diff --git a/src/DataSource.ts b/src/DataSource.ts
index 84c421f..fdde4e1 100644
--- a/src/DataSource.ts
+++ b/src/DataSource.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import { replaceVariables } from 'utils';
 
 import { MetricFindQuery, RequestSpec } from './RequestSpec';
 import RestApiBackend from './backend/rest';
-import { Backend } from './backend/types';
+import { BACKEND_TYPE, Backend } from './backend/types';
 import WebApiBackend from './backend/web';
 import { Settings } from './settings';
 import { Backend as BackendType, CmkQuery, DataSourceOptions, Edition, ResponseDataAutocomplete } from './types';
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ export class DataSource extends DataSourceApi<CmkQuery> {
   webBackend: WebApiBackend;
   restBackend: RestApiBackend;
   settings: Settings;
+  autocompleteBackend: BACKEND_TYPE | null = null;
 
   constructor(private instanceSettings: DataSourceInstanceSettings<DataSourceOptions>) {
     super(instanceSettings);
@@ -30,6 +31,10 @@ export class DataSource extends DataSourceApi<CmkQuery> {
     this.settings = new Settings(instanceSettings.jsonData);
   }
 
+  protected async setAutocompleteBackend() {
+    this.autocompleteBackend = await this.getBackend().getAutocompleteBackend();
+  }
+
   async query(dataQueryRequest: DataQueryRequest<CmkQuery>): Promise<DataQueryResponse> {
     for (const target of dataQueryRequest.targets) {
       target.requestSpec = replaceVariables(target.requestSpec, dataQueryRequest.scopedVars);
@@ -37,7 +42,7 @@ export class DataSource extends DataSourceApi<CmkQuery> {
     return this.getBackend().query(dataQueryRequest);
   }
 
-  async metricFindQuery(query: MetricFindQuery, options?: any): Promise<MetricFindValue[]> {
+  async metricFindQuery(query: MetricFindQuery, options?: unknown): Promise<MetricFindValue[]> {
     if (query.objectType === 'site') {
       // rest-api site endpoint were added in 2.2.0 so we have to use the web-api here
       // TODO: clean up (remove filterSites from Backend) with end of 2.1.0
@@ -51,8 +56,17 @@ export class DataSource extends DataSourceApi<CmkQuery> {
     return this.getBackend().testDatasource();
   }
 
-  async autocompleterRequest<T>(api_url: string, data: unknown): Promise<FetchResponse<WebApiResponse<T>>> {
-    return this.webBackend.autocompleterRequest(api_url, data);
+  async autocompleterRequest(
+    api_url: string,
+    data: unknown
+  ): Promise<FetchResponse<WebApiResponse<ResponseDataAutocomplete>>> {
+    this.autocompleteBackend === null && (await this.setAutocompleteBackend());
+
+    if (this.autocompleteBackend === BACKEND_TYPE.WEB) {
+      return this.webBackend.autocompleterRequest(api_url, data);
+    }
+
+    return this.restBackend.autocompleterRequest(api_url, data);
   }
 
   async contextAutocomplete(
@@ -64,10 +78,13 @@ export class DataSource extends DataSourceApi<CmkQuery> {
     if (ident === 'label' && this.getBackendType() === 'web') {
       // we have a 2.1.0 version without werk #15074 so label autocompleter is a special edge case
       // can be removed after we stop supporting 2.1.0
-      const response = await this.autocompleterRequest<Array<{ value: string }>>('ajax_autocomplete_labels.py', {
-        world: params.world,
-        search_label: prefix,
-      });
+      const response = await this.webBackend.autocompleterRequest<Array<{ value: string }>>(
+        'ajax_autocomplete_labels.py',
+        {
+          world: params.world,
+          search_label: prefix,
+        }
+      );
       return response.data.result.map((val: { value: string }) => ({
         value: val.value,
         label: val.value,
@@ -78,7 +95,7 @@ export class DataSource extends DataSourceApi<CmkQuery> {
       replaceVariables(partialRequestSpec),
       this.getBackendType() === 'rest' ? 'latest' : '2.1.0'
     );
-    const response = await this.autocompleterRequest<ResponseDataAutocomplete>('ajax_vs_autocomplete.py', {
+    const response = await this.autocompleterRequest('ajax_vs_autocomplete.py', {
       ident,
       value: prefix,
       params: {
diff --git a/src/backend/rest.ts b/src/backend/rest.ts
index 4add6fe..4e349be 100644
--- a/src/backend/rest.ts
+++ b/src/backend/rest.ts
@@ -16,9 +16,10 @@ import { BackendSrvRequest, FetchError, FetchResponse, getBackendSrv } from '@gr
 import { Aggregation, GraphType, MetricFindQuery } from 'RequestSpec';
 import * as process from 'process';
 
-import { CmkQuery } from '../types';
+import { CmkQuery, ResponseDataAutocomplete } from '../types';
 import { createCmkContext, replaceVariables, toLiveStatusQuery, updateMetricTitles, updateQuery } from '../utils';
-import { Backend, DatasourceOptions } from './types';
+import { WebApiResponse } from './../webapi';
+import { BACKEND_TYPE, Backend, DatasourceOptions } from './types';
 import { validateRequestSpec } from './validate';
 
 type RestApiError = {
@@ -85,6 +86,14 @@ type RestApiHostResponse = RestApiLivestatusResponse<{ name: string }>;
 
 type RestApiServiceResponse = RestApiLivestatusResponse<{ description: string }>;
 
