diff --git a/public/app/core/services/context_srv.ts b/public/app/core/services/context_srv.ts
index c4134598175..7bb753e6f71 100644
--- a/public/app/core/services/context_srv.ts
+++ b/public/app/core/services/context_srv.ts
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@ export class ContextSrv {
     this.sidemenu = !this.sidemenu;
     store.set('grafana.sidemenu', this.sidemenu);
   }
+
+  hasAccessToExplore() {
+    return (this.isEditor || config.viewersCanEdit) && config.exploreEnabled;
+  }
 }
 
 const contextSrv = new ContextSrv();
diff --git a/public/app/core/services/keybindingSrv.ts b/public/app/core/services/keybindingSrv.ts
index a85d9b5a500..9e128c449a6 100644
--- a/public/app/core/services/keybindingSrv.ts
+++ b/public/app/core/services/keybindingSrv.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import $ from 'jquery';
 import _ from 'lodash';
 
-import config from 'app/core/config';
 import coreModule from 'app/core/core_module';
 import appEvents from 'app/core/app_events';
 import { getExploreUrl } from 'app/core/utils/explore';
@@ -197,7 +196,7 @@ export class KeybindingSrv {
     });
 
     // jump to explore if permissions allow
-    if ((this.contextSrv.isEditor || config.viewersCanEdit) && config.exploreEnabled) {
+    if (this.contextSrv.hasAccessToExplore()) {
       this.bind('x', async () => {
         if (dashboard.meta.focusPanelId) {
           const panel = dashboard.getPanelById(dashboard.meta.focusPanelId);
diff --git a/public/app/features/panel/metrics_panel_ctrl.ts b/public/app/features/panel/metrics_panel_ctrl.ts
index 576bde63114..0b3bbc3080f 100644
--- a/public/app/features/panel/metrics_panel_ctrl.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/panel/metrics_panel_ctrl.ts
@@ -1,18 +1,18 @@
 import _ from 'lodash';
 
 import kbn from 'app/core/utils/kbn';
-import config from 'app/core/config';
 
 import { PanelCtrl } from 'app/features/panel/panel_ctrl';
 import { getExploreUrl } from 'app/core/utils/explore';
 import { applyPanelTimeOverrides, getResolution } from 'app/features/dashboard/utils/panel';
+import { ContextSrv } from 'app/core/services/context_srv';
 
 class MetricsPanelCtrl extends PanelCtrl {
   scope: any;
   datasource: any;
   $q: any;
   $timeout: any;
-  contextSrv: any;
+  contextSrv: ContextSrv;
   datasourceSrv: any;
   timeSrv: any;
   templateSrv: any;
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ class MetricsPanelCtrl extends PanelCtrl {
 
   getAdditionalMenuItems() {
     const items = [];
-    if (config.exploreEnabled && (this.contextSrv.isEditor || config.viewersCanEdit) && this.datasource) {
+    if (this.contextSrv.hasAccessToExplore() && this.datasource) {
       items.push({
         text: 'Explore',
         click: 'ctrl.explore();',
diff --git a/public/app/features/panel/specs/metrics_panel_ctrl.test.ts b/public/app/features/panel/specs/metrics_panel_ctrl.test.ts
index d4ce5cda7e2..8b9607d39ad 100644
--- a/public/app/features/panel/specs/metrics_panel_ctrl.test.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/panel/specs/metrics_panel_ctrl.test.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 jest.mock('app/core/core', () => ({}));
 jest.mock('app/core/config', () => {
   return {
-    exploreEnabled: true,
-    viewersCanEdit: false,
     panels: {
       test: {
         id: 'test',
@@ -15,62 +13,47 @@ jest.mock('app/core/config', () => {
 import q from 'q';
 import { PanelModel } from 'app/features/dashboard/panel_model';
 import { MetricsPanelCtrl } from '../metrics_panel_ctrl';
-import config from 'app/core/config';
 
 describe('MetricsPanelCtrl', () => {
-  let ctrl;
-
-  beforeEach(() => {
-    ctrl = setupController();
-  });
-
   describe('when getting additional menu items', () => {
-    let additionalItems;
-
-    describe('and has no datasource set', () => {
-      beforeEach(() => {
-        additionalItems = ctrl.getAdditionalMenuItems();
-      });
-
+    describe('and has no datasource set but user has access to explore', () => {
       it('should not return any items', () => {
-        expect(additionalItems.length).toBe(0);
+        const ctrl = setupController({ hasAccessToExplore: true });
+
+        expect(ctrl.getAdditionalMenuItems().length).toBe(0);
       });
     });
 
-    describe('and has datasource set that supports explore and user has powers', () => {
-      beforeEach(() => {
-        ctrl.contextSrv = { isEditor: true };
-        ctrl.datasource = { meta: { explore: true } };
-        additionalItems = ctrl.getAdditionalMenuItems();
-      });
-
+    describe('and has datasource set that supports explore and user does not have access to explore', () => {
       it('should not return any items', () => {
-        expect(additionalItems.length).toBe(1);
+        const ctrl = setupController({ hasAccessToExplore: false });
+        ctrl.datasource = { meta: { explore: true } };
+
+        expect(ctrl.getAdditionalMenuItems().length).toBe(0);
       });
     });
 
-    describe('and has datasource set that supports explore and viewersCanEdit is true', () => {
-      beforeEach(() => {
-        config.viewersCanEdit = true;
-        ctrl.contextSrv = { isEditor: false };
+    describe('and has datasource set that supports explore and user has access to explore', () => {
+      it('should return one item', () => {
+        const ctrl = setupController({ hasAccessToExplore: true });
         ctrl.datasource = { meta: { explore: true } };
-        additionalItems = ctrl.getAdditionalMenuItems();
-      });
 
-      it('should not return any items', () => {
-        expect(additionalItems.length).toBe(1);
+        expect(ctrl.getAdditionalMenuItems().length).toBe(1);
       });
     });
   });
 });
 
-function setupController() {
+function setupController({ hasAccessToExplore } = { hasAccessToExplore: false }) {
   const injectorStub = {
     get: type => {
       switch (type) {
         case '$q': {
           return q;
         }
+        case 'contextSrv': {
+          return { hasAccessToExplore: () => hasAccessToExplore };
+        }
         default: {
           return jest.fn();
         }