diff --git a/public/app/features/explore/state/reducers.test.ts b/public/app/features/explore/state/reducers.test.ts
index 5ece646ed83..4fa6ac3bb52 100644
--- a/public/app/features/explore/state/reducers.test.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/explore/state/reducers.test.ts
@@ -31,10 +31,14 @@ import {
   toggleGraphAction,
   toggleTableAction,
   updateDatasourceInstanceAction,
+  addQueryRowAction,
+  removeQueryRowAction,
 } from './actionTypes';
 import { serializeStateToUrlParam } from 'app/core/utils/explore';
 import { updateLocation } from '../../../core/actions';
 
+const QUERY_KEY_REGEX = /Q-([0-9]+)-([0-9.]+)-([0-9]+)/;
+
 describe('Explore item reducer', () => {
   describe('scanning', () => {
     it('should start scanning', () => {
@@ -231,6 +235,75 @@ describe('Explore item reducer', () => {
       });
     });
   });
+
+  describe('query rows', () => {
+    it('adds a new query row', () => {
+      reducerTester<ExploreItemState>()
+        .givenReducer(itemReducer, ({
+          queries: [],
+        } as unknown) as ExploreItemState)
+        .whenActionIsDispatched(
+          addQueryRowAction({
+            exploreId: ExploreId.left,
+            query: { refId: 'A', key: 'mockKey' },
+            index: 0,
+          })
+        )
+        .thenStateShouldEqual(({
+          queries: [{ refId: 'A', key: 'mockKey' }],
+          queryKeys: ['mockKey-0'],
+        } as unknown) as ExploreItemState);
+    });
+    it('removes a query row', () => {
+      reducerTester<ExploreItemState>()
+        .givenReducer(itemReducer, ({
+          queries: [
+            { refId: 'A', key: 'mockKey' },
+            { refId: 'B', key: 'mockKey' },
+          ],
+          queryKeys: ['mockKey-0', 'mockKey-1'],
+        } as unknown) as ExploreItemState)
+        .whenActionIsDispatched(
+          removeQueryRowAction({
+            exploreId: ExploreId.left,
+            index: 0,
+          })
+        )
+        .thenStatePredicateShouldEqual((resultingState: ExploreItemState) => {
+          expect(resultingState.queries.length).toBe(1);
+          expect(resultingState.queries[0].refId).toBe('A');
+          expect(resultingState.queries[0].key).toMatch(QUERY_KEY_REGEX);
+          expect(resultingState.queryKeys[0]).toMatch(QUERY_KEY_REGEX);
+          return true;
+        });
+    });
+    it('reassigns query refId after removing a query to keep queries in order', () => {
+      reducerTester<ExploreItemState>()
+        .givenReducer(itemReducer, ({
+          queries: [{ refId: 'A' }, { refId: 'B' }, { refId: 'C' }],
+          queryKeys: ['undefined-0', 'undefined-1', 'undefined-2'],
+        } as unknown) as ExploreItemState)
+        .whenActionIsDispatched(
+          removeQueryRowAction({
+            exploreId: ExploreId.left,
+            index: 0,
+          })
+        )
+        .thenStatePredicateShouldEqual((resultingState: ExploreItemState) => {
+          expect(resultingState.queries.length).toBe(2);
+          const queriesRefIds = resultingState.queries.map(query => query.refId);
+          const queriesKeys = resultingState.queries.map(query => query.key);
+          expect(queriesRefIds).toEqual(['A', 'B']);
+          queriesKeys.forEach(queryKey => {
+            expect(queryKey).toMatch(QUERY_KEY_REGEX);
+          });
+          resultingState.queryKeys.forEach(queryKey => {
+            expect(queryKey).toMatch(QUERY_KEY_REGEX);
+          });
+          return true;
+        });
+    });
+  });
 });
 
 export const setup = (urlStateOverrides?: any) => {
diff --git a/public/app/features/explore/state/reducers.ts b/public/app/features/explore/state/reducers.ts
index e3bf248952c..8bbcc66bea0 100644
--- a/public/app/features/explore/state/reducers.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/explore/state/reducers.ts
@@ -367,15 +367,24 @@ export const itemReducer = (state: ExploreItemState = makeExploreItemState(), ac
   }
 
   if (removeQueryRowAction.match(action)) {
-    const { queries, queryKeys } = state;
+    const { queries } = state;
     const { index } = action.payload;
 
     if (queries.length <= 1) {
       return state;
     }
 
-    const nextQueries = [...queries.slice(0, index), ...queries.slice(index + 1)];
-    const nextQueryKeys = [...queryKeys.slice(0, index), ...queryKeys.slice(index + 1)];
+    // removes a query under a given index and reassigns query keys and refIds to keep everything in order
+    const queriesAfterRemoval: DataQuery[] = [...queries.slice(0, index), ...queries.slice(index + 1)].map(query => {
+      return { ...query, refId: '' };
+    });
+    const nextQueries: DataQuery[] = [];
+
+    queriesAfterRemoval.forEach((query, i) => {
+      nextQueries.push(generateNewKeyAndAddRefIdIfMissing(query, nextQueries, i));
+    });
+
+    const nextQueryKeys: string[] = nextQueries.map(query => query.key);
 
     return {
       ...state,