+type RestApiAutocompleteResponseEntry = {
+  id: string;
+  value: string;
+};
+
+type RestApiAutocompleteResponse = {
+  choices: [RestApiAutocompleteResponseEntry];
+};
 export default class RestApiBackend implements Backend {
   datasource: DatasourceOptions;
 
@@ -362,4 +371,44 @@ export default class RestApiBackend implements Backend {
       return new MutableDataFrame();
     }
   }
+
+  async getAutocompleteBackend(): Promise<BACKEND_TYPE> {
+    return this.api<RestApiAutocompleteResponse>({
+      url: `/objects/autocomplete/sites`,
+      method: 'POST',
+      data: { value: '', parameters: {} },
+    })
+      .then(() => {
+        return BACKEND_TYPE.REST;
+      })
+      .catch(() => {
+        return BACKEND_TYPE.WEB;
+      });
+  }
+
+  async autocompleterRequest(
+    api_url = '',
+    data: unknown
+  ): Promise<FetchResponse<WebApiResponse<ResponseDataAutocomplete>>> {
+    const { ident, params: parameters, value } = data as { ident: string; value: unknown; params: unknown };
+
+    const response = await this.api<RestApiAutocompleteResponse>({
+      url: `/objects/autocomplete/${ident}`,
+      method: 'POST',
+      data: { value, parameters },
+    });
+
+    const choices = response?.data?.choices || [];
+
+    const new_data: WebApiResponse<ResponseDataAutocomplete> = {
+      result_code: 200,
+      severity: 'success',
+      result: {
+        choices: choices.map((element) => [element.id, element.value]),
+      },
+    };
+
+    const res: FetchResponse<WebApiResponse<ResponseDataAutocomplete>> = { ...response, data: new_data };
+    return res;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/backend/types.ts b/src/backend/types.ts
index 9f2944e..9582f9b 100644
--- a/src/backend/types.ts
+++ b/src/backend/types.ts
@@ -3,17 +3,22 @@ import { DataQueryRequest, DataQueryResponse, MetricFindValue } from '@grafana/d
 import { MetricFindQuery } from '../RequestSpec';
 import { CmkQuery, Edition } from '../types';
 
+export enum BACKEND_TYPE {
+  REST = 'rest',
+  WEB = 'web',
+}
+
 export interface Backend {
   query: (options: DataQueryRequest<CmkQuery>) => Promise<DataQueryResponse>;
   testDatasource: () => Promise<unknown>;
   metricFindQuery: (query: MetricFindQuery) => Promise<MetricFindValue[]>;
   listSites: () => Promise<MetricFindValue[]>;
+  getAutocompleteBackend: () => Promise<BACKEND_TYPE>;
 }
 
 export interface DatasourceOptions {
   getBackend: () => Backend;
   getEdition: () => Edition;
   getUrl: () => string | undefined;
-
   getUsername(): string;
 }
diff --git a/src/backend/web.ts b/src/backend/web.ts
index abecd68..6028021 100644
--- a/src/backend/web.ts
+++ b/src/backend/web.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import {
   createWebApiRequestBody,
   createWebApiRequestSpecification,
 } from './../webapi';
-import { Backend, DatasourceOptions } from './types';
+import { BACKEND_TYPE, Backend, DatasourceOptions } from './types';
 import { validateRequestSpec } from './validate';
 
 export default class WebApiBackend implements Backend {
@@ -203,4 +203,8 @@ export default class WebApiBackend implements Backend {
 
     return frame;
   }
+
+  async getAutocompleteBackend(): Promise<BACKEND_TYPE> {
+    return BACKEND_TYPE.WEB;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/plugin.json b/src/plugin.json
index 9c0a2a7..3ca1a55 100644
--- a/src/plugin.json
+++ b/src/plugin.json
@@ -16,9 +16,18 @@
       "large": "img/checkmk_logo.svg"
     },
     "links": [
-      { "name": "Documentation", "url": "https://docs.checkmk.com/latest/en/grafana.html" },
-      { "name": "GitHub", "url": "https://github.com/Checkmk/grafana-checkmk-datasource" },
-      { "name": "Checkmk", "url": "https://Checkmk.com" }
+      {
+        "name": "Documentation",
+        "url": "https://docs.checkmk.com/latest/en/grafana.html"
+      },
+      {
+        "name": "GitHub",
+        "url": "https://github.com/Checkmk/grafana-checkmk-datasource"
+      },
+      {
+        "name": "Checkmk",
+        "url": "https://Checkmk.com"
+      }
     ],
     "screenshots": [
       {
diff --git a/src/ui/filters.tsx b/src/ui/filters.tsx
index 51e9b75..c6e85aa 100644
--- a/src/ui/filters.tsx
+++ b/src/ui/filters.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import React from 'react';
 
 import { DataSource } from '../DataSource';
 import { RequestSpec } from '../RequestSpec';
-import { ResponseDataAutocomplete } from '../types';
 import {
   CheckMkSelect,
   CheckMkSelectNegatable,
@@ -79,7 +78,7 @@ export const Filters = (props: FiltersProp): JSX.Element => {
       } else {
         return (async function () {
           // TODO: would have expected that this is dependent on the site, but does not look like that?
-          const response = await datasource.autocompleterRequest<ResponseDataAutocomplete>('ajax_vs_autocomplete.py', {
+          const response = await datasource.autocompleterRequest('ajax_vs_autocomplete.py', {
             ident: 'tag_groups_opt',
             params: { group_id: context.groupId, strict: true },
             value: prefix,