diff --git a/pkg/services/dashboards/service/dashboard_service.go b/pkg/services/dashboards/service/dashboard_service.go
index cda6ed922b0..97bb74d19a7 100644
--- a/pkg/services/dashboards/service/dashboard_service.go
+++ b/pkg/services/dashboards/service/dashboard_service.go
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ func (dr *DashboardServiceImpl) SaveProvisionedDashboard(ctx context.Context, dt
 		},
 	}
 
-	cmd, err := dr.BuildSaveDashboardCommand(ctx, dto, true, false)
+	cmd, err := dr.BuildSaveDashboardCommand(ctx, dto, setting.IsLegacyAlertingEnabled(), false)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -243,14 +243,17 @@ func (dr *DashboardServiceImpl) SaveProvisionedDashboard(ctx context.Context, dt
 		OrgID: dto.OrgId,
 	}
 
-	alerts, err := dr.dashAlertExtractor.GetAlerts(ctx, dashAlertInfo)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
+	// extract/save legacy alerts only if legacy alerting is enabled
+	if setting.IsLegacyAlertingEnabled() {
+		alerts, err := dr.dashAlertExtractor.GetAlerts(ctx, dashAlertInfo)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 
-	err = dr.dashboardStore.SaveAlerts(ctx, dash.Id, alerts)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		err = dr.dashboardStore.SaveAlerts(ctx, dash.Id, alerts)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 	}
 
 	if dto.Dashboard.Id == 0 {
@@ -284,14 +287,17 @@ func (dr *DashboardServiceImpl) SaveFolderForProvisionedDashboards(ctx context.C
 		OrgID: dto.OrgId,
 	}
 
-	alerts, err := dr.dashAlertExtractor.GetAlerts(ctx, dashAlertInfo)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
+	// extract/save legacy alerts only if legacy alerting is enabled
+	if setting.IsLegacyAlertingEnabled() {
+		alerts, err := dr.dashAlertExtractor.GetAlerts(ctx, dashAlertInfo)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 
-	err = dr.dashboardStore.SaveAlerts(ctx, dash.Id, alerts)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		err = dr.dashboardStore.SaveAlerts(ctx, dash.Id, alerts)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 	}
 
 	if dto.Dashboard.Id == 0 {
@@ -312,7 +318,7 @@ func (dr *DashboardServiceImpl) SaveDashboard(ctx context.Context, dto *dashboar
 		dto.Dashboard.Data.Set("refresh", setting.MinRefreshInterval)
 	}
 
-	cmd, err := dr.BuildSaveDashboardCommand(ctx, dto, true, !allowUiUpdate)
+	cmd, err := dr.BuildSaveDashboardCommand(ctx, dto, setting.IsLegacyAlertingEnabled(), !allowUiUpdate)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -328,14 +334,17 @@ func (dr *DashboardServiceImpl) SaveDashboard(ctx context.Context, dto *dashboar
 		OrgID: dto.OrgId,
 	}
 
-	alerts, err := dr.dashAlertExtractor.GetAlerts(ctx, dashAlertInfo)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
+	// extract/save legacy alerts only if legacy alerting is enabled
+	if setting.IsLegacyAlertingEnabled() {
+		alerts, err := dr.dashAlertExtractor.GetAlerts(ctx, dashAlertInfo)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 
-	err = dr.dashboardStore.SaveAlerts(ctx, dash.Id, alerts)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		err = dr.dashboardStore.SaveAlerts(ctx, dash.Id, alerts)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 	}
 
 	// new dashboard created
diff --git a/pkg/services/dashboards/service/dashboard_service_test.go b/pkg/services/dashboards/service/dashboard_service_test.go
index 652d245f823..3ba8cee38a1 100644
--- a/pkg/services/dashboards/service/dashboard_service_test.go
+++ b/pkg/services/dashboards/service/dashboard_service_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/mock"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"github.com/xorcare/pointer"
 
