diff --git a/pkg/services/accesscontrol/models.go b/pkg/services/accesscontrol/models.go
index b156bfb654d..5548e66b9d4 100644
--- a/pkg/services/accesscontrol/models.go
+++ b/pkg/services/accesscontrol/models.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ type Role struct {
 	Version     int64  `json:"version"`
 	UID         string `xorm:"uid" json:"uid"`
 	Name        string `json:"name"`
-	DisplayName string `json:"displayName"`
+	DisplayName string `json:"displayName,omitempty"`
 	Group       string `xorm:"group_name" json:"group"`
 	Description string `json:"description"`
 	Hidden      bool   `json:"hidden"`
@@ -48,17 +48,9 @@ func (r *Role) IsBasic() bool {
 	return strings.HasPrefix(r.Name, BasicRolePrefix) || strings.HasPrefix(r.UID, BasicRoleUIDPrefix)
 }
 
-func (r *Role) GetDisplayName() string {
-	if r.IsFixed() && r.DisplayName == "" {
-		r.DisplayName = fallbackDisplayName(r.Name)
-	}
-	return r.DisplayName
-}
-
 func (r Role) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
 	type Alias Role
 
-	r.DisplayName = r.GetDisplayName()
 	return json.Marshal(&struct {
 		Alias
 		Global bool `json:"global" xorm:"-"`
@@ -72,7 +64,7 @@ type RoleDTO struct {
 	Version     int64        `json:"version"`
 	UID         string       `xorm:"uid" json:"uid"`
 	Name        string       `json:"name"`
-	DisplayName string       `json:"displayName"`
+	DisplayName string       `json:"displayName,omitempty"`
 	Description string       `json:"description"`
 	Group       string       `xorm:"group_name" json:"group"`
 	Permissions []Permission `json:"permissions,omitempty"`
@@ -137,20 +129,9 @@ func (r *RoleDTO) IsBasic() bool {
 	return strings.HasPrefix(r.Name, BasicRolePrefix) || strings.HasPrefix(r.UID, BasicRoleUIDPrefix)
 }
 
-func (r *RoleDTO) GetDisplayName() string {
-	if r.IsFixed() && r.DisplayName == "" {
-		r.DisplayName = fallbackDisplayName(r.Name)
-	}
-	if r.DisplayName == "" {
-		return r.Name
-	}
-	return r.DisplayName
-}
-
 func (r RoleDTO) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
 	type Alias RoleDTO
 
-	r.DisplayName = r.GetDisplayName()
 	return json.Marshal(&struct {
 		Alias
 		Global bool `json:"global" xorm:"-"`
@@ -160,17 +141,6 @@ func (r RoleDTO) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
 	})
 }
 
-// fallbackDisplayName provides a fallback name for role
-// that can be displayed in the ui for better readability
-// example: currently this would give:
-// fixed:datasources:name -> datasources name
-// datasources:admin      -> datasources admin
-func fallbackDisplayName(rName string) string {
-	// removing prefix for fixed roles
-	rNameWithoutPrefix := strings.Replace(rName, FixedRolePrefix, "", 1)
-	return strings.TrimSpace(strings.ReplaceAll(rNameWithoutPrefix, ":", " "))
-}
-
 type TeamRole struct {
 	ID     int64 `json:"id" xorm:"pk autoincr 'id'"`
 	OrgID  int64 `json:"orgId" xorm:"org_id"`
diff --git a/public/app/core/components/RolePicker/RolePickerInput.tsx b/public/app/core/components/RolePicker/RolePickerInput.tsx
index 35947d144c2..118c3c9f964 100644
--- a/public/app/core/components/RolePicker/RolePickerInput.tsx
+++ b/public/app/core/components/RolePicker/RolePickerInput.tsx
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ export const RolePickerInput = ({
     <div className={styles.wrapper}>
       {showBasicRole && <ValueContainer>{basicRole}</ValueContainer>}
       {appliedRoles.map((role) => (
-        <ValueContainer key={role.uid}>{role.displayName}</ValueContainer>
+        <ValueContainer key={role.uid}>{role.displayName || role.name}</ValueContainer>
       ))}
 
       {!disabled && (
diff --git a/public/app/core/components/RolePicker/api.ts b/public/app/core/components/RolePicker/api.ts
index 3b9abafbe9c..da0273fc881 100644
--- a/public/app/core/components/RolePicker/api.ts
+++ b/public/app/core/components/RolePicker/api.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import { getBackendSrv, isFetchError } from '@grafana/runtime';
 import { Role } from 'app/types';
 
+import { addDisplayNameForFixedRole } from './utils';
+
 export const fetchRoleOptions = async (orgId?: number, query?: string): Promise<Role[]> => {
   let rolesUrl = '/api/access-control/roles?delegatable=true';
   if (orgId) {
@@ -10,7 +12,7 @@ export const fetchRoleOptions = async (orgId?: number, query?: string): Promise<
   if (!roles || !roles.length) {
     return [];
   }
-  return roles;
+  return roles.map(addDisplayNameForFixedRole);
 };
 
 export const fetchUserRoles = async (userId: number, orgId?: number): Promise<Role[]> => {
@@ -23,7 +25,7 @@ export const fetchUserRoles = async (userId: number, orgId?: number): Promise<Ro
     if (!roles || !roles.length) {
       return [];
     }
-    return roles;
+    return roles.map(addDisplayNameForFixedRole);
   } catch (error) {
     if (isFetchError(error)) {
       error.isHandled = true;
@@ -54,7 +56,7 @@ export const fetchTeamRoles = async (teamId: number, orgId?: number): Promise<Ro
     if (!roles || !roles.length) {
       return [];
     }
-    return roles;
+    return roles.map(addDisplayNameForFixedRole);
   } catch (error) {
     if (isFetchError(error)) {
       error.isHandled = true;
diff --git a/public/app/core/components/RolePicker/utils.ts b/public/app/core/components/RolePicker/utils.ts
index 15f95936ef5..7e12f134ea4 100644
--- a/public/app/core/components/RolePicker/utils.ts
+++ b/public/app/core/components/RolePicker/utils.ts
@@ -3,3 +3,19 @@ import { Role } from 'app/types';
 export const isNotDelegatable = (role: Role) => {
   return role.delegatable !== undefined && !role.delegatable;
 };
+
+// addDisplayNameForFixedRole provides a fallback name for fixed roles
+// this is "incase" a fixed role is introduced but without a displayname set
+// example: currently this would give:
+// fixed:datasources:name -> datasources name
+// fixed:datasources:admin      -> datasources admin
+export const addDisplayNameForFixedRole = (role: Role) => {
+  const fixedRolePrefix = 'fixed:';
+  if (!role.displayName && role.name.startsWith(fixedRolePrefix)) {
+    let newRoleName = '';
+    let rNameWithoutFixedPrefix = role.name.replace(fixedRolePrefix, '');
+    newRoleName = rNameWithoutFixedPrefix.replace(/:/g, ' ');
+    role.displayName = newRoleName;
+  }
+  return role;
+};