diff --git a/packages/scenes/src/core/types.ts b/packages/scenes/src/core/types.ts
index 69b4fc002..b58542ed0 100644
--- a/packages/scenes/src/core/types.ts
+++ b/packages/scenes/src/core/types.ts
@@ -190,7 +190,6 @@ export function isSceneObject(obj: any): obj is SceneObject {
 export interface SceneObjectWithUrlSync extends SceneObject {
   getUrlState(): SceneObjectUrlValues;
   updateFromUrl(values: SceneObjectUrlValues): void;
-  shouldCreateHistoryStep?(values: SceneObjectUrlValues): boolean;
 }
 
 export interface SceneObjectUrlSyncHandler {
@@ -198,6 +197,7 @@ export interface SceneObjectUrlSyncHandler {
   getUrlState(): SceneObjectUrlValues;
   updateFromUrl(values: SceneObjectUrlValues): void;
   shouldCreateHistoryStep?(values: SceneObjectUrlValues): boolean;
+  performBrowserHistoryAction?(callback: () => void): void;
 }
 
 export interface DataRequestEnricher {
diff --git a/packages/scenes/src/services/SceneObjectUrlSyncConfig.ts b/packages/scenes/src/services/SceneObjectUrlSyncConfig.ts
index 38b3db3af..f0e082d68 100644
--- a/packages/scenes/src/services/SceneObjectUrlSyncConfig.ts
+++ b/packages/scenes/src/services/SceneObjectUrlSyncConfig.ts
@@ -28,13 +28,13 @@ export class SceneObjectUrlSyncConfig implements SceneObjectUrlSyncHandler {
     this._sceneObject.updateFromUrl(values);
   }
 
+  public shouldCreateHistoryStep(values: SceneObjectUrlValues): boolean {
+    return this._nextChangeShouldAddHistoryStep;
+  }
+
   public performBrowserHistoryAction(callback: () => void) {
     this._nextChangeShouldAddHistoryStep = true;
     callback();
     this._nextChangeShouldAddHistoryStep = false;
   }
-
-  public shouldCreateHistoryStep(values: SceneObjectUrlValues): boolean {
-    return this._nextChangeShouldAddHistoryStep;
-  }
 }
diff --git a/packages/scenes/src/variables/components/VariableValueSelect.tsx b/packages/scenes/src/variables/components/VariableValueSelect.tsx
index 11372d5fd..05891e2e4 100644
--- a/packages/scenes/src/variables/components/VariableValueSelect.tsx
+++ b/packages/scenes/src/variables/components/VariableValueSelect.tsx
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ export function VariableValueSelect({ model }: SceneComponentProps<MultiValueVar
       options={filteredOptions}
       data-testid={selectors.pages.Dashboard.SubMenu.submenuItemValueDropDownValueLinkTexts(`${value}`)}
       onChange={(newValue) => {
-        model.changeValueTo(newValue.value!, newValue.label!);
+        model.changeValueTo(newValue.value!, newValue.label!, true);
         queryController?.startProfile(model);
 
         if (hasCustomValue !== newValue.__isNew__) {
@@ -179,14 +179,14 @@ export function VariableValueSelectMulti({ model }: SceneComponentProps<MultiVal
       hideSelectedOptions={false}
       onInputChange={onInputChange}
       onBlur={() => {
-        model.changeValueTo(uncommittedValue);
+        model.changeValueTo(uncommittedValue, undefined, true);
         queryController?.startProfile(model);
       }}
       filterOption={filterNoOp}
       data-testid={selectors.pages.Dashboard.SubMenu.submenuItemValueDropDownValueLinkTexts(`${uncommittedValue}`)}
       onChange={(newValue, action) => {
         if (action.action === 'clear' && noValueOnClear) {
-          model.changeValueTo([]);
+          model.changeValueTo([], undefined, true);
         }
         setUncommittedValue(newValue.map((x) => x.value!));
       }}
diff --git a/packages/scenes/src/variables/groupby/GroupByVariable.tsx b/packages/scenes/src/variables/groupby/GroupByVariable.tsx
index 71a2dbb62..d40811aeb 100644
--- a/packages/scenes/src/variables/groupby/GroupByVariable.tsx
+++ b/packages/scenes/src/variables/groupby/GroupByVariable.tsx
@@ -292,12 +292,13 @@ export function GroupByVariableRenderer({ model }: SceneComponentProps<MultiValu
       onBlur={() => {
         model.changeValueTo(
           uncommittedValue.map((x) => x.value!),
-          uncommittedValue.map((x) => x.label!)
+          uncommittedValue.map((x) => x.label!),
+          true
         );
       }}
       onChange={(newValue, action) => {
         if (action.action === 'clear' && noValueOnClear) {
-          model.changeValueTo([]);
+          model.changeValueTo([], undefined, true);
         }
         setUncommittedValue(newValue);
       }}
diff --git a/packages/scenes/src/variables/variants/MultiValueVariable.ts b/packages/scenes/src/variables/variants/MultiValueVariable.ts
index 245928b1f..edac0391c 100644
--- a/packages/scenes/src/variables/variants/MultiValueVariable.ts
+++ b/packages/scenes/src/variables/variants/MultiValueVariable.ts
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ export abstract class MultiValueVariable<TState extends MultiValueVariableState
   /**
    * Change the value and publish SceneVariableValueChangedEvent event.
    */
-  public changeValueTo(value: VariableValue, text?: VariableValue) {
+  public changeValueTo(value: VariableValue, text?: VariableValue, isUserAction = false) {
     // Ignore if there is no change
     if (value === this.state.value && text === this.state.text) {
       return;
@@ -301,7 +301,18 @@ export abstract class MultiValueVariable<TState extends MultiValueVariableState
       return;
     }
 
-    this.setStateHelper({ value, text, loading: false });
+    const stateChangeAction = () => this.setStateHelper({ value, text, loading: false });
+
+    /**
+     * Because variable state changes can cause a whole chain of downstream state changes in other variables (that also cause URL update)
+     * Only some variable changes should add new history items to make sure the browser history contains valid URL states to go back to.
+     */
+    if (isUserAction) {
+      this._urlSync.performBrowserHistoryAction?.(stateChangeAction);
+    } else {
+      stateChangeAction();
+    }
+
     this.publishEvent(new SceneVariableValueChangedEvent(this), true);
   }
 
@@ -386,9 +397,11 @@ function findOptionMatchingCurrent(
 export class MultiValueUrlSyncHandler<TState extends MultiValueVariableState = MultiValueVariableState>
   implements SceneObjectUrlSyncHandler
 {
-  public constructor(private _sceneObject: MultiValueVariable<TState>) {}
+  protected _nextChangeShouldAddHistoryStep = false;
+
+  public constructor(protected _sceneObject: MultiValueVariable<TState>) {}
 
-  private getKey(): string {
+  protected getKey(): string {
     return `var-${this._sceneObject.state.name}`;
   }
 
@@ -446,6 +459,16 @@ export class MultiValueUrlSyncHandler<TState extends MultiValueVariableState = M
       this._sceneObject.changeValueTo(urlValue);
     }
   }
+
+  public performBrowserHistoryAction(callback: () => void) {
+    this._nextChangeShouldAddHistoryStep = true;
+    callback();
+    this._nextChangeShouldAddHistoryStep = false;
+  }
+
+  public shouldCreateHistoryStep(values: SceneObjectUrlValues): boolean {
+    return this._nextChangeShouldAddHistoryStep;
+  }
 }
 
 function handleLegacyUrlAllValue(value: string | string[]) {