diff --git a/packages/grafana-data/src/text/string.test.ts b/packages/grafana-data/src/text/string.test.ts
index b9cd3eb0866..c0ab2b3a854 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-data/src/text/string.test.ts
+++ b/packages/grafana-data/src/text/string.test.ts
@@ -57,12 +57,32 @@ describe('stringToMs', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('[un]escapeStringForRegex', () => {
+  it.each([
+    '[]',
+    '\\',
+    '[(abc])',
+    'onetwothree',
+    '<namedgroup}(this is not a regex>',
+    'string\\with\\backslash',
+    'everyspecialchar([{])}.,/?&*-^&<>#',
+  ])('should be symmetric', (input) => {
+    const output = unEscapeStringFromRegex(escapeStringForRegex(input));
+    expect(output).toEqual(input);
+  });
+});
+
 describe('escapeStringForRegex', () => {
-  describe('when using a string with special chars', () => {
-    it('then all special chars should be escaped', () => {
-      const result = escapeStringForRegex('([{}])|*+-.?<>#&^$');
-      expect(result).toBe('\\(\\[\\{\\}\\]\\)\\|\\*\\+\\-\\.\\?\\<\\>\\#\\&\\^\\$');
-    });
+  it.each([
+    '[[[',
+    '[]\\',
+    '[(abc])',
+    'onetwothree',
+    '<namedgroup}(this is not a regex>',
+    'string\\with\\backslash',
+    'everyspecialchar([{])}.,/?&*-^&<>#',
+  ])('should always produce output that compiles', (value) => {
+    expect(() => new RegExp(escapeStringForRegex(value))).not.toThrowError();
   });
 
   describe('when using a string without special chars', () => {
diff --git a/packages/grafana-data/src/text/string.ts b/packages/grafana-data/src/text/string.ts
index 79cf3ae05cd..12f628c7cb0 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-data/src/text/string.ts
+++ b/packages/grafana-data/src/text/string.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
 import { camelCase } from 'lodash';
-const specialChars = ['(', '[', '{', '}', ']', ')', '|', '*', '+', '-', '.', '?', '<', '>', '#', '&', '^', '$'];
+
+const specialChars = ['(', '[', '{', '}', ']', ')', '\\', '|', '*', '+', '-', '.', '?', '<', '>', '#', '&', '^', '$'];
+const specialMatcher = '([\\' + specialChars.join('\\') + '])';
+const specialCharEscape = new RegExp(specialMatcher, 'g');
+const specialCharUnescape = new RegExp('(\\\\)' + specialMatcher, 'g');
 
 export const escapeStringForRegex = (value: string) => {
   if (!value) {
     return value;
   }
 
-  return specialChars.reduce((escaped, currentChar) => escaped.replace(currentChar, '\\' + currentChar), value);
+  return value.replace(specialCharEscape, '\\$1');
 };
 
 export const unEscapeStringFromRegex = (value: string) => {
@@ -14,7 +18,7 @@ export const unEscapeStringFromRegex = (value: string) => {
     return value;
   }
 
-  return specialChars.reduce((escaped, currentChar) => escaped.replace('\\' + currentChar, currentChar), value);
+  return value.replace(specialCharUnescape, '$2');
 };
 
 export function stringStartsAsRegEx(str: string): boolean {