diff --git a/packages/grafana-data/src/types/datasource.ts b/packages/grafana-data/src/types/datasource.ts
index dac78035e7a..2529a3fdd2a 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-data/src/types/datasource.ts
+++ b/packages/grafana-data/src/types/datasource.ts
@@ -376,6 +376,11 @@ export interface DataQueryResponse {
    */
   key?: string;
 
+  /**
+   * Optionally include error info along with the response data
+   */
+  error?: DataQueryError;
+
   /**
    * Use this to control which state the response should have
    * Defaults to LoadingState.Done if state is not defined
diff --git a/pkg/tsdb/testdatasource/scenarios.go b/pkg/tsdb/testdatasource/scenarios.go
index 8b5ed2ba81e..26be77cede9 100644
--- a/pkg/tsdb/testdatasource/scenarios.go
+++ b/pkg/tsdb/testdatasource/scenarios.go
@@ -283,6 +283,26 @@ func init() {
 		},
 	})
 
+	registerScenario(&Scenario{
+		Id:   "random_walk_with_error",
+		Name: "Random Walk (with error)",
+
+		Handler: func(query *tsdb.Query, context *tsdb.TsdbQuery) *tsdb.QueryResult {
+			queryRes := getRandomWalk(query, context)
+			queryRes.ErrorString = "This is an error.  It can include URLs http://grafana.com/"
+			return queryRes
+		},
+	})
+
+	registerScenario(&Scenario{
+		Id:   "server_error_500",
+		Name: "Server Error (500)",
+
+		Handler: func(query *tsdb.Query, context *tsdb.TsdbQuery) *tsdb.QueryResult {
+			panic("Test Data Panic!")
+		},
+	})
+
 	registerScenario(&Scenario{
 		Id:   "logs",
 		Name: "Logs",
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/PanelHeader/PanelHeaderCorner.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/PanelHeader/PanelHeaderCorner.tsx
index 507b603f267..f0e6b6d8b27 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/PanelHeader/PanelHeaderCorner.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/PanelHeader/PanelHeaderCorner.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { Tooltip, PopoverContent } from '@grafana/ui';
 import { PanelModel } from 'app/features/dashboard/state/PanelModel';
 import templateSrv from 'app/features/templating/template_srv';
 import { getTimeSrv, TimeSrv } from 'app/features/dashboard/services/TimeSrv';
+import { getLocationSrv } from '@grafana/runtime';
 
 enum InfoMode {
   Error = 'Error',
@@ -68,11 +69,18 @@ export class PanelHeaderCorner extends Component<Props> {
     );
   };
 
-  renderCornerType(infoMode: InfoMode, content: PopoverContent) {
+  /**
+   * Open the Panel Inspector when we click on an error
+   */
+  onClickError = () => {
+    getLocationSrv().update({ partial: true, query: { inspect: this.props.panel.id } });
+  };
+
+  renderCornerType(infoMode: InfoMode, content: PopoverContent, onClick?: () => void) {
     const theme = infoMode === InfoMode.Error ? 'error' : 'info';
     return (
       <Tooltip content={content} placement="top-start" theme={theme}>
-        <div className={`panel-info-corner panel-info-corner--${infoMode.toLowerCase()}`}>
+        <div className={`panel-info-corner panel-info-corner--${infoMode.toLowerCase()}`} onClick={onClick}>
           <i className="fa" />
           <span className="panel-info-corner-inner" />
         </div>
@@ -88,7 +96,7 @@ export class PanelHeaderCorner extends Component<Props> {
     }
 
     if (infoMode === InfoMode.Error) {
-      return this.renderCornerType(infoMode, this.props.error);
+      return this.renderCornerType(infoMode, this.props.error, this.onClickError);
     }
 
     if (infoMode === InfoMode.Info || infoMode === InfoMode.Links) {
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/state/runRequest.ts b/public/app/features/dashboard/state/runRequest.ts
index 85f8f54f67f..f8fb4d93f32 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/state/runRequest.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/state/runRequest.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ export function processResponsePacket(packet: DataQueryResponse, state: RunningQ
 
   packets[packet.key || 'A'] = packet;
 
+  let loadingState = packet.state || LoadingState.Done;
+  let error: DataQueryError | undefined = undefined;
+
   // Update the time range
   const range = { ...request.range };
   const timeRange = isString(range.raw.from)
@@ -50,13 +53,18 @@ export function processResponsePacket(packet: DataQueryResponse, state: RunningQ
 
   const combinedData = flatten(
     lodashMap(packets, (packet: DataQueryResponse) => {
+      if (packet.error) {
+        loadingState = LoadingState.Error;
+        error = packet.error;
+      }
       return packet.data;
     })
   );
 
   const panelData = {
-    state: packet.state || LoadingState.Done,
+    state: loadingState,
     series: combinedData,
+    error,
     request,
     timeRange,
   };
diff --git a/public/app/features/panel/metrics_panel_ctrl.ts b/public/app/features/panel/metrics_panel_ctrl.ts
index 75d9e17f478..f0e705124e6 100644
--- a/public/app/features/panel/metrics_panel_ctrl.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/panel/metrics_panel_ctrl.ts
@@ -108,18 +108,15 @@ class MetricsPanelCtrl extends PanelCtrl {
 
     this.loading = false;
     this.error = err.message || 'Request Error';
-    this.inspector = { error: err };
 
     if (err.data) {
       if (err.data.message) {
         this.error = err.data.message;
-      }
-      if (err.data.error) {
+      } else if (err.data.error) {
         this.error = err.data.error;
       }
     }
 
