diff --git a/ui/src/Components/SilenceModal/SilenceForm.js b/ui/src/Components/SilenceModal/SilenceForm.js
index 0882345d1..18592c79d 100644
--- a/ui/src/Components/SilenceModal/SilenceForm.js
+++ b/ui/src/Components/SilenceModal/SilenceForm.js
@@ -47,11 +47,9 @@ const SilenceForm = ({
     // reset cluster request state
     silenceFormStore.data.requestsByCluster = {};
 
-    if (
-      silenceFormStore.data.matchers.filter(
-        (m) => m.name !== "" || m.values.length
-      ).length === 0
-    ) {
+    if (silenceFormStore.data.autofillMatchers) {
+      silenceFormStore.data.matchers = [];
+
       if (alertStore.filters.values.length > 0) {
         alertStore.filters.values
           .filter(
@@ -73,10 +71,13 @@ const SilenceForm = ({
           });
       }
     }
+
     if (silenceFormStore.data.matchers.length === 0) {
       silenceFormStore.data.addEmptyMatcher();
     }
 
+    silenceFormStore.data.autofillMatchers = false;
+
     // populate author
     if (silenceFormStore.data.author === "") {
       silenceFormStore.data.author =
diff --git a/ui/src/Components/SilenceModal/SilenceForm.test.js b/ui/src/Components/SilenceModal/SilenceForm.test.js
index f9f89297c..a82473d35 100644
--- a/ui/src/Components/SilenceModal/SilenceForm.test.js
+++ b/ui/src/Components/SilenceModal/SilenceForm.test.js
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ describe("<SilenceForm /> matchers", () => {
     expect(silenceFormStore.data.matchers).toHaveLength(1);
   });
 
-  it("uses filters to populate default matchers", () => {
+  it("uses filters to populate default matchers when silenceFormStore.data.autofillMatchers=true", () => {
     const filter = (name, matcher, value) => {
       const f = NewUnappliedFilter(`${name}${matcher}${value}`);
       f.name = name;
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ describe("<SilenceForm /> matchers", () => {
       ...filterCombos("cluster"),
       ...filterCombos("foo"),
     ];
+    silenceFormStore.data.autofillMatchers = true;
     const tree = MountedSilenceForm();
     const matchers = tree.find("SilenceMatch");
     expect(matchers).toHaveLength(6);
@@ -151,6 +152,40 @@ describe("<SilenceForm /> matchers", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("doesn't use filters to populate default matchers when silenceFormStore.data.autofillMatchers=false", () => {
+    const filter = (name, matcher, value) => {
+      const f = NewUnappliedFilter(`${name}${matcher}${value}`);
+      f.name = name;
+      f.matcher = matcher;
+      f.value = value;
+      return f;
+    };
+
+    const filterCombos = (name) =>
+      Object.entries(QueryOperators).map(([k, v]) =>
+        filter(name, v, `${name}${k}`)
+      );
+
+    alertStore.filters.values = [
+      ...filterCombos(StaticLabels.AlertName),
+      ...filterCombos(StaticLabels.AlertManager),
+      ...filterCombos(StaticLabels.Receiver),
+      ...filterCombos(StaticLabels.State),
+      ...filterCombos(StaticLabels.SilenceID),
+      ...filterCombos("cluster"),
+      ...filterCombos("foo"),
+    ];
+    silenceFormStore.data.autofillMatchers = false;
+    const tree = MountedSilenceForm();
+    const matchers = tree.find("SilenceMatch");
+    expect(matchers).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(silenceFormStore.data.matchers[0]).toMatchObject({
+      isRegex: false,
+      name: "",
+      values: [],
+    });
+  });
+
   it("clicking 'Add more' button adds another matcher", () => {
     const tree = MountedSilenceForm();
     const button = tree.find("button[type='button']");
@@ -170,6 +205,7 @@ describe("<SilenceForm /> matchers", () => {
   });
 
   it("trash icon is visible when there are two matchers", () => {
+    silenceFormStore.data.autofillMatchers = false;
     silenceFormStore.data.addEmptyMatcher();
     silenceFormStore.data.addEmptyMatcher();
     const tree = MountedSilenceForm();
@@ -181,6 +217,7 @@ describe("<SilenceForm /> matchers", () => {
   });
 