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/components/simplejson"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/infra/log"
@@ -23,7 +24,9 @@ func TestIntegrationDashboardService(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("Dashboard service tests", func(t *testing.T) {
 		fakeStore := dashboards.FakeDashboardStore{}
 		defer fakeStore.AssertExpectations(t)
+
 		service := &DashboardServiceImpl{
+			cfg:                setting.NewCfg(),
 			log:                log.New("test.logger"),
 			dashboardStore:     &fakeStore,
 			dashAlertExtractor: &dummyDashAlertExtractor{},
@@ -100,7 +103,6 @@ func TestIntegrationDashboardService(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Run("Should not return validation error if dashboard is provisioned but UI updates allowed", func(t *testing.T) {
 				fakeStore.On("ValidateDashboardBeforeSave", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(true, nil).Once()
 				fakeStore.On("SaveDashboard", mock.Anything).Return(&models.Dashboard{Data: simplejson.New()}, nil).Once()
-				fakeStore.On("SaveAlerts", mock.Anything, mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(nil).Once()
 
 				dto.Dashboard = models.NewDashboard("Dash")
 				dto.Dashboard.SetId(3)
@@ -110,6 +112,20 @@ func TestIntegrationDashboardService(t *testing.T) {
 			})
 
 			t.Run("Should return validation error if alert data is invalid", func(t *testing.T) {
+				origAlertingEnabledSet := setting.AlertingEnabled != nil
+				origAlertingEnabledVal := false
+				if origAlertingEnabledSet {
+					origAlertingEnabledVal = *setting.AlertingEnabled
+				}
+				setting.AlertingEnabled = pointer.Bool(true)
+				t.Cleanup(func() {
+					if !origAlertingEnabledSet {
+						setting.AlertingEnabled = nil
+					} else {
+						setting.AlertingEnabled = &origAlertingEnabledVal
+					}
+				})
+
 				fakeStore.On("ValidateDashboardBeforeSave", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(true, nil).Once()
 				fakeStore.On("GetProvisionedDataByDashboardID", mock.Anything).Return(nil, nil).Once()
 				fakeStore.On("SaveDashboard", mock.Anything).Return(&models.Dashboard{Data: simplejson.New()}, nil).Once()
@@ -118,6 +134,7 @@ func TestIntegrationDashboardService(t *testing.T) {
 				dto.Dashboard = models.NewDashboard("Dash")
 				dto.User = &models.SignedInUser{UserId: 1}
 				_, err := service.SaveDashboard(context.Background(), dto, false)
+				require.Error(t, err)
 				require.Equal(t, err.Error(), "alert validation error")
 			})
 		})
@@ -128,7 +145,6 @@ func TestIntegrationDashboardService(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Run("Should not return validation error if dashboard is provisioned", func(t *testing.T) {
 				fakeStore.On("ValidateDashboardBeforeSave", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(true, nil).Once()
 				fakeStore.On("SaveProvisionedDashboard", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(&models.Dashboard{Data: simplejson.New()}, nil).Once()
-				fakeStore.On("SaveAlerts", mock.Anything, mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(nil).Once()
 
 				dto.Dashboard = models.NewDashboard("Dash")
 				dto.Dashboard.SetId(3)
@@ -140,7 +156,6 @@ func TestIntegrationDashboardService(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Run("Should override invalid refresh interval if dashboard is provisioned", func(t *testing.T) {
 				fakeStore.On("ValidateDashboardBeforeSave", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(true, nil).Once()
 				fakeStore.On("SaveProvisionedDashboard", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(&models.Dashboard{Data: simplejson.New()}, nil).Once()
-				fakeStore.On("SaveAlerts", mock.Anything, mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(nil).Once()
 
 				oldRefreshInterval := setting.MinRefreshInterval
 				setting.MinRefreshInterval = "5m"
diff --git a/pkg/setting/setting.go b/pkg/setting/setting.go
index 426907ac6ef..a67ca376306 100644
--- a/pkg/setting/setting.go
+++ b/pkg/setting/setting.go
@@ -1445,6 +1445,12 @@ func readAlertingSettings(iniFile *ini.File) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// IsLegacyAlertingEnabled returns whether the legacy alerting is enabled or not.
+// It's safe to be used only after readAlertingSettings() and ReadUnifiedAlertingSettings() are executed.
+func IsLegacyAlertingEnabled() bool {
+	return AlertingEnabled != nil && *AlertingEnabled
+}
+
 func readSnapshotsSettings(cfg *Cfg, iniFile *ini.File) error {
 	snapshots := iniFile.Section("snapshots")