diff --git a/pkg/services/ngalert/store/models.go b/pkg/services/ngalert/store/models.go
index 7f40ccd30ac..f7b6858a86e 100644
--- a/pkg/services/ngalert/store/models.go
+++ b/pkg/services/ngalert/store/models.go
@@ -72,14 +72,13 @@ type alertRuleVersion struct {
 }
 
 // EqualSpec compares two alertRuleVersion objects for equality based on their specifications and returns true if they match.
-// The comparison is very basic and can produce false-negative. Fields excluded: ID, ParentVersion, RestoredFrom, Version, Created and CreatedBy
+// The comparison is very basic and can produce false-negative. Fields excluded: ID, ParentVersion, RestoredFrom, Version, Created, RuleGroupIndex and CreatedBy
 func (a alertRuleVersion) EqualSpec(b alertRuleVersion) bool {
 	return a.RuleOrgID == b.RuleOrgID &&
 		a.RuleGUID == b.RuleGUID &&
 		a.RuleUID == b.RuleUID &&
 		a.RuleNamespaceUID == b.RuleNamespaceUID &&
 		a.RuleGroup == b.RuleGroup &&
-		a.RuleGroupIndex == b.RuleGroupIndex &&
 		a.Title == b.Title &&
 		a.Condition == b.Condition &&
 		a.Data == b.Data &&
diff --git a/pkg/services/ngalert/store/models_test.go b/pkg/services/ngalert/store/models_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e37598c3714
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/services/ngalert/store/models_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,223 @@
+package store
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/util"
+)
+
+func TestAlertRuleVersion_EqualSpec(t *testing.T) {
+	baseVersion := alertRuleVersion{
+		RuleOrgID:                   1,
+		RuleGUID:                    "guid1",
+		RuleUID:                     "uid1",
+		RuleGroup:                   "group1",
+		Title:                       "Sample",
+		Condition:                   "cond",
+		Data:                        "data",
+		IntervalSeconds:             60,
+		Record:                      "record",
+		NoDataState:                 "state1",
+		ExecErrState:                "state2",
+		For:                         time.Minute,
+		Annotations:                 `{ "test": "annotation" }`,
+		Labels:                      `{ "test": "label" }`,
+		IsPaused:                    true,
+		NotificationSettings:        `{ some json object }`,
+		Metadata:                    `{ some json object }`,
+		MissingSeriesEvalsToResolve: util.Pointer(int64(10)),
+	}
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name   string
+		a      alertRuleVersion
+		b      alertRuleVersion
+		expect bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:   "equal versions",
+			a:      baseVersion,
+			b:      baseVersion,
+			expect: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "different RuleOrgID",
+			a:      baseVersion,
+			b:      func() alertRuleVersion { v := baseVersion; v.RuleOrgID = 2; return v }(),
+			expect: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "different RuleGUID",
+			a:      baseVersion,
+			b:      func() alertRuleVersion { v := baseVersion; v.RuleGUID = "guid2"; return v }(),
+			expect: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "different Title",
+			a:      baseVersion,
+			b:      func() alertRuleVersion { v := baseVersion; v.Title = "Title2"; return v }(),
+			expect: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "nil MissingSeriesEvalsToResolve in one version",
+			a:      func() alertRuleVersion { v := baseVersion; v.MissingSeriesEvalsToResolve = nil; return v }(),
+			b:      baseVersion,
+			expect: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "both MissingSeriesEvalsToResolve nil",
+			a:      func() alertRuleVersion { v := baseVersion; v.MissingSeriesEvalsToResolve = nil; return v }(),
+			b:      func() alertRuleVersion { v := baseVersion; v.MissingSeriesEvalsToResolve = nil; return v }(),
+			expect: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "different NotificationSettings",
+			a:      baseVersion,
+			b:      func() alertRuleVersion { v := baseVersion; v.NotificationSettings = "notify2"; return v }(),
+			expect: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "complex mismatch",
+			a:    baseVersion,
+			b: func() alertRuleVersion {
+				v := baseVersion
+				v.RuleOrgID = 2
+				v.RuleGUID = "guid2"
+				v.Title = "Title2"
+				return v
+			}(),
+			expect: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "different For durations",
+			a:      baseVersion,
+			b:      func() alertRuleVersion { v := baseVersion; v.For = 2 * time.Minute; return v }(),
+			expect: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "exact match including bools and other types",
+			a: func() alertRuleVersion {
+				v := baseVersion
+				v.IsPaused = true
+				v.Metadata = "meta1"
+				v.Labels = "label1"
+				return v
+			}(),
+			b: func() alertRuleVersion {
+				v := baseVersion
+				v.IsPaused = true
+				v.Metadata = "meta1"
+				v.Labels = "label1"
+				return v
+			}(),
+			expect: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "different ID but otherwise equal",
+			a: func() alertRuleVersion {
+				v := baseVersion
+				v.ID = 1
+				return v
+			}(),
+			b: func() alertRuleVersion {
+				v := baseVersion
+				v.ID = 2
+				return v
+			}(),
+			expect: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "different ParentVersion but otherwise equal",
+			a: func() alertRuleVersion {
+				v := baseVersion
+				v.ParentVersion = 1
+				return v
+			}(),
+			b: func() alertRuleVersion {
+				v := baseVersion
+				v.ParentVersion = 2
+				return v
+			}(),
+			expect: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "different RestoredFrom but otherwise equal",
+			a: func() alertRuleVersion {
+				v := baseVersion
+				v.RestoredFrom = 1
+				return v
+			}(),
+			b: func() alertRuleVersion {
+				v := baseVersion
+				v.RestoredFrom = 2
+				return v
+			}(),
+			expect: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "different Version but otherwise equal",
+			a: func() alertRuleVersion {
+				v := baseVersion
+				v.Version = 1
+				return v
+			}(),
+			b: func() alertRuleVersion {
+				v := baseVersion
+				v.Version = 2
+				return v
+			}(),
+			expect: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "different Created but otherwise equal",
+			a: func() alertRuleVersion {
+				v := baseVersion
+				v.Created = time.Now()
+				return v
+			}(),
+			b: func() alertRuleVersion {
+				v := baseVersion
+				v.Created = time.Now().Add(time.Hour)
+				return v
+			}(),
+			expect: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "different RuleGroupIndex but otherwise equal",
+			a: func() alertRuleVersion {
+				v := baseVersion
+				v.RuleGroupIndex = 1
+				return v
+			}(),
+			b: func() alertRuleVersion {
+				v := baseVersion
+				v.RuleGroupIndex = 2
+				return v
+			}(),
+			expect: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "different CreatedBy but otherwise equal",
+			a: func() alertRuleVersion {
+				v := baseVersion
+				v.CreatedBy = util.Pointer("user1")
+				return v
+			}(),
+			b: func() alertRuleVersion {
+				v := baseVersion
+				v.CreatedBy = util.Pointer("user2")
+				return v
+			}(),
+			expect: true,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if got := tt.a.EqualSpec(tt.b); got != tt.expect {
+				t.Errorf("EqualSpec() = %v, expect %v", got, tt.expect)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}