diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/DashboardEmpty.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/DashboardEmpty.tsx
index 47c5ec2146a..bf0e1df1825 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/DashboardEmpty.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/DashboardEmpty.tsx
@@ -107,6 +107,11 @@ function getStyles(theme: GrafanaTheme2) {
       flexDirection: 'column',
       maxWidth: '890px',
       gap: theme.spacing.gridSize * 4,
+      paddingTop: theme.spacing(2),
+
+      [theme.breakpoints.up('sm')]: {
+        paddingTop: theme.spacing(12),
+      },
     }),
     containerBox: css({
       label: 'container-box',
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/DashboardGrid.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/DashboardGrid.tsx
index 532f1e3b824..90e2a3e33d4 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/DashboardGrid.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/DashboardGrid.tsx
@@ -24,12 +24,7 @@ export interface Props {
   viewPanel: PanelModel | null;
   hidePanelMenus?: boolean;
 }
-
-export interface State {
-  isLayoutInitialized: boolean;
-}
-
-export class DashboardGrid extends PureComponent<Props, State> {
+export class DashboardGrid extends PureComponent<Props> {
   private panelMap: { [key: string]: PanelModel } = {};
   private eventSubs = new Subscription();
   private windowHeight = 1200;
@@ -37,13 +32,10 @@ export class DashboardGrid extends PureComponent<Props, State> {
   private gridWidth = 0;
   /** Used to keep track of mobile panel layout position */
   private lastPanelBottom = 0;
+  private isLayoutInitialized = false;
 
   constructor(props: Props) {
     super(props);
-
-    this.state = {
-      isLayoutInitialized: false,
-    };
   }
 
   componentDidMount() {
@@ -93,15 +85,14 @@ export class DashboardGrid extends PureComponent<Props, State> {
 
   onLayoutChange = (newLayout: ReactGridLayout.Layout[]) => {
     for (const newPos of newLayout) {
-      this.panelMap[newPos.i!].updateGridPos(newPos, this.state.isLayoutInitialized);
+      this.panelMap[newPos.i!].updateGridPos(newPos, this.isLayoutInitialized);
+    }
+
+    if (this.isLayoutInitialized) {
+      this.isLayoutInitialized = true;
     }
 
     this.props.dashboard.sortPanelsByGridPos();
-
-    // This is called on grid mount as it can correct invalid initial grid positions
-    if (!this.state.isLayoutInitialized) {
-      this.setState({ isLayoutInitialized: true });
-    }
   };
 
   triggerForceUpdate = () => {
@@ -210,9 +201,24 @@ export class DashboardGrid extends PureComponent<Props, State> {
     );
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Without this hack the move animations are triggered on initial load and all panels fly into position.
+   * This can be quite distracting and make the dashboard appear to less snappy.
+   */
+  onGetWrapperDivRef = (ref: HTMLDivElement | null) => {
+    if (ref) {
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        ref.classList.add('react-grid-layout--enable-move-animations');
+      }, 50);
+    }
+  };
+
   render() {
-    const { dashboard, isEditable } = this.props;
-    const hasPanels = dashboard.panels && dashboard.panels.length > 0;
+    const { isEditable, dashboard } = this.props;
+
+    if (config.featureToggles.emptyDashboardPage && dashboard.panels.length === 0) {
+      return <DashboardEmpty dashboard={dashboard} canCreate={isEditable} />;
+    }
 
     /**
      * We have a parent with "flex: 1 1 0" we need to reset it to "flex: 1 1 auto" to have the AutoSizer
@@ -227,59 +233,23 @@ export class DashboardGrid extends PureComponent<Props, State> {
               return null;
             }
 
-            const draggable = width <= 769 ? false : isEditable;
+            // Disable draggable if mobile device, solving an issue with unintentionally
+            // moving panels. https://github.com/grafana/grafana/issues/18497
+            const draggable = width <= config.theme2.breakpoints.values.md ? false : isEditable;
 
-            /*
-            Disable draggable if mobile device, solving an issue with unintentionally
-            moving panels. https://github.com/grafana/grafana/issues/18497
-            theme.breakpoints.md = 769
-          */
-            return config.featureToggles.emptyDashboardPage ? (
-              hasPanels ? (
-                /**
-                 * The children is using a width of 100% so we need to guarantee that it is wrapped
-                 * in an element that has the calculated size given by the AutoSizer. The AutoSizer
-                 * has a width of 0 and will let its content overflow its div.
-                 */
-                <div style={{ width: `${width}px`, height: '100%' }}>
-                  <ReactGridLayout
-                    width={width}
-                    isDraggable={draggable}
-                    isResizable={isEditable}
-                    containerPadding={[0, 0]}
-                    useCSSTransforms={false}
-                    margin={[GRID_CELL_VMARGIN, GRID_CELL_VMARGIN]}
-                    cols={GRID_COLUMN_COUNT}
-                    rowHeight={GRID_CELL_HEIGHT}
-                    draggableHandle=".grid-drag-handle"
-                    draggableCancel=".grid-drag-cancel"
-                    layout={this.buildLayout()}
-                    onDragStop={this.onDragStop}
-                    onResize={this.onResize}
-                    onResizeStop={this.onResizeStop}
-                    onLayoutChange={this.onLayoutChange}
-                  >
-                    {this.renderPanels(width, draggable)}
-                  </ReactGridLayout>
-                </div>
-              ) : (
-                <div style={{ width: `${width}px`, height: '100%', padding: `${draggable ? '100px 0' : '0'}` }}>
-                  <DashboardEmpty dashboard={dashboard} canCreate={isEditable} />
-                </div>
-              )
-            ) : (
+            return (
               /**
                * The children is using a width of 100% so we need to guarantee that it is wrapped
                * in an element that has the calculated size given by the AutoSizer. The AutoSizer
                * has a width of 0 and will let its content overflow its div.
                */
-              <div style={{ width: `${width}px`, height: '100%' }}>
+              <div style={{ width: width, height: '100%' }} ref={this.onGetWrapperDivRef}>
                 <ReactGridLayout
                   width={width}
                   isDraggable={draggable}
                   isResizable={isEditable}
                   containerPadding={[0, 0]}
-                  useCSSTransforms={false}
+                  useCSSTransforms={true}
                   margin={[GRID_CELL_VMARGIN, GRID_CELL_VMARGIN]}
                   cols={GRID_COLUMN_COUNT}
                   rowHeight={GRID_CELL_HEIGHT}
diff --git a/public/sass/components/_dashboard_grid.scss b/public/sass/components/_dashboard_grid.scss
index 150d5836622..e94a891b1a1 100644
--- a/public/sass/components/_dashboard_grid.scss
+++ b/public/sass/components/_dashboard_grid.scss
@@ -94,6 +94,8 @@
   transition-property: none;
 }
 
-.animated .react-grid-item.cssTransforms {
-  transition-property: transform;
+.react-grid-layout--enable-move-animations {
+  .react-grid-item.cssTransforms {
+    transition-property: transform;
+  }
 }