diff --git a/pkg/datasource/zabbix.go b/pkg/datasource/zabbix.go
index 7ac18a182..9972a8e82 100644
--- a/pkg/datasource/zabbix.go
+++ b/pkg/datasource/zabbix.go
@@ -167,7 +167,10 @@ func (ds *ZabbixDatasourceInstance) getItems(ctx context.Context, groupFilter st
 	}
 
 	apps, err := ds.getApps(ctx, groupFilter, hostFilter, appFilter)
-	if err != nil {
+	// Apps not supported in Zabbix 5.4 and higher
+	if isAppMethodNotFoundError(err) {
+		apps = []map[string]interface{}{}
+	} else if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	var appids []string
@@ -505,3 +508,12 @@ func isNotAuthorized(err error) bool {
 		strings.Contains(message, "Not authorised.") ||
 		strings.Contains(message, "Not authorized.")
 }
+
+func isAppMethodNotFoundError(err error) bool {
+	if err == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	message := err.Error()
+	return message == `Method not found. Incorrect API "application".`
+}
diff --git a/src/datasource-zabbix/partials/query.editor.html b/src/datasource-zabbix/partials/query.editor.html
index ec91acd77..a3bb8cdf5 100644
--- a/src/datasource-zabbix/partials/query.editor.html
+++ b/src/datasource-zabbix/partials/query.editor.html
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@
       <label class="gf-form-label query-keyword width-7">Application</label>
       <input type="text"
         ng-model="ctrl.target.application.filter"
+        ng-disabled="ctrl.appFilterDisabled()"
         bs-typeahead="ctrl.getApplicationNames"
         ng-blur="ctrl.onTargetBlur()"
         data-min-length=0
diff --git a/src/datasource-zabbix/query.controller.ts b/src/datasource-zabbix/query.controller.ts
index afb9d0854..56c64bb4f 100644
--- a/src/datasource-zabbix/query.controller.ts
+++ b/src/datasource-zabbix/query.controller.ts
@@ -512,4 +512,8 @@ export class ZabbixQueryController extends QueryCtrl {
     this.init();
     this.targetChanged();
   }
+
+  appFilterDisabled() {
+    return !this.zabbix.supportsApplications();
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/datasource-zabbix/zabbix/connectors/zabbix_api/zabbixAPIConnector.ts b/src/datasource-zabbix/zabbix/connectors/zabbix_api/zabbixAPIConnector.ts
index ae1686333..49299b9e0 100644
--- a/src/datasource-zabbix/zabbix/connectors/zabbix_api/zabbixAPIConnector.ts
+++ b/src/datasource-zabbix/zabbix/connectors/zabbix_api/zabbixAPIConnector.ts
@@ -46,12 +46,14 @@ export class ZabbixAPIConnector {
   //////////////////////////
 
   request(method: string, params?: any) {
-    return this.backendAPIRequest(method, params).then(response => {
-      return response?.data?.result;
-    });
+    if (!this.version) {
+      return this.initVersion().then(() => this.request(method, params));
+    }
+
+    return this.backendAPIRequest(method, params);
   }
 
-  backendAPIRequest(method: string, params: any = {}) {
+  async backendAPIRequest(method: string, params: any = {}) {
     const requestOptions: BackendSrvRequest = {
       url: this.backendAPIUrl,
       method: 'POST',
@@ -74,14 +76,15 @@ export class ZabbixAPIConnector {
       requestOptions.headers.Authorization = this.requestOptions.basicAuth;
     }
 
-    return getBackendSrv().datasourceRequest(requestOptions);
+    const response = await getBackendSrv().datasourceRequest(requestOptions);
+    return response?.data?.result;
   }
 
   /**
    * Get Zabbix API version
    */
   getVersion() {
-    return this.request('apiinfo.version');
+    return this.backendAPIRequest('apiinfo.version');
   }
 
   initVersion(): Promise<string> {
@@ -147,7 +150,11 @@ export class ZabbixAPIConnector {
     return this.request('host.get', params);
   }
 
