diff --git a/pkg/tsdb/cloudwatch/log_actions.go b/pkg/tsdb/cloudwatch/log_actions.go
index cc21cb77aa2..cb0e4f43de9 100644
--- a/pkg/tsdb/cloudwatch/log_actions.go
+++ b/pkg/tsdb/cloudwatch/log_actions.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/sync/errgroup"
 
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/infra/log"
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/featuremgmt"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/tsdb/cloudwatch/models"
 )
 
@@ -211,7 +212,7 @@ func (e *cloudWatchExecutor) executeStartQuery(ctx context.Context, logsClient c
 		QueryString: aws.String(modifiedQueryString),
 	}
 
-	if logsQuery.LogGroups != nil && len(logsQuery.LogGroups) > 0 {
+	if logsQuery.LogGroups != nil && len(logsQuery.LogGroups) > 0 && e.features.IsEnabled(featuremgmt.FlagCloudWatchCrossAccountQuerying) {
 		var logGroupIdentifiers []string
 		for _, lg := range logsQuery.LogGroups {
 			arn := lg.Arn
diff --git a/pkg/tsdb/cloudwatch/log_actions_test.go b/pkg/tsdb/cloudwatch/log_actions_test.go
index f26d2a2ae82..a2219c01e09 100644
--- a/pkg/tsdb/cloudwatch/log_actions_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tsdb/cloudwatch/log_actions_test.go
@@ -450,6 +450,110 @@ func Test_executeStartQuery(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		}, cli.calls.startQueryWithContext)
 	})
+
+	t.Run("uses LogGroupNames if the cross account feature flag is not enabled, and log group names is present", func(t *testing.T) {
+		cli = fakeCWLogsClient{}
+		im := datasource.NewInstanceManager(func(ctx context.Context, s backend.DataSourceInstanceSettings) (instancemgmt.Instance, error) {
+			return DataSource{Settings: models.CloudWatchSettings{}}, nil
+		})
+		executor := newExecutor(im, newTestConfig(), &fakeSessionCache{}, featuremgmt.WithFeatures())
+		_, err := executor.QueryData(context.Background(), &backend.QueryDataRequest{
+			PluginContext: backend.PluginContext{DataSourceInstanceSettings: &backend.DataSourceInstanceSettings{}},
+			Queries: []backend.DataQuery{
+				{
+					RefID:     "A",
+					TimeRange: backend.TimeRange{From: time.Unix(0, 0), To: time.Unix(1, 0)},
+					JSON: json.RawMessage(`{
+						"type":    "logAction",
+						"subtype": "StartQuery",
+						"limit":   12,
+						"queryString":"fields @message",
+						"logGroups":[{"arn": "*fake**ARN*"}],
+						"LogGroupNames": ["/log-group-name"]
+					}`),
+				},
+			},
+		})
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, []*cloudwatchlogs.StartQueryInput{
+			{
+				StartTime:     aws.Int64(0),
+				EndTime:       aws.Int64(1),
+				Limit:         aws.Int64(12),
+				QueryString:   aws.String("fields @timestamp,ltrim(@log) as __log__grafana_internal__,ltrim(@logStream) as __logstream__grafana_internal__|fields @message"),
+				LogGroupNames: []*string{aws.String("/log-group-name")},
+			},
+		}, cli.calls.startQueryWithContext)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("ignores logGroups if feature flag is disabled even if logGroupNames is not present", func(t *testing.T) {
+		cli = fakeCWLogsClient{}
+		im := datasource.NewInstanceManager(func(ctx context.Context, s backend.DataSourceInstanceSettings) (instancemgmt.Instance, error) {
+			return DataSource{Settings: models.CloudWatchSettings{}}, nil
+		})
+		executor := newExecutor(im, newTestConfig(), &fakeSessionCache{}, featuremgmt.WithFeatures())
+		_, err := executor.QueryData(context.Background(), &backend.QueryDataRequest{
+			PluginContext: backend.PluginContext{DataSourceInstanceSettings: &backend.DataSourceInstanceSettings{}},
+			Queries: []backend.DataQuery{
+				{
+					RefID:     "A",
+					TimeRange: backend.TimeRange{From: time.Unix(0, 0), To: time.Unix(1, 0)},
+					JSON: json.RawMessage(`{
+						"type":    "logAction",
+						"subtype": "StartQuery",
+						"limit":   12,
+						"queryString":"fields @message",
+						"logGroups":[{"arn": "*fake**ARN*"}]
+					}`),
+				},
+			},
+		})
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, []*cloudwatchlogs.StartQueryInput{
+			{
+				StartTime:     aws.Int64(0),
+				EndTime:       aws.Int64(1),
+				Limit:         aws.Int64(12),
+				QueryString:   aws.String("fields @timestamp,ltrim(@log) as __log__grafana_internal__,ltrim(@logStream) as __logstream__grafana_internal__|fields @message"),
+				LogGroupNames: []*string{},
+			},
+		}, cli.calls.startQueryWithContext)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("it always uses logGroups when feature flag is enabled and ignores log group names", func(t *testing.T) {
+		cli = fakeCWLogsClient{}
+		im := datasource.NewInstanceManager(func(ctx context.Context, s backend.DataSourceInstanceSettings) (instancemgmt.Instance, error) {
+			return DataSource{Settings: models.CloudWatchSettings{}}, nil
+		})
+		executor := newExecutor(im, newTestConfig(), &fakeSessionCache{}, featuremgmt.WithFeatures(featuremgmt.FlagCloudWatchCrossAccountQuerying))
+		_, err := executor.QueryData(context.Background(), &backend.QueryDataRequest{
+			PluginContext: backend.PluginContext{DataSourceInstanceSettings: &backend.DataSourceInstanceSettings{}},
+			Queries: []backend.DataQuery{
+				{
+					RefID:     "A",
+					TimeRange: backend.TimeRange{From: time.Unix(0, 0), To: time.Unix(1, 0)},
+					JSON: json.RawMessage(`{
+						"type":    "logAction",
+						"subtype": "StartQuery",
+						"limit":   12,
+						"queryString":"fields @message",
+						"logGroups":[{"arn": "*fake**ARN*"}],
+						"logGroupNames":["/log-group"]
+					}`),
+				},
+			},
+		})
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, []*cloudwatchlogs.StartQueryInput{
+			{
+				StartTime:           aws.Int64(0),
+				EndTime:             aws.Int64(1),
+				Limit:               aws.Int64(12),
+				QueryString:         aws.String("fields @timestamp,ltrim(@log) as __log__grafana_internal__,ltrim(@logStream) as __logstream__grafana_internal__|fields @message"),
+				LogGroupIdentifiers: []*string{aws.String("*fake**ARN")},
+			},
+		}, cli.calls.startQueryWithContext)
+	})
 }
 
 func TestQuery_StopQuery(t *testing.T) {