diff --git a/public/app/core/utils/explore.test.ts b/public/app/core/utils/explore.test.ts
index cc0c14ee176..8cbe7bcbdee 100644
--- a/public/app/core/utils/explore.test.ts
+++ b/public/app/core/utils/explore.test.ts
@@ -59,6 +59,20 @@ describe('state functions', () => {
       });
     });
 
+    it('should not return a query for mode in the url', () => {
+      // Previous versions of Grafana included "Explore mode" in the URL; this should not be treated as a query.
+      const paramValue =
+        '["now-1h","now","x-ray-datasource",{"queryType":"getTraceSummaries"},{"mode":"Metrics"},{"ui":[true,true,true,"none"]}]';
+      expect(parseUrlState(paramValue)).toMatchObject({
+        datasource: 'x-ray-datasource',
+        queries: [{ queryType: 'getTraceSummaries' }],
+        range: {
+          from: 'now-1h',
+          to: 'now',
+        },
+      });
+    });
+
     it('should return queries if queryType is present in the url', () => {
       const paramValue =
         '["now-1h","now","x-ray-datasource",{"queryType":"getTraceSummaries"},{"ui":[true,true,true,"none"]}]';
diff --git a/public/app/core/utils/explore.ts b/public/app/core/utils/explore.ts
index 691b1d93a9d..f72474b2bb9 100644
--- a/public/app/core/utils/explore.ts
+++ b/public/app/core/utils/explore.ts
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ export function parseUrlState(initial: string | undefined): ExploreUrlState {
   };
   const datasource = parsed[ParseUrlStateIndex.Datasource];
   const parsedSegments = parsed.slice(ParseUrlStateIndex.SegmentsStart);
-  const queries = parsedSegments.filter(segment => !isSegment(segment, 'ui', 'originPanelId'));
+  const queries = parsedSegments.filter(segment => !isSegment(segment, 'ui', 'originPanelId', 'mode'));
 
   const originPanelId = parsedSegments.filter(segment => isSegment(segment, 'originPanelId'))[0];
   return { datasource, queries, range, originPanelId };