-  getApps(hostids): Promise<any[]> {
+  async getApps(hostids): Promise<any[]> {
+    if (semver.gte(this.version, '5.4.0')) {
+      return [];
+    }
+
     const params = {
       output: 'extend',
       hostids: hostids
diff --git a/src/datasource-zabbix/zabbix/types.ts b/src/datasource-zabbix/zabbix/types.ts
index f1ab2dd20..7cd65d320 100644
--- a/src/datasource-zabbix/zabbix/types.ts
+++ b/src/datasource-zabbix/zabbix/types.ts
@@ -19,4 +19,6 @@ export interface ZabbixConnector {
   getApps: (groupFilter?, hostFilter?, appFilter?) => any;
   getItems: (groupFilter?, hostFilter?, appFilter?, itemFilter?, options?) => any;
   getSLA: (itservices, timeRange, target, options?) => any;
+
+  supportsApplications: () => boolean;
 }
diff --git a/src/datasource-zabbix/zabbix/zabbix.ts b/src/datasource-zabbix/zabbix/zabbix.ts
index 00e86aa39..392858579 100644
--- a/src/datasource-zabbix/zabbix/zabbix.ts
+++ b/src/datasource-zabbix/zabbix/zabbix.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import _ from 'lodash';
 import moment from 'moment';
+import semver from 'semver';
 import * as utils from '../utils';
 import responseHandler from '../responseHandler';
 import { CachingProxy } from './proxy/cachingProxy';
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ const REQUESTS_TO_CACHE = [
 
 const REQUESTS_TO_BIND = [
   'getHistory', 'getTrend', 'getMacros', 'getItemsByIDs', 'getEvents', 'getAlerts', 'getHostAlerts',
-  'getAcknowledges', 'getITService', 'getVersion', 'acknowledgeEvent', 'getProxies', 'getEventAlerts',
+  'getAcknowledges', 'getITService', 'acknowledgeEvent', 'getProxies', 'getEventAlerts',
   'getExtendedEventData', 'getScripts', 'executeScript', 'getValueMappings'
 ];
 
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ export class Zabbix implements ZabbixConnector {
   getHistoryDB: any;
   dbConnector: any;
   getTrendsDB: any;
+  version: string;
 
   getHistory: (items, timeFrom, timeTill) => Promise<any>;
   getTrend: (items, timeFrom, timeTill) => Promise<any>;
@@ -54,7 +56,6 @@ export class Zabbix implements ZabbixConnector {
   getEventAlerts: (eventids) => Promise<any>;
   getExtendedEventData: (eventids) => Promise<any>;
   getMacros: (hostids: any[]) => Promise<any>;
-  getVersion: () => Promise<string>;
   getValueMappings: () => Promise<any>;
 
   constructor(options) {
@@ -168,6 +169,17 @@ export class Zabbix implements ZabbixConnector {
     });
   }
 
+  async getVersion() {
+    if (!this.version) {
+      this.version = await this.zabbixAPI.initVersion();
+    }
+    return this.version;
+  }
+
+  supportsApplications() {
+    return this.version ? semver.lt(this.version, '5.4.0') : true;
+  }
+
   getItemsFromTarget(target, options) {
     const parts = ['group', 'host', 'application', 'item'];
     const filters = _.map(parts, p => target[p].filter);
@@ -218,7 +230,12 @@ export class Zabbix implements ZabbixConnector {
   /**
    * Get list of applications belonging to given groups and hosts.
    */
-  getAllApps(groupFilter, hostFilter) {
+  async getAllApps(groupFilter, hostFilter) {
+    await this.getVersion();
+    if (!this.supportsApplications()) {
+      return [];
+    }
+
     return this.getHosts(groupFilter, hostFilter)
     .then(hosts => {
       const hostids = _.map(hosts, 'hostid');
@@ -226,11 +243,14 @@ export class Zabbix implements ZabbixConnector {
     });
   }
 
-  getApps(groupFilter?, hostFilter?, appFilter?): Promise<AppsResponse> {
+  async getApps(groupFilter?, hostFilter?, appFilter?): Promise<AppsResponse> {
+    await this.getVersion();
+    const skipAppFilter = !this.supportsApplications();
+
     return this.getHosts(groupFilter, hostFilter)
     .then(hosts => {
       const hostids = _.map(hosts, 'hostid');
-      if (appFilter) {
+      if (appFilter && !skipAppFilter) {
         return this.zabbixAPI.getApps(hostids)
         .then(apps => filterByQuery(apps, appFilter));
       } else {