diff --git a/src/platform/plugins/shared/dashboard/public/dashboard_api/panels_manager.ts b/src/platform/plugins/shared/dashboard/public/dashboard_api/panels_manager.ts
index bb78fcee26f48..7bb2f9d648467 100644
--- a/src/platform/plugins/shared/dashboard/public/dashboard_api/panels_manager.ts
+++ b/src/platform/plugins/shared/dashboard/public/dashboard_api/panels_manager.ts
@@ -95,10 +95,12 @@ export function initializePanelsManager(
     const references: Reference[] = [];
     const panels: DashboardPanelMap = {};
     for (const uuid of Object.keys(layout$.value)) {
-      references.push(...prefixReferencesFromPanel(uuid, currentChildState[uuid].references ?? []));
+      references.push(
+        ...prefixReferencesFromPanel(uuid, currentChildState[uuid]?.references ?? [])
+      );
       panels[uuid] = {
         ...layout$.value[uuid],
-        explicitInput: currentChildState[uuid].rawState,
+        explicitInput: currentChildState[uuid]?.rawState ?? {},
       };
     }
     return { panels, references };
@@ -175,7 +177,7 @@ export function initializePanelsManager(
     const gridData = existingPanel ? existingPanel.gridData : placeIncomingPanel(uuid, size);
     currentChildState[uuid] = {
       rawState: {
-        ...(sameType ? currentChildState[uuid].rawState : {}),
+        ...(sameType && currentChildState[uuid] ? currentChildState[uuid].rawState : {}),
         ...serializedState.rawState,
       },
       references: serializedState?.references,
@@ -249,7 +251,7 @@ export function initializePanelsManager(
 
     const allTitles: string[] = [];
     for (const uuid of Object.keys(layout$.value)) {
-      const title = (currentChildState[uuid].rawState as SerializedTitles).title;
+      const title = (currentChildState[uuid]?.rawState as SerializedTitles).title;
       if (title) allTitles.push(title);
     }
     const lastTitle = apiPublishesTitle(apiToDuplicate) ? getTitle(apiToDuplicate) ?? '' : '';
@@ -368,4 +370,4 @@ function getClonedPanelTitle(panelTitles: string[], rawTitle: string) {
   return similarBaseTitlesCount < 0
     ? baseTitle + ` (${clonedTag})`
     : baseTitle + ` (${clonedTag} ${similarBaseTitlesCount + 1})`;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}