diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/cloudwatch/components/LogGroupSelector.test.tsx b/public/app/plugins/datasource/cloudwatch/components/LogGroupSelector.test.tsx
index 4f2acd8f0be..22d5b36464b 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/cloudwatch/components/LogGroupSelector.test.tsx
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/cloudwatch/components/LogGroupSelector.test.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { act, render, screen, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { act, render, screen } from '@testing-library/react';
 import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event';
 import lodash from 'lodash'; // eslint-disable-line lodash/import-scope
 import React from 'react';
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ describe('LogGroupSelector', () => {
     jest.resetAllMocks();
   });
 
-  it('updates upstream query log groups on region change', async () => {
+  it('does not clear previously selected log groups after region change', async () => {
     ds.datasource.api.describeLogGroups = jest.fn().mockImplementation(async (params: DescribeLogGroupsRequest) => {
       if (params.region === 'region1') {
         return Promise.resolve(['log_group_1'].map(toOption));
@@ -40,36 +40,10 @@ describe('LogGroupSelector', () => {
     };
 
     const { rerender } = render(<LogGroupSelector {...props} />);
-    await waitFor(() => expect(onChange).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1));
-    expect(onChange).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(['log_group_1']);
     expect(await screen.findByText('log_group_1')).toBeInTheDocument();
 
     act(() => rerender(<LogGroupSelector {...props} region="region2" />));
-    await waitFor(() => expect(onChange).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1));
-    expect(onChange).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith([]);
-  });
-
-  it('does not update upstream query log groups if saved is false', async () => {
-    ds.datasource.api.describeLogGroups = jest.fn().mockImplementation(async (params: DescribeLogGroupsRequest) => {
-      if (params.region === 'region1') {
-        return Promise.resolve(['log_group_1'].map(toOption));
-      } else {
-        return Promise.resolve(['log_group_2'].map(toOption));
-      }
-    });
-    const props = {
-      ...defaultProps,
-      selectedLogGroups: ['log_group_1'],
-    };
-
-    const { rerender } = render(<LogGroupSelector {...props} />);
-    await waitFor(() => expect(onChange).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1));
-    expect(onChange).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(['log_group_1']);
     expect(await screen.findByText('log_group_1')).toBeInTheDocument();
-
-    act(() => rerender(<LogGroupSelector {...props} region="region2" saved={false} />));
-    await waitFor(() => expect(onChange).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1));
-    expect(onChange).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(['log_group_1']);
   });
 
   it('should merge results of remote log groups search with existing results', async () => {
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/cloudwatch/components/LogGroupSelector.tsx b/public/app/plugins/datasource/cloudwatch/components/LogGroupSelector.tsx
index 5d3a5df1d2e..7e5a3e09c67 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/cloudwatch/components/LogGroupSelector.tsx
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/cloudwatch/components/LogGroupSelector.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { debounce, intersection, unionBy } from 'lodash';
+import { debounce, unionBy } from 'lodash';
 import React, { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react';
 
 import { SelectableValue, toOption } from '@grafana/data';
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export interface LogGroupSelectorProps {
   onOpenMenu?: () => Promise<void>;
   refId?: string;
   width?: number | 'auto';
-  saved?: boolean;
+  saved?: boolean; // is only used in the config editor
 }
 
 export const LogGroupSelector: React.FC<LogGroupSelectorProps> = ({
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ export const LogGroupSelector: React.FC<LogGroupSelectorProps> = ({
 
   // Reset the log group options if the datasource or region change and are saved
   useEffect(() => {
-    async function resetLogGroups() {
+    async function getAvailableLogGroupOptions() {
       // Don't call describeLogGroups if datasource or region is undefined
       if (!datasource || !datasource.getActualRegion(region)) {
         setAvailableLogGroups([]);
@@ -100,19 +100,15 @@ export const LogGroupSelector: React.FC<LogGroupSelectorProps> = ({
       setLoadingLogGroups(true);
       return fetchLogGroupOptions(datasource.getActualRegion(region))
         .then((logGroups) => {
-          const newSelectedLogGroups = intersection(
-            selectedLogGroups,
-            logGroups.map((l) => l.value || '')
-          );
-          onChange(newSelectedLogGroups);
           setAvailableLogGroups(logGroups);
         })
         .finally(() => {
           setLoadingLogGroups(false);
         });
     }
-    // Only reset if the current datasource is saved
-    saved && resetLogGroups();
+
+    // Config editor does not fetch new log group options unless changes have been saved
+    saved && getAvailableLogGroupOptions();
     // this hook shouldn't get called every time selectedLogGroups or onChange updates
     // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
   }, [datasource, region, saved]);