   it("clicking trash icon on a matcher select removes it", () => {
+    silenceFormStore.data.autofillMatchers = false;
     silenceFormStore.data.addEmptyMatcher();
     silenceFormStore.data.addEmptyMatcher();
     silenceFormStore.data.addEmptyMatcher();
@@ -275,6 +312,7 @@ describe("<SilenceForm />", () => {
     silenceFormStore.data.setAlertmanagers([{ label: "am1", value: ["am1"] }]);
     silenceFormStore.data.author = "me@example.com";
     silenceFormStore.data.comment = "fake silence";
+    silenceFormStore.data.autofillMatchers = false;
     const tree = MountedSilenceForm();
     tree.simulate("submit", { preventDefault: jest.fn() });
     expect(silenceFormStore.data.currentStage).toBe(SilenceFormStage.Preview);
diff --git a/ui/src/Components/SilenceModal/index.js b/ui/src/Components/SilenceModal/index.js
index 5ee68d670..631347097 100644
--- a/ui/src/Components/SilenceModal/index.js
+++ b/ui/src/Components/SilenceModal/index.js
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ const SilenceModalContent = React.lazy(() =>
 );
 
 const SilenceModal = ({ alertStore, silenceFormStore, settingsStore }) => {
+  // uses React.useCallback instead of useCallback for tests
   const onDeleteModalClose = React.useCallback(() => {
     const event = new CustomEvent("remountModal");
     window.dispatchEvent(event);
@@ -46,7 +47,10 @@ const SilenceModal = ({ alertStore, silenceFormStore, settingsStore }) => {
       <Modal
         isOpen={silenceFormStore.toggle.visible}
         toggleOpen={silenceFormStore.toggle.toggle}
-        onExited={silenceFormStore.data.resetProgress}
+        onExited={() => {
+          silenceFormStore.data.resetProgress();
+          silenceFormStore.data.autofillMatchers = true;
+        }}
       >
         <React.Suspense
           fallback={
diff --git a/ui/src/Components/SilenceModal/index.stories.js b/ui/src/Components/SilenceModal/index.stories.js
index 1b590ce2d..cc6f2c972 100644
--- a/ui/src/Components/SilenceModal/index.stories.js
+++ b/ui/src/Components/SilenceModal/index.stories.js
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ storiesOf("SilenceModal", module)
     };
 
     silenceFormStore.toggle.visible = true;
+    silenceFormStore.data.autofillMatchers = false;
     silenceFormStore.data.matchers = [
       MockMatcher("cluster", ["prod"], false),
       MockMatcher("instance", ["server1", "server3"], true),
diff --git a/ui/src/Components/SilenceModal/index.test.js b/ui/src/Components/SilenceModal/index.test.js
index 1e858aaaf..482925968 100644
--- a/ui/src/Components/SilenceModal/index.test.js
+++ b/ui/src/Components/SilenceModal/index.test.js
@@ -114,6 +114,8 @@ describe("<SilenceModal />", () => {
 
     // mark form as dirty, resetProgress() should change this value to false
     silenceFormStore.data.wasValidated = true;
+    // disable autofill, closing modal should re-enable it
+    silenceFormStore.data.autofillMatchers = false;
 
     // click to hide
     toggle.simulate("click");
@@ -123,6 +125,7 @@ describe("<SilenceModal />", () => {
     // form should be reset
     expect(silenceFormStore.data.currentStage).toBe(SilenceFormStage.UserInput);
     expect(silenceFormStore.data.wasValidated).toBe(false);
+    expect(silenceFormStore.data.autofillMatchers).toBe(true);
   });
 
   it("'modal-open' class is appended to body node when modal is visible", () => {
diff --git a/ui/src/Stores/SilenceFormStore.js b/ui/src/Stores/SilenceFormStore.js
index e89108314..9e5af8d6f 100644
--- a/ui/src/Stores/SilenceFormStore.js
+++ b/ui/src/Stores/SilenceFormStore.js
@@ -198,6 +198,7 @@ class SilenceFormStore {
       comment: "",
       author: "",
       requestsByCluster: {},
+      autofillMatchers: true,
 
       get isValid() {
         if (this.alertmanagers.length === 0) return false;
@@ -257,6 +258,8 @@ class SilenceFormStore {
         // ensure that silenceID is nulled, since it's used to edit silences
         // and this is used to silence groups
         this.silenceID = null;
+        // disable matcher autofill
+        this.autofillMatchers = false;
       },
 
       fillFormFromSilence(alertmanager, silence) {
@@ -292,6 +295,9 @@ class SilenceFormStore {
         this.endsAt = parseISO(silence.endsAt);
         this.comment = silence.comment;
         this.author = silence.createdBy;
+
+        // disable matcher autofill
+        this.autofillMatchers = false;
       },
 
       verifyStarEnd() {