diff --git a/.betterer.results b/.betterer.results
index 1b1be082a78..e0902c91260 100644
--- a/.betterer.results
+++ b/.betterer.results
@@ -3559,11 +3559,10 @@ exports[`better eslint`] = {
       [0, 0, 0, "Unexpected any. Specify a different type.", "0"],
       [0, 0, 0, "Unexpected any. Specify a different type.", "1"],
       [0, 0, 0, "Unexpected any. Specify a different type.", "2"],
-      [0, 0, 0, "Do not use any type assertions.", "3"],
+      [0, 0, 0, "Unexpected any. Specify a different type.", "3"],
       [0, 0, 0, "Unexpected any. Specify a different type.", "4"],
       [0, 0, 0, "Unexpected any. Specify a different type.", "5"],
-      [0, 0, 0, "Unexpected any. Specify a different type.", "6"],
-      [0, 0, 0, "Do not use any type assertions.", "7"]
+      [0, 0, 0, "Do not use any type assertions.", "6"]
     ],
     "public/app/features/visualization/data-hover/DataHoverRows.tsx:5381": [
       [0, 0, 0, "Styles should be written using objects.", "0"]
diff --git a/public/app/features/variables/state/processVariable.test.ts b/public/app/features/variables/state/processVariable.test.ts
index 92867f02116..6448f202eb4 100644
--- a/public/app/features/variables/state/processVariable.test.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/variables/state/processVariable.test.ts
@@ -152,6 +152,21 @@ describe('processVariable', () => {
           .whenAsyncActionIsDispatched(processVariable(toKeyedVariableIdentifier(custom), queryParams), true);
 
         await tester.thenDispatchedActionsShouldEqual(
+          toKeyedAction(key, variableStateFetching(toVariablePayload({ type: 'custom', id: 'custom' }))),
+          toKeyedAction(
+            key,
+            createCustomOptionsFromQuery(toVariablePayload({ type: 'custom', id: 'custom' }, 'A,B,C'))
+          ),
+          toKeyedAction(
+            key,
+            setCurrentVariableValue(
+              toVariablePayload(
+                { type: 'custom', id: 'custom' },
+                { option: { text: 'A', value: 'A', selected: false } }
+              )
+            )
+          ),
+          toKeyedAction(key, variableStateCompleted(toVariablePayload(custom))),
           toKeyedAction(
             key,
             setCurrentVariableValue(
@@ -160,8 +175,7 @@ describe('processVariable', () => {
                 { option: { text: 'B', value: 'B', selected: false } }
               )
             )
-          ),
-          toKeyedAction(key, variableStateCompleted(toVariablePayload(custom)))
+          )
         );
       });
     });
diff --git a/public/app/features/variables/utils.ts b/public/app/features/variables/utils.ts
index aa6d033bd6f..b3bd198f570 100644
--- a/public/app/features/variables/utils.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/variables/utils.ts
@@ -156,21 +156,19 @@ export function getLegacyQueryOptions(
 }
 
 export function getVariableRefresh(variable: VariableModel): VariableRefresh {
-  if (!variable || !variable.hasOwnProperty('refresh')) {
-    return VariableRefresh.never;
+  if (variable?.type === 'custom') {
+    return VariableRefresh.onDashboardLoad;
   }
 
-  const queryVariable = variable as QueryVariableModel;
-
   if (
-    queryVariable.refresh !== VariableRefresh.onTimeRangeChanged &&
-    queryVariable.refresh !== VariableRefresh.onDashboardLoad &&
-    queryVariable.refresh !== VariableRefresh.never
+    !variable ||
+    !('refresh' in variable) ||
+    (variable.refresh !== VariableRefresh.onTimeRangeChanged && variable.refresh !== VariableRefresh.onDashboardLoad)
   ) {
     return VariableRefresh.never;
   }
 
-  return queryVariable.refresh;
+  return variable.refresh;
 }
 
 export function getVariableTypes(): Array<{ label: string; value: VariableType }> {