-    console.log('Panel data error:', err);
     return this.$timeout(() => {
       this.events.emit(PanelEvents.dataError, err);
     });
@@ -131,7 +128,10 @@ class MetricsPanelCtrl extends PanelCtrl {
       if (data.state === LoadingState.Error) {
         this.loading = false;
         this.processDataError(data.error);
-        return;
+        if (!data.series) {
+          // keep current data if the response is empty
+          return;
+        }
       }
 
       // Ignore data in loading state
diff --git a/public/app/features/panel/panel_ctrl.ts b/public/app/features/panel/panel_ctrl.ts
index f4c3bdd6879..6a84964709b 100644
--- a/public/app/features/panel/panel_ctrl.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/panel/panel_ctrl.ts
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ export class PanelCtrl {
   $injector: auto.IInjectorService;
   $location: any;
   $timeout: any;
-  inspector: any;
   editModeInitiated: boolean;
   height: any;
   containerHeight: any;
diff --git a/public/app/features/panel/panel_directive.ts b/public/app/features/panel/panel_directive.ts
index c5bb50b7054..56a85e8a983 100644
--- a/public/app/features/panel/panel_directive.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/panel/panel_directive.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import Drop from 'tether-drop';
 // @ts-ignore
 import baron from 'baron';
 import { PanelEvents } from '@grafana/data';
+import { getLocationSrv } from '@grafana/runtime';
 
 const module = angular.module('grafana.directives');
 
@@ -67,6 +68,12 @@ module.directive('grafanaPanel', ($rootScope, $document, $timeout) => {
         }
       }
 
+      function infoCornerClicked() {
+        if (ctrl.error) {
+          getLocationSrv().update({ partial: true, query: { inspect: ctrl.panel.id } });
+        }
+      }
+
       // set initial transparency
       if (ctrl.panel.transparent) {
         transparentLastState = true;
@@ -200,6 +207,8 @@ module.directive('grafanaPanel', ($rootScope, $document, $timeout) => {
       elem.on('mouseenter', mouseEnter);
       elem.on('mouseleave', mouseLeave);
 
+      cornerInfoElem.on('click', infoCornerClicked);
+
       scope.$on('$destroy', () => {
         elem.off();
         cornerInfoElem.off();
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/testdata/datasource.ts b/public/app/plugins/datasource/testdata/datasource.ts
index 3dae81781a5..62e797b5491 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/testdata/datasource.ts
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/testdata/datasource.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {
   MetricFindValue,
   TableData,
   TimeSeries,
+  DataQueryError,
 } from '@grafana/data';
 import { Scenario, TestDataQuery } from './types';
 import { getBackendSrv } from 'app/core/services/backend_srv';
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@ export class TestDataDataSource extends DataSourceApi<TestDataQuery> {
 
   processQueryResult(queries: any, res: any): DataQueryResponse {
     const data: TestData[] = [];
+    let error: DataQueryError | undefined = undefined;
 
     for (const query of queries) {
       const results = res.data.results[query.refId];
@@ -81,9 +83,15 @@ export class TestDataDataSource extends DataSourceApi<TestDataQuery> {
       for (const series of results.series || []) {
         data.push({ target: series.name, datapoints: series.points, refId: query.refId, tags: series.tags });
       }
+
+      if (results.error) {
+        error = {
+          message: results.error,
+        };
+      }
     }
 
-    return { data };
+    return { data, error };
   }
 
   annotationQuery(options: any) {
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/panel/graph/graph.ts b/public/app/plugins/panel/graph/graph.ts
index 67aceb031da..78688205c57 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/panel/graph/graph.ts
+++ b/public/app/plugins/panel/graph/graph.ts
@@ -480,13 +480,11 @@ class GraphElement {
       this.plot = $.plot(this.elem, this.sortedSeries, options);
       if (this.ctrl.renderError) {
         delete this.ctrl.error;
-        delete this.ctrl.inspector;
       }
     } catch (e) {
       console.log('flotcharts error', e);
       this.ctrl.error = e.message || 'Render Error';
       this.ctrl.renderError = true;
-      this.ctrl.inspector = { error: e };
     }
 
     if (incrementRenderCounter) {