diff --git a/public/app/core/components/AppChrome/AppChrome.tsx b/public/app/core/components/AppChrome/AppChrome.tsx
index f1abdfc2a68..5c2f458f9c1 100644
--- a/public/app/core/components/AppChrome/AppChrome.tsx
+++ b/public/app/core/components/AppChrome/AppChrome.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import { useGrafana } from 'app/core/context/GrafanaContext';
 import { CommandPalette } from 'app/features/commandPalette/CommandPalette';
 import { KioskMode } from 'app/types';
 
-import { DockedMegaMenu } from './DockedMegaMenu/DockedMegaMenu';
+import { AppChromeMenu } from './AppChromeMenu';
 import { MegaMenu } from './MegaMenu/MegaMenu';
 import { NavToolbar } from './NavToolbar/NavToolbar';
 import { SectionNav } from './SectionNav/SectionNav';
@@ -19,11 +19,10 @@ import { TOP_BAR_LEVEL_HEIGHT } from './types';
 export interface Props extends PropsWithChildren<{}> {}
 
 export function AppChrome({ children }: Props) {
-  const styles = useStyles2(getStyles);
   const { chrome } = useGrafana();
   const state = chrome.useState();
-
   const searchBarHidden = state.searchBarHidden || state.kioskMode === KioskMode.TV;
+  const styles = useStyles2(getStyles);
 
   const contentClass = cx({
     [styles.content]: true,
@@ -34,7 +33,6 @@ export function AppChrome({ children }: Props) {
   // Chromeless routes are without topNav, mega menu, search & command palette
   // We check chromeless twice here instead of having a separate path so {children}
   // doesn't get re-mounted when chromeless goes from true to false.
-
   return (
     <div
       className={classNames('main-view', {
@@ -61,18 +59,20 @@ export function AppChrome({ children }: Props) {
           </div>
         </>
       )}
-      <main className={contentClass} id="pageContent">
+      <main className={contentClass}>
         <div className={styles.panes}>
           {state.layout === PageLayoutType.Standard && state.sectionNav && !config.featureToggles.dockedMegaMenu && (
             <SectionNav model={state.sectionNav} />
           )}
-          <div className={styles.pageContainer}>{children}</div>
+          <div className={styles.pageContainer} id="pageContent">
+            {children}
+          </div>
         </div>
       </main>
       {!state.chromeless && (
         <>
           {config.featureToggles.dockedMegaMenu ? (
-            <DockedMegaMenu searchBarHidden={searchBarHidden} onClose={() => chrome.setMegaMenu(false)} />
+            <AppChromeMenu />
           ) : (
             <MegaMenu searchBarHidden={searchBarHidden} onClose={() => chrome.setMegaMenu(false)} />
           )}
diff --git a/public/app/core/components/AppChrome/DockedMegaMenu/NavBarMenu.tsx b/public/app/core/components/AppChrome/AppChromeMenu.tsx
similarity index 50%
rename from public/app/core/components/AppChrome/DockedMegaMenu/NavBarMenu.tsx
rename to public/app/core/components/AppChrome/AppChromeMenu.tsx
index 6879e4f1cda..e8c0404f366 100644
--- a/public/app/core/components/AppChrome/DockedMegaMenu/NavBarMenu.tsx
+++ b/public/app/core/components/AppChrome/AppChromeMenu.tsx
@@ -2,105 +2,79 @@ import { css } from '@emotion/css';
 import { useDialog } from '@react-aria/dialog';
 import { FocusScope } from '@react-aria/focus';
 import { OverlayContainer, useOverlay } from '@react-aria/overlays';
-import React, { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react';
+import React, { useRef } from 'react';
 import CSSTransition from 'react-transition-group/CSSTransition';
 
-import { GrafanaTheme2, NavModelItem } from '@grafana/data';
-import { CustomScrollbar, Icon, IconButton, useTheme2 } from '@grafana/ui';
+import { GrafanaTheme2 } from '@grafana/data';
+import { useStyles2, useTheme2 } from '@grafana/ui';
 import { useGrafana } from 'app/core/context/GrafanaContext';
+import { KioskMode } from 'app/types';
 
-import { TOP_BAR_LEVEL_HEIGHT } from '../types';
+import { DockedMegaMenu, MENU_WIDTH } from './DockedMegaMenu/DockedMegaMenu';
+import { TOGGLE_BUTTON_ID } from './NavToolbar/NavToolbar';
+import { TOP_BAR_LEVEL_HEIGHT } from './types';
 
