diff --git a/pkg/services/dashboards/database/database.go b/pkg/services/dashboards/database/database.go
index 28874d01085..05bc5362fbd 100644
--- a/pkg/services/dashboards/database/database.go
+++ b/pkg/services/dashboards/database/database.go
@@ -385,15 +385,15 @@ func getExistingDashboardByIDOrUIDForUpdate(sess *db.Session, dash *dashboards.D
 	return isParentFolderChanged, nil
 }
 
+// getExistingDashboardByTitleAndFolder returns a boolean (on whether the parent folder changed) and an error for if the dashboard already exists.
 func getExistingDashboardByTitleAndFolder(sess *db.Session, dash *dashboards.Dashboard, dialect migrator.Dialect, overwrite,
 	isParentFolderChanged bool) (bool, error) {
 	var existing dashboards.Dashboard
-	exists, err := sess.Where("org_id=? AND slug=? AND (is_folder=? OR folder_id=?)", dash.OrgID, dash.Slug,
+	exists, err := sess.Where("org_id=? AND title=? AND (is_folder=? OR folder_id=?)", dash.OrgID, dash.Title,
 		dialect.BooleanStr(true), dash.FolderID).Get(&existing)
 	if err != nil {
 		return isParentFolderChanged, fmt.Errorf("SQL query for existing dashboard by org ID or folder ID failed: %w", err)
 	}
-
 	if exists && dash.ID != existing.ID {
 		if existing.IsFolder && !dash.IsFolder {
 			return isParentFolderChanged, dashboards.ErrDashboardWithSameNameAsFolder
diff --git a/pkg/services/dashboards/database/database_test.go b/pkg/services/dashboards/database/database_test.go
index 5ada585b6ee..3f83e06c8f9 100644
--- a/pkg/services/dashboards/database/database_test.go
+++ b/pkg/services/dashboards/database/database_test.go
@@ -639,6 +639,41 @@ func TestIntegrationDashboard_Filter(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, dashB.ID, results[0].ID)
 }
 
+func TestGetExistingDashboardByTitleAndFolder(t *testing.T) {
+	sqlStore := db.InitTestDB(t)
+	cfg := setting.NewCfg()
+	cfg.IsFeatureToggleEnabled = func(key string) bool { return false }
+	quotaService := quotatest.New(false, nil)
+	dashboardStore, err := ProvideDashboardStore(sqlStore, cfg, testFeatureToggles, tagimpl.ProvideService(sqlStore, cfg), quotaService)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	insertTestDashboard(t, dashboardStore, "Apple", 1, 0, false)
+	t.Run("Finds a dashboard with existing name in root directory and throws DashboardWithSameNameInFolderExists error", func(t *testing.T) {
+		err = sqlStore.WithDbSession(context.Background(), func(sess *sqlstore.DBSession) error {
+			_, err = getExistingDashboardByTitleAndFolder(sess, &dashboards.Dashboard{Title: "Apple", OrgID: 1}, sqlStore.GetDialect(), false, false)
+			return err
+		})
+		require.ErrorIs(t, err, dashboards.ErrDashboardWithSameNameInFolderExists)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("Returns no error when dashboard does not exist in root folder", func(t *testing.T) {
+		err = sqlStore.WithDbSession(context.Background(), func(sess *sqlstore.DBSession) error {
+			_, err = getExistingDashboardByTitleAndFolder(sess, &dashboards.Dashboard{Title: "Beta", OrgID: 1}, sqlStore.GetDialect(), false, false)
+			return err
+		})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("Finds a dashboard with existing name in specific folder and throws DashboardWithSameNameInFolderExists error", func(t *testing.T) {
+		savedFolder := insertTestDashboard(t, dashboardStore, "test dash folder", 1, 0, true, "prod", "webapp")
+		savedDash := insertTestDashboard(t, dashboardStore, "test dash", 1, savedFolder.ID, false, "prod", "webapp")
+		err = sqlStore.WithDbSession(context.Background(), func(sess *sqlstore.DBSession) error {
+			_, err = getExistingDashboardByTitleAndFolder(sess, &dashboards.Dashboard{Title: savedDash.Title, FolderID: savedFolder.ID, OrgID: 1}, sqlStore.GetDialect(), false, false)
+			return err
+		})
+		require.ErrorIs(t, err, dashboards.ErrDashboardWithSameNameInFolderExists)
+	})
+}
+
 func insertTestRule(t *testing.T, sqlStore db.DB, foderOrgID int64, folderUID string) {
 	err := sqlStore.WithDbSession(context.Background(), func(sess *db.Session) error {
 		type alertQuery struct {