NHS Tayside has promised it will repay more than £2.7 million worth of donations used to plug a deficit in its core budget.
Health board members attended an extraordinary general meeting where a proposal was approved to repay money to an NHS Tayside endowment fund.
The fund is set aside for small items for patients, training and facilities improvements, or additional equipment not paid for out of core funding.
NHS Tayside was said to have broken rules to fund projects already approved by the board, with the cash spent on resources including an IT system.
John Brown, NHS Tayside’s new chairman, said repaying the money was “the right thing to do” and comes after pressure from health secretary Shona Robison and MSP Jenny Marra.
Ms Robison said: “This move will allow the board to fully concentrate on the important task of increasing public confidence and ensuring long-term financial stability.”