-import { NavBarMenuItemWrapper } from './NavBarMenuItemWrapper';
+interface Props {}
 
-const MENU_WIDTH = '350px';
-
-export interface Props {
-  activeItem?: NavModelItem;
-  navItems: NavModelItem[];
-  searchBarHidden?: boolean;
-  onClose: () => void;
-}
-
-export function NavBarMenu({ activeItem, navItems, searchBarHidden, onClose }: Props) {
+export function AppChromeMenu({}: Props) {
   const theme = useTheme2();
-  const styles = getStyles(theme, searchBarHidden);
-  const animationSpeed = theme.transitions.duration.shortest;
-  const animStyles = getAnimStyles(theme, animationSpeed);
   const { chrome } = useGrafana();
   const state = chrome.useState();
+  const searchBarHidden = state.searchBarHidden || state.kioskMode === KioskMode.TV;
+
   const ref = useRef(null);
   const backdropRef = useRef(null);
-  const { dialogProps } = useDialog({}, ref);
-  const [isOpen, setIsOpen] = useState(false);
+  const animationSpeed = theme.transitions.duration.shortest;
+  const animationStyles = useStyles2(getAnimStyles, animationSpeed);
 
-  const onMenuClose = () => setIsOpen(false);
+  const isOpen = state.megaMenuOpen;
+  const onClose = () => chrome.setMegaMenu(false);
 
   const { overlayProps, underlayProps } = useOverlay(
     {
       isDismissable: true,
       isOpen: true,
-      onClose: onMenuClose,
+      onClose,
+      shouldCloseOnInteractOutside: (element) => {
+        // don't close when clicking on the menu toggle, let the toggle button handle that
+        // this prevents some nasty flickering when the menu is open and the toggle button is clicked
+        const isMenuToggle = document.getElementById(TOGGLE_BUTTON_ID)?.contains(element);
+        return !isMenuToggle;
+      },
     },
     ref
   );
-
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (state.megaMenuOpen) {
-      setIsOpen(true);
-    }
-  }, [state.megaMenuOpen]);
+  const { dialogProps } = useDialog({}, ref);
+  const styles = useStyles2(getStyles, searchBarHidden);
 
   return (
-    <OverlayContainer>
-      <CSSTransition
-        nodeRef={ref}
-        in={isOpen}
-        unmountOnExit={true}
-        classNames={animStyles.overlay}
-        timeout={{ enter: animationSpeed, exit: 0 }}
-        onExited={onClose}
-      >
-        <FocusScope contain autoFocus>
-          <div data-testid="navbarmenu" ref={ref} {...overlayProps} {...dialogProps} className={styles.container}>
-            <div className={styles.mobileHeader}>
-              <Icon name="bars" size="xl" />
-              <IconButton
-                aria-label="Close navigation menu"
-                tooltip="Close menu"
-                name="times"
-                onClick={onMenuClose}
-                size="xl"
-                variant="secondary"
-              />
-            </div>
-            <nav className={styles.content}>
-              <CustomScrollbar showScrollIndicators hideHorizontalTrack>
-                <ul className={styles.itemList}>
-                  {navItems.map((link) => (
-                    <NavBarMenuItemWrapper link={link} onClose={onMenuClose} activeItem={activeItem} key={link.text} />
-                  ))}
-                </ul>
-              </CustomScrollbar>
-            </nav>
-          </div>
-        </FocusScope>
-      </CSSTransition>
-      <CSSTransition
-        nodeRef={backdropRef}
-        in={isOpen}
-        unmountOnExit={true}
-        classNames={animStyles.backdrop}
-        timeout={{ enter: animationSpeed, exit: 0 }}
-      >
-        <div ref={backdropRef} className={styles.backdrop} {...underlayProps} />
-      </CSSTransition>
-    </OverlayContainer>
+    <div className={styles.wrapper}>
+      <OverlayContainer>
+        <CSSTransition
+          nodeRef={ref}
+          in={isOpen}
+          unmountOnExit={true}
+          classNames={animationStyles.overlay}
+          timeout={{ enter: animationSpeed, exit: 0 }}
+        >
+          <FocusScope contain autoFocus>
+            <DockedMegaMenu className={styles.menu} onClose={onClose} ref={ref} {...overlayProps} {...dialogProps} />
+          </FocusScope>
+        </CSSTransition>
+        <CSSTransition
+          nodeRef={backdropRef}
+          in={isOpen}
+          unmountOnExit={true}
+          classNames={animationStyles.backdrop}
+          timeout={{ enter: animationSpeed, exit: 0 }}
+        >
+          <div ref={backdropRef} className={styles.backdrop} {...underlayProps} />
+        </CSSTransition>
+      </OverlayContainer>
+    </div>
   );
 }
 
