diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/components/SaveDashboard/SaveDashboardDrawer.test.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard/components/SaveDashboard/SaveDashboardDrawer.test.tsx
index a978f97da2a..ee9bb67e9df 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/components/SaveDashboard/SaveDashboardDrawer.test.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/components/SaveDashboard/SaveDashboardDrawer.test.tsx
@@ -22,12 +22,6 @@ jest.mock('@grafana/runtime', () => ({
   }),
 }));
 
-jest.mock('app/core/services/backend_srv', () => ({
-  backendSrv: {
-    getDashboardByUid: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({ dashboard: {} }),
-  },
-}));
-
 const store = configureStore();
 const mockPost = jest.fn();
 const buildMocks = () => ({
@@ -76,7 +70,7 @@ describe('SaveDashboardDrawer', () => {
     expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /overwrite/i })).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
-  it('should render corresponding save modal once the errror is handled', async () => {
+  it('should render corresponding save modal once the error is handled', async () => {
     const { onDismiss, dashboard, error } = buildMocks();
     mockPost.mockRejectedValueOnce(error);
 
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/components/SaveDashboard/SaveDashboardDrawer.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard/components/SaveDashboard/SaveDashboardDrawer.tsx
index 56abc04a20d..bc5f917d101 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/components/SaveDashboard/SaveDashboardDrawer.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/components/SaveDashboard/SaveDashboardDrawer.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 import React, { useMemo, useState } from 'react';
-import { useAsync } from 'react-use';
 
 import { config, isFetchError } from '@grafana/runtime';
 import { Drawer, Tab, TabsBar } from '@grafana/ui';
-import { backendSrv } from 'app/core/services/backend_srv';
 
 import { jsonDiff } from '../VersionHistory/utils';
 
@@ -18,33 +16,24 @@ import { useDashboardSave } from './useDashboardSave';
 
 export const SaveDashboardDrawer = ({ dashboard, onDismiss, onSaveSuccess, isCopy }: SaveDashboardModalProps) => {
   const [options, setOptions] = useState<SaveDashboardOptions>({});
-
+  const previous = dashboard.getOriginalDashboard();
   const isProvisioned = dashboard.meta.provisioned;
   const isNew = dashboard.version === 0;
 
-  const previous = useAsync(async () => {
-    if (isNew) {
-      return undefined;
-    }
-
-    const result = await backendSrv.getDashboardByUid(dashboard.uid);
-    return result.dashboard;
-  }, [dashboard, isNew]);
-
   const data = useMemo<SaveDashboardData>(() => {
     const clone = dashboard.getSaveModelClone({
       saveTimerange: Boolean(options.saveTimerange),
       saveVariables: Boolean(options.saveVariables),
     });
 
-    if (!previous.value) {
+    if (!previous) {
       return { clone, diff: {}, diffCount: 0, hasChanges: false };
     }
 
     const cloneJSON = JSON.stringify(clone, null, 2);
     const cloneSafe = JSON.parse(cloneJSON); // avoids undefined issues
 
-    const diff = jsonDiff(previous.value, cloneSafe);
+    const diff = jsonDiff(previous, cloneSafe);
     let diffCount = 0;
     for (const d of Object.values(diff)) {
       diffCount += d.length;
@@ -56,7 +45,7 @@ export const SaveDashboardDrawer = ({ dashboard, onDismiss, onSaveSuccess, isCop
       diffCount,
       hasChanges: diffCount > 0 && !isNew,
     };
-  }, [dashboard, previous.value, options, isNew]);
+  }, [dashboard, previous, options, isNew]);
 
   const [showDiff, setShowDiff] = useState(false);
   const { state, onDashboardSave } = useDashboardSave(dashboard, isCopy);
@@ -69,7 +58,7 @@ export const SaveDashboardDrawer = ({ dashboard, onDismiss, onSaveSuccess, isCop
 
   const renderSaveBody = () => {
     if (showDiff) {
-      return <SaveDashboardDiff diff={data.diff} oldValue={previous.value} newValue={data.clone} />;
+      return <SaveDashboardDiff diff={data.diff} oldValue={previous} newValue={data.clone} />;
     }
 
     if (isNew || isCopy) {
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/containers/PublicDashboardPage.test.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard/containers/PublicDashboardPage.test.tsx
index 7fe40b8230d..e9076a91655 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/containers/PublicDashboardPage.test.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/containers/PublicDashboardPage.test.tsx
@@ -124,6 +124,13 @@ const getTestDashboard = (overrides?: Partial<Dashboard>, metaOverrides?: Partia
   return new DashboardModel(data, metaOverrides);
 };
 
