diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/cloudwatch/datasource.test.ts b/public/app/plugins/datasource/cloudwatch/datasource.test.ts
index 02dc92d1aaa..e10995a616d 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/cloudwatch/datasource.test.ts
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/cloudwatch/datasource.test.ts
@@ -132,21 +132,26 @@ describe('datasource', () => {
         };
       });
 
-      it('should not allow queries that dont have `matchExact` or dimensions', async () => {
-        const valid = datasource.filterMetricQuery(baseQuery);
-        expect(valid).toBeFalsy();
+      it('should not allow builder queries that dont have namespace, metric or statistic', async () => {
+        expect(datasource.filterMetricQuery({ ...baseQuery, statistic: undefined })).toBeFalsy();
+        expect(datasource.filterMetricQuery({ ...baseQuery, metricName: undefined })).toBeFalsy();
+        expect(datasource.filterMetricQuery({ ...baseQuery, namespace: '' })).toBeFalsy();
       });
 
-      it('should allow queries that have `matchExact`', async () => {
-        baseQuery.matchExact = false;
-        const valid = datasource.filterMetricQuery(baseQuery);
-        expect(valid).toBeTruthy();
+      it('should allow builder queries that have namespace, metric or statistic', async () => {
+        expect(datasource.filterMetricQuery(baseQuery)).toBeTruthy();
       });
 
-      it('should allow queries that have dimensions', async () => {
-        baseQuery.dimensions = { instanceId: ['xyz'] };
-        const valid = datasource.filterMetricQuery(baseQuery);
-        expect(valid).toBeTruthy();
+      it('should not allow code queries that dont have an expression', async () => {
+        expect(
+          datasource.filterMetricQuery({ ...baseQuery, expression: undefined, metricEditorMode: MetricEditorMode.Code })
+        ).toBeFalsy();
+      });
+
+      it('should allow code queries that have an expression', async () => {
+        expect(
+          datasource.filterMetricQuery({ ...baseQuery, expression: 'x * 2', metricEditorMode: MetricEditorMode.Code })
+        ).toBeTruthy();
       });
     });
 
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/cloudwatch/datasource.ts b/public/app/plugins/datasource/cloudwatch/datasource.ts
index 3701c9a9df1..e30e77c081e 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/cloudwatch/datasource.ts
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/cloudwatch/datasource.ts
@@ -243,12 +243,7 @@ export class CloudWatchDatasource
     }
 
     if (metricQueryType === MetricQueryType.Search && metricEditorMode === MetricEditorMode.Builder) {
-      return (
-        !!namespace &&
-        !!metricName &&
-        !!statistic &&
-        (('matchExact' in rest && !rest.matchExact) || !isEmpty(dimensions))
-      );
+      return !!namespace && !!metricName && !!statistic;
     } else if (metricQueryType === MetricQueryType.Search && metricEditorMode === MetricEditorMode.Code) {
       return !!expression;
     } else if (metricQueryType === MetricQueryType.Query) {