-NavBarMenu.displayName = 'NavBarMenu';
-
 const getStyles = (theme: GrafanaTheme2, searchBarHidden?: boolean) => {
   const topPosition = (searchBarHidden ? TOP_BAR_LEVEL_HEIGHT : TOP_BAR_LEVEL_HEIGHT * 2) + 1;
 
@@ -119,12 +93,11 @@ const getStyles = (theme: GrafanaTheme2, searchBarHidden?: boolean) => {
         top: topPosition,
       },
     }),
-    container: css({
+    menu: css({
       display: 'flex',
       bottom: 0,
       flexDirection: 'column',
       left: 0,
-      marginRight: theme.spacing(1.5),
       right: 0,
       // Needs to below navbar should we change the navbarFixed? add add a new level?
       zIndex: theme.zIndex.modal,
@@ -135,32 +108,17 @@ const getStyles = (theme: GrafanaTheme2, searchBarHidden?: boolean) => {
       flex: '1 1 0',
 
       [theme.breakpoints.up('md')]: {
-        borderRight: `1px solid ${theme.colors.border.weak}`,
         right: 'unset',
+        borderRight: `1px solid ${theme.colors.border.weak}`,
         top: topPosition,
       },
     }),
-    content: css({
-      display: 'flex',
-      flexDirection: 'column',
-      flexGrow: 1,
-      minHeight: 0,
-    }),
-    mobileHeader: css({
-      display: 'flex',
-      justifyContent: 'space-between',
-      padding: theme.spacing(1, 1, 1, 2),
-      borderBottom: `1px solid ${theme.colors.border.weak}`,
-
-      [theme.breakpoints.up('md')]: {
-        display: 'none',
-      },
-    }),
-    itemList: css({
+    wrapper: css({
+      position: 'fixed',
       display: 'grid',
-      gridAutoRows: `minmax(${theme.spacing(6)}, auto)`,
-      gridTemplateColumns: `minmax(${MENU_WIDTH}, auto)`,
-      minWidth: MENU_WIDTH,
+      gridAutoFlow: 'column',
+      height: '100%',
+      zIndex: theme.zIndex.sidemenu,
     }),
   };
 };
diff --git a/public/app/core/components/AppChrome/DockedMegaMenu/DockedMegaMenu.tsx b/public/app/core/components/AppChrome/DockedMegaMenu/DockedMegaMenu.tsx
index 71fbdf52e3f..30e6e30aa2e 100644
--- a/public/app/core/components/AppChrome/DockedMegaMenu/DockedMegaMenu.tsx
+++ b/public/app/core/components/AppChrome/DockedMegaMenu/DockedMegaMenu.tsx
@@ -1,50 +1,87 @@
 import { css } from '@emotion/css';
+import { DOMAttributes } from '@react-types/shared';
 import { cloneDeep } from 'lodash';
-import React from 'react';
+import React, { forwardRef } from 'react';
 import { useLocation } from 'react-router-dom';
 
 import { GrafanaTheme2 } from '@grafana/data';
-import { useTheme2 } from '@grafana/ui';
+import { CustomScrollbar, Icon, IconButton, useStyles2 } from '@grafana/ui';
 import { useSelector } from 'app/types';
 
-import { NavBarMenu } from './NavBarMenu';
+import { NavBarMenuItemWrapper } from './NavBarMenuItemWrapper';
 import { enrichWithInteractionTracking, getActiveItem } from './utils';
 
-export interface Props {
+export const MENU_WIDTH = '350px';
+
+export interface Props extends DOMAttributes {
   onClose: () => void;
-  searchBarHidden?: boolean;
 }
 
