diff --git a/src/app/partials/influxdb/annotation_editor.html b/src/app/partials/influxdb/annotation_editor.html
index 2bcfb549411..fe867d68f36 100644
--- a/src/app/partials/influxdb/annotation_editor.html
+++ b/src/app/partials/influxdb/annotation_editor.html
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 <div class="editor-row">
 	<div class="section">
-		<h5>InfluxDB Query <tip>Example: select text from events where [[$timeFilter]]</tip></h5>
+		<h5>InfluxDB Query <tip>Example: select text from events where $timeFilter</tip></h5>
 		<div class="editor-option">
-			<input type="text" class="span10" ng-model='currentAnnotation.query' placeholder="select text from events where [[$timeFilter]]"></input>
+			<input type="text" class="span10" ng-model='currentAnnotation.query' placeholder="select text from events where $timeFilter"></input>
 		</div>
 	</div>
 </div>
diff --git a/src/app/services/influxdb/influxQueryBuilder.js b/src/app/services/influxdb/influxQueryBuilder.js
index a72f18fdd4a..eb5334fd4e1 100644
--- a/src/app/services/influxdb/influxQueryBuilder.js
+++ b/src/app/services/influxdb/influxQueryBuilder.js
@@ -27,13 +27,13 @@ function () {
     }
 
     query +=  target.function + '(' + target.column + ')';
-    query += ' from ' + seriesName + ' where [[$timeFilter]]';
+    query += ' from ' + seriesName + ' where $timeFilter';
 
     if (target.condition) {
       query += ' and ' + target.condition;
     }
 
-    query += ' group by time([[$interval]])';
+    query += ' group by time($interval)';
 
     if (target.groupby_field) {
       query += ', ' + target.groupby_field;
@@ -55,30 +55,11 @@ function () {
 
     var queryElements = query.split(" ");
     var lowerCaseQueryElements = query.toLowerCase().split(" ");
-    var whereIndex = lowerCaseQueryElements.indexOf("where");
-    var groupByIndex = lowerCaseQueryElements.indexOf("group");
-    var orderIndex = lowerCaseQueryElements.indexOf("order");
 
     if (lowerCaseQueryElements[1].indexOf(',') !== -1) {
       this.groupByField = lowerCaseQueryElements[1].replace(',', '');
     }
 
-    if (whereIndex !== -1) {
-      queryElements.splice(whereIndex + 1, 0, '[[$timeFilter]]', "and");
-    }
-    else {
-      if (groupByIndex !== -1) {
-        queryElements.splice(groupByIndex, 0, "where", '[[$timeFilter]]');
-      }
-      else if (orderIndex !== -1) {
-        queryElements.splice(orderIndex, 0, "where", '[[$timeFilter]]');
-      }
-      else {
-        queryElements.push("where");
-        queryElements.push('[[$timeFilter]]');
-      }
-    }
-
     return queryElements.join(" ");
   };
 
diff --git a/src/app/services/influxdb/influxdbDatasource.js b/src/app/services/influxdb/influxdbDatasource.js
index d2a375521a5..b90476f6bf2 100644
--- a/src/app/services/influxdb/influxdbDatasource.js
+++ b/src/app/services/influxdb/influxdbDatasource.js
@@ -44,9 +44,11 @@ function (angular, _, kbn, InfluxSeries, InfluxQueryBuilder) {
         var queryBuilder = new InfluxQueryBuilder(target);
         var query = queryBuilder.build();
 
+        // replace grafana variables
+        query = query.replace('$timeFilter', timeFilter);
+        query = query.replace('$interval', (target.interval || options.interval));
+
         // replace templated variables
-        templateSrv.setGrafanaVariable('$timeFilter', timeFilter);
-        templateSrv.setGrafanaVariable('$interval', (target.interval || options.interval));
         query = templateSrv.replace(query);
 
         var alias = target.alias ? templateSrv.replace(target.alias) : '';
@@ -63,7 +65,8 @@ function (angular, _, kbn, InfluxSeries, InfluxQueryBuilder) {
 
     InfluxDatasource.prototype.annotationQuery = function(annotation, rangeUnparsed) {
       var timeFilter = getTimeFilter({ range: rangeUnparsed });
-      var query = _.template(annotation.query, { timeFilter: timeFilter, "$timeFilter": timeFilter }, this.templateSettings);
+      var query = annotation.query.replace('$timeFilter', timeFilter);
+      query = templateSrv.replace(annotation.query);
 
       return this._seriesQuery(query).then(function(results) {
         return new InfluxSeries({ seriesList: results, annotation: annotation }).getAnnotations();
diff --git a/src/test/specs/influxQueryBuilder-specs.js b/src/test/specs/influxQueryBuilder-specs.js
index 3003db956a0..4f18bf2905e 100644
--- a/src/test/specs/influxQueryBuilder-specs.js
+++ b/src/test/specs/influxQueryBuilder-specs.js
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ define([
       var query = builder.build();
 
       it('should generate correct query', function() {
-        expect(query).to.be('select code, mean(value) from "google.test" where [[$timeFilter]] and code=1 ' +
-          'group by time([[$interval]]), code order asc');
+        expect(query).to.be('select code, mean(value) from "google.test" where $timeFilter and code=1 ' +
+          'group by time($interval), code order asc');
       });
 
       it('should expose groupByFiled', function() {
@@ -38,32 +38,12 @@ define([
       var query = builder.build();
 
       it('should generate correct query', function() {
-        expect(query).to.be('select mean(value) from "google.test" where [[$timeFilter]] ' +
-          'group by time([[$interval]]) fill(0) order asc');
+        expect(query).to.be('select mean(value) from "google.test" where $timeFilter ' +
+          'group by time($interval) fill(0) order asc');
       });
 
     });
 
-    describe('old style raw query', function() {
-      var builder = new InfluxQueryBuilder({
-        query: 'select host, mean(value) from asd.asd where time > now() - 1h group by time(1s), code order asc',
-        rawQuery: true
-      });
-
-      var query = builder.build();
-
-      it('should generate correct query', function() {
-        expect(query).to.be('select host, mean(value) from asd.asd where [[$timeFilter]] and time > now() - 1h ' +
-          'group by time(1s), code order asc');
-      });
-
-      it('should expose groupByFiled', function() {
-        expect(builder.groupByField).to.be('host');
-      });
-
-    });
-
-
   });
 
 });
diff --git a/src/test/specs/influxdb-datasource-specs.js b/src/test/specs/influxdb-datasource-specs.js
index f966c7345ca..ddf7db48282 100644
--- a/src/test/specs/influxdb-datasource-specs.js
+++ b/src/test/specs/influxdb-datasource-specs.js
@@ -50,10 +50,10 @@ define([
     describe('When querying influxdb with one raw query', function() {
       var results;
       var urlExpected = "/series?p=mupp&q=select+value+from+series"+
-                        "+where+time+%3E+now()+-+1h+and+time+%3E+1&time_precision=s";
+                        "+where+time+%3E+now()+-+1h&time_precision=s";
       var query = {
         range: { from: 'now-1h', to: 'now' },
-        targets: [{ query: "select value from series where time > 1", rawQuery: true }]
+        targets: [{ query: "select value from series where $timeFilter", rawQuery: true }]
       };
 
       var response = [];