+const dashboardBase = {
+  getModel: getTestDashboard,
+  initError: null,
+  initPhase: DashboardInitPhase.Completed,
+  permissions: [],
+};
+
 describe('PublicDashboardPage', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     config.featureToggles.publicDashboards = true;
@@ -144,12 +151,7 @@ describe('PublicDashboardPage', () => {
 
   describe('Given a simple public dashboard', () => {
     const newState = {
-      dashboard: {
-        getModel: getTestDashboard,
-        initError: null,
-        initPhase: DashboardInitPhase.Completed,
-        permissions: [],
-      },
+      dashboard: dashboardBase,
     };
 
     it('Should render panels', async () => {
@@ -220,10 +222,8 @@ describe('PublicDashboardPage', () => {
 
       const newState = {
         dashboard: {
+          ...dashboardBase,
           getModel: () => getTestDashboard({ panels }),
-          initError: null,
-          initPhase: DashboardInitPhase.Completed,
-          permissions: [],
         },
       };
       setup(undefined, newState);
@@ -247,13 +247,11 @@ describe('PublicDashboardPage', () => {
     it('Should render time range and refresh picker buttons', async () => {
       setup(undefined, {
         dashboard: {
+          ...dashboardBase,
           getModel: () =>
             getTestDashboard({
               timepicker: { hidden: false, collapse: false, refresh_intervals: [], time_options: [] },
             }),
-          initError: null,
-          initPhase: DashboardInitPhase.Completed,
-          permissions: [],
         },
       });
       expect(await screen.findByTestId(selectors.TimePicker.openButton)).toBeInTheDocument();
@@ -266,10 +264,8 @@ describe('PublicDashboardPage', () => {
     it('Should render public dashboard paused screen', async () => {
       setup(undefined, {
         dashboard: {
+          ...dashboardBase,
           getModel: () => getTestDashboard(undefined, { publicDashboardEnabled: false, dashboardNotFound: false }),
-          initError: null,
-          initPhase: DashboardInitPhase.Completed,
-          permissions: [],
         },
       });
 
@@ -285,10 +281,8 @@ describe('PublicDashboardPage', () => {
     it('Should render public dashboard deleted screen', async () => {
       setup(undefined, {
         dashboard: {
+          ...dashboardBase,
           getModel: () => getTestDashboard(undefined, { dashboardNotFound: true }),
-          initError: null,
-          initPhase: DashboardInitPhase.Completed,
-          permissions: [],
         },
       });
 
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/state/DashboardModel.ts b/public/app/features/dashboard/state/DashboardModel.ts
index 404197eabd9..c0456568f05 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/state/DashboardModel.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/state/DashboardModel.ts
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ export class DashboardModel implements TimeModel {
   private appEventsSubscription: Subscription;
   private lastRefresh: number;
   private timeRangeUpdatedDuringEdit = false;
+  private originalDashboard: Dashboard | null = null;
 
   // ------------------
   // not persisted
@@ -130,6 +131,7 @@ export class DashboardModel implements TimeModel {
     panelsAffectedByVariableChange: true,
     lastRefresh: true,
     timeRangeUpdatedDuringEdit: true,
+    originalDashboard: true,
   };
 
   constructor(
@@ -169,6 +171,7 @@ export class DashboardModel implements TimeModel {
     this.links = data.links ?? [];
     this.gnetId = data.gnetId || null;
     this.panels = map(data.panels ?? [], (panelData: any) => new PanelModel(panelData));
+    this.originalDashboard = data;
     this.ensurePanelsHaveUniqueIds();
     this.formatDate = this.formatDate.bind(this);
 
@@ -1296,6 +1299,10 @@ export class DashboardModel implements TimeModel {
     this.templateVariableValueUpdated();
     this.startRefresh(event.payload);
   }
+
+  getOriginalDashboard() {
+    return this.originalDashboard;
+  }
 }
 
 function isPanelWithLegend(panel: PanelModel): panel is PanelModel & Pick<Required<PanelModel>, 'legend'> {