-export const DockedMegaMenu = React.memo<Props>(({ onClose, searchBarHidden }) => {
-  const navBarTree = useSelector((state) => state.navBarTree);
-  const theme = useTheme2();
-  const styles = getStyles(theme);
-  const location = useLocation();
+export const DockedMegaMenu = React.memo(
+  forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, Props>(({ onClose, ...restProps }, ref) => {
+    const navBarTree = useSelector((state) => state.navBarTree);
+    const styles = useStyles2(getStyles);
+    const location = useLocation();
 
-  const navTree = cloneDeep(navBarTree);
+    const navTree = cloneDeep(navBarTree);
 
-  // Remove profile + help from tree
-  const navItems = navTree
-    .filter((item) => item.id !== 'profile' && item.id !== 'help')
-    .map((item) => enrichWithInteractionTracking(item, true));
+    // Remove profile + help from tree
+    const navItems = navTree
+      .filter((item) => item.id !== 'profile' && item.id !== 'help')
+      .map((item) => enrichWithInteractionTracking(item, true));
 
-  const activeItem = getActiveItem(navItems, location.pathname);
+    const activeItem = getActiveItem(navItems, location.pathname);
 
-  return (
-    <div className={styles.menuWrapper}>
-      <NavBarMenu activeItem={activeItem} navItems={navItems} onClose={onClose} searchBarHidden={searchBarHidden} />
-    </div>
-  );
-});
+    return (
+      <div data-testid="navbarmenu" ref={ref} {...restProps}>
+        <div className={styles.mobileHeader}>
+          <Icon name="bars" size="xl" />
+          <IconButton
+            aria-label="Close navigation menu"
+            tooltip="Close menu"
+            name="times"
+            onClick={onClose}
+            size="xl"
+            variant="secondary"
+          />
+        </div>
+        <nav className={styles.content}>
+          <CustomScrollbar showScrollIndicators hideHorizontalTrack>
+            <ul className={styles.itemList}>
+              {navItems.map((link) => (
+                <NavBarMenuItemWrapper link={link} onClose={onClose} activeItem={activeItem} key={link.text} />
+              ))}
+            </ul>
+          </CustomScrollbar>
+        </nav>
+      </div>
+    );
+  })
+);
 
 DockedMegaMenu.displayName = 'DockedMegaMenu';
 
 const getStyles = (theme: GrafanaTheme2) => ({
-  menuWrapper: css({
-    position: 'fixed',
+  content: css({
+    display: 'flex',
+    flexDirection: 'column',
+    flexGrow: 1,
+    minHeight: 0,
+  }),
+  mobileHeader: css({
+    display: 'flex',
+    justifyContent: 'space-between',
+    padding: theme.spacing(1, 1, 1, 2),
+    borderBottom: `1px solid ${theme.colors.border.weak}`,
+
+    [theme.breakpoints.up('md')]: {
+      display: 'none',
+    },
+  }),
+  itemList: css({
     display: 'grid',
-    gridAutoFlow: 'column',
-    height: '100%',
-    zIndex: theme.zIndex.sidemenu,
+    gridAutoRows: `minmax(${theme.spacing(6)}, auto)`,
+    gridTemplateColumns: `minmax(${MENU_WIDTH}, auto)`,
+    minWidth: MENU_WIDTH,
   }),
 });
diff --git a/public/app/core/components/AppChrome/NavToolbar/NavToolbar.tsx b/public/app/core/components/AppChrome/NavToolbar/NavToolbar.tsx
index c422fa4f4bf..ec8738a9af4 100644
--- a/public/app/core/components/AppChrome/NavToolbar/NavToolbar.tsx
+++ b/public/app/core/components/AppChrome/NavToolbar/NavToolbar.tsx
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ import { TOP_BAR_LEVEL_HEIGHT } from '../types';
 
 import { NavToolbarSeparator } from './NavToolbarSeparator';
 
+export const TOGGLE_BUTTON_ID = 'mega-menu-toggle';
+
 export interface Props {
   onToggleSearchBar(): void;
   onToggleMegaMenu(): void;
@@ -41,6 +43,7 @@ export function NavToolbar({
     <div data-testid={Components.NavToolbar.container} className={styles.pageToolbar}>
       <div className={styles.menuButton}>
         <IconButton
+          id={TOGGLE_BUTTON_ID}
           name="bars"
           tooltip={t('navigation.toolbar.toggle-menu', 'Toggle menu')}
           tooltipPlacement="bottom"