diff --git a/app/vmalert/datasource/init.go b/app/vmalert/datasource/init.go
index 9c9546dea..d1d3b5109 100644
--- a/app/vmalert/datasource/init.go
+++ b/app/vmalert/datasource/init.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 var (
 	addr = flag.String("datasource.url", "", "Victoria Metrics or VMSelect url. Required parameter."+
 		" E.g. http://127.0.0.1:8428")
+	appendTypePrefix  = flag.Bool("datasource.appendTypePrefix", false, "Whether to add type prefix to -datasource.url based on the query type. Set to true if sending different query types to VMSelect URL.")
 	basicAuthUsername = flag.String("datasource.basicAuth.username", "", "Optional basic auth username for -datasource.url")
 	basicAuthPassword = flag.String("datasource.basicAuth.password", "", "Optional basic auth password for -datasource.url")
 
@@ -41,5 +42,5 @@ func Init() (Querier, error) {
 	}
 	tr.MaxIdleConns = *maxIdleConnections
 	c := &http.Client{Transport: tr}
-	return NewVMStorage(*addr, *basicAuthUsername, *basicAuthPassword, *lookBack, *queryStep, c), nil
+	return NewVMStorage(*addr, *basicAuthUsername, *basicAuthPassword, *lookBack, *queryStep, *appendTypePrefix, c), nil
 }
diff --git a/app/vmalert/datasource/vm.go b/app/vmalert/datasource/vm.go
index 0c0626fbc..e06b3af3d 100644
--- a/app/vmalert/datasource/vm.go
+++ b/app/vmalert/datasource/vm.go
@@ -74,26 +74,31 @@ func (r graphiteResponse) metrics() []Metric {
 
 // VMStorage represents vmstorage entity with ability to read and write metrics
 type VMStorage struct {
-	c             *http.Client
-	datasourceURL string
-	basicAuthUser string
-	basicAuthPass string
-	lookBack      time.Duration
-	queryStep     time.Duration
+	c                *http.Client
+	datasourceURL    string
+	basicAuthUser    string
+	basicAuthPass    string
+	appendTypePrefix bool
+	lookBack         time.Duration
+	queryStep        time.Duration
 }
 
 const queryPath = "/api/v1/query"
 const graphitePath = "/render"
 
+const prometheusPrefix = "/prometheus"
+const graphitePrefix = "/graphite"
+
 // NewVMStorage is a constructor for VMStorage
-func NewVMStorage(baseURL, basicAuthUser, basicAuthPass string, lookBack time.Duration, queryStep time.Duration, c *http.Client) *VMStorage {
+func NewVMStorage(baseURL, basicAuthUser, basicAuthPass string, lookBack time.Duration, queryStep time.Duration, appendTypePrefix bool, c *http.Client) *VMStorage {
 	return &VMStorage{
-		c:             c,
-		basicAuthUser: basicAuthUser,
-		basicAuthPass: basicAuthPass,
-		datasourceURL: strings.TrimSuffix(baseURL, "/"),
-		lookBack:      lookBack,
-		queryStep:     queryStep,
+		c:                c,
+		basicAuthUser:    basicAuthUser,
+		basicAuthPass:    basicAuthPass,
+		datasourceURL:    strings.TrimSuffix(baseURL, "/"),
+		appendTypePrefix: appendTypePrefix,
+		lookBack:         lookBack,
+		queryStep:        queryStep,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -137,6 +142,9 @@ func (s *VMStorage) queryDataSource(
 }
 
 func (s *VMStorage) setPrometheusReqParams(r *http.Request, query string) {
+	if s.appendTypePrefix {
+		r.URL.Path += prometheusPrefix
+	}
 	r.URL.Path += queryPath
 	q := r.URL.Query()
 	q.Set("query", query)
@@ -151,6 +159,9 @@ func (s *VMStorage) setPrometheusReqParams(r *http.Request, query string) {
 }
 
 func (s *VMStorage) setGraphiteReqParams(r *http.Request, query string) {
+	if s.appendTypePrefix {
+		r.URL.Path += graphitePrefix
+	}
 	r.URL.Path += graphitePath
 	q := r.URL.Query()
 	q.Set("format", "json")
diff --git a/app/vmalert/datasource/vm_test.go b/app/vmalert/datasource/vm_test.go
index 1afe0d8e3..2c6148133 100644
--- a/app/vmalert/datasource/vm_test.go
+++ b/app/vmalert/datasource/vm_test.go
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ func TestVMSelectQuery(t *testing.T) {
 
 	srv := httptest.NewServer(mux)
 	defer srv.Close()
-	am := NewVMStorage(srv.URL, basicAuthName, basicAuthPass, time.Minute, 0, srv.Client())
+	am := NewVMStorage(srv.URL, basicAuthName, basicAuthPass, time.Minute, 0, false, srv.Client())
 	if _, err := am.Query(ctx, query, NewPrometheusType()); err == nil {
 		t.Fatalf("expected connection error got nil")
 	}
diff --git a/app/vmalert/remoteread/init.go b/app/vmalert/remoteread/init.go
index 7a0aa32ac..165db403d 100644
--- a/app/vmalert/remoteread/init.go
+++ b/app/vmalert/remoteread/init.go
@@ -35,5 +35,5 @@ func Init() (datasource.Querier, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create transport: %w", err)
 	}
 	c := &http.Client{Transport: tr}
-	return datasource.NewVMStorage(*addr, *basicAuthUsername, *basicAuthPassword, 0, 0, c), nil
+	return datasource.NewVMStorage(*addr, *basicAuthUsername, *basicAuthPassword, 0, 0, false, c), nil
 }