diff --git a/pkg/services/navtree/navtreeimpl/navtree.go b/pkg/services/navtree/navtreeimpl/navtree.go
index 602080c53d9..f82a6f164e0 100644
--- a/pkg/services/navtree/navtreeimpl/navtree.go
+++ b/pkg/services/navtree/navtreeimpl/navtree.go
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ func (s *ServiceImpl) buildStarredItemsNavLinks(c *models.ReqContext) ([]*navtre
 		})
 		for _, starredItem := range starredDashboards {
 			starredItemsChildNavs = append(starredItemsChildNavs, &navtree.NavLink{
-				Id:   starredItem.Uid,
+				Id:   "starred/" + starredItem.Uid,
 				Text: starredItem.Title,
 				Url:  starredItem.GetUrl(),
 			})
diff --git a/public/app/core/reducers/navBarTree.ts b/public/app/core/reducers/navBarTree.ts
index 6907d7af6b9..bd47059bf3c 100644
--- a/public/app/core/reducers/navBarTree.ts
+++ b/public/app/core/reducers/navBarTree.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ import { config } from '@grafana/runtime';
 
 export const initialState: NavModelItem[] = config.bootData?.navTree ?? [];
 
+// this matches the prefix set in the backend navtree
+export const ID_PREFIX = 'starred/';
+
 const navTreeSlice = createSlice({
   name: 'navBarTree',
   initialState,
@@ -18,14 +21,14 @@ const navTreeSlice = createSlice({
             starredItems.children = [];
           }
           const newStarredItem: NavModelItem = {
-            id,
+            id: ID_PREFIX + id,
             text: title,
             url,
           };
           starredItems.children.push(newStarredItem);
           starredItems.children.sort((a, b) => a.text.localeCompare(b.text));
         } else {
-          const index = starredItems.children?.findIndex((item) => item.id === id) ?? -1;
+          const index = starredItems.children?.findIndex((item) => item.id === ID_PREFIX + id) ?? -1;
           if (index > -1) {
             starredItems?.children?.splice(index, 1);
           }
diff --git a/public/app/core/reducers/navModel.ts b/public/app/core/reducers/navModel.ts
index aed934b7931..5110af5c7af 100644
--- a/public/app/core/reducers/navModel.ts
+++ b/public/app/core/reducers/navModel.ts
@@ -10,14 +10,13 @@ export function buildInitialState(): NavIndex {
   const navIndex: NavIndex = {};
   const rootNodes = cloneDeep(config.bootData.navTree);
   const homeNav = rootNodes.find((node) => node.id === HOME_NAV_ID);
+  const otherRootNodes = rootNodes.filter((node) => node.id !== HOME_NAV_ID);
 
-  // set home as parent for the rootNodes
-  buildNavIndex(navIndex, rootNodes, homeNav);
-
-  // remove circular parent reference on the home node
-  if (navIndex[HOME_NAV_ID]) {
-    delete navIndex[HOME_NAV_ID].parentItem;
+  if (homeNav) {
+    buildNavIndex(navIndex, [homeNav]);
   }
+  // set home as parent for the other rootNodes
+  buildNavIndex(navIndex, otherRootNodes, homeNav);
 
   return navIndex;
 }
@@ -26,7 +25,9 @@ function buildNavIndex(navIndex: NavIndex, children: NavModelItem[], parentItem?
   for (const node of children) {
     node.parentItem = parentItem;
 
-    navIndex[node.id!] = node;
+    if (node.id) {
+      navIndex[node.id] = node;
+    }
 
     if (node.children) {
       buildNavIndex(navIndex, node.children, node);