \"time\"", err
+		}
+		return "", err
 	case "__unixEpochFilter":
 		if len(args) == 0 {
 			return "", fmt.Errorf("missing time column argument for macro %v", name)
diff --git a/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros_test.go b/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros_test.go
index 003af9a737f..fd9d3f5688a 100644
--- a/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tsdb/mysql/macros_test.go
@@ -38,16 +38,22 @@ func TestMacroEngine(t *testing.T) {
 
 				sql, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "GROUP BY $__timeGroup(time_column,'5m')")
 				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
+				sql2, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "GROUP BY $__timeGroupAlias(time_column,'5m')")
+				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
 				So(sql, ShouldEqual, "GROUP BY UNIX_TIMESTAMP(time_column) DIV 300 * 300")
+				So(sql2, ShouldEqual, sql+" AS \"time\"")
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __timeGroup function with spaces around arguments", func() {
 
 				sql, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "GROUP BY $__timeGroup(time_column , '5m')")
 				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
+				sql2, err := engine.Interpolate(query, timeRange, "GROUP BY $__timeGroupAlias(time_column , '5m')")
+				So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
 				So(sql, ShouldEqual, "GROUP BY UNIX_TIMESTAMP(time_column) DIV 300 * 300")
+				So(sql2, ShouldEqual, sql+" AS \"time\"")
 			})
 
 			Convey("interpolate __timeFilter function", func() {