diff --git a/src/Models/RepositorySettings.cs b/src/Models/RepositorySettings.cs
index 8fe33556..50530c6a 100644
--- a/src/Models/RepositorySettings.cs
+++ b/src/Models/RepositorySettings.cs
@@ -90,31 +90,31 @@ namespace SourceGit.Models
         {
             get;
             set;
-        } = new AvaloniaList<Filter>();
+        } = [];
 
         public AvaloniaList<CommitTemplate> CommitTemplates
         {
             get;
             set;
-        } = new AvaloniaList<CommitTemplate>();
+        } = [];
 
         public AvaloniaList<string> CommitMessages
         {
             get;
             set;
-        } = new AvaloniaList<string>();
+        } = [];
 
         public AvaloniaList<IssueTrackerRule> IssueTrackerRules
         {
             get;
             set;
-        } = new AvaloniaList<IssueTrackerRule>();
+        } = [];
 
         public AvaloniaList<CustomAction> CustomActions
         {
             get;
             set;
-        } = new AvaloniaList<CustomAction>();
+        } = [];
 
         public bool EnableAutoFetch
         {
@@ -158,6 +158,42 @@ namespace SourceGit.Models
             set;
         } = "---";
 
+        public bool IsLocalBranchesExpandedInSideBar
+        {
+            get;
+            set;
+        } = true;
+
+        public bool IsRemotesExpandedInSideBar
+        {
+            get;
+            set;
+        } = false;
+
+        public bool IsTagsExpandedInSideBar
+        {
+            get;
+            set;
+        } = false;
+
+        public bool IsSubmodulesExpandedInSideBar
+        {
+            get;
+            set;
+        } = false;
+
+        public bool IsWorktreeExpandedInSideBar
+        {
+            get;
+            set;
+        } = false;
+
+        public List<string> ExpandedBranchNodesInSideBar
+        {
+            get;
+            set;
+        } = [];
+
         public Dictionary<string, FilterMode> CollectHistoriesFilters()
         {
             var map = new Dictionary<string, FilterMode>();
diff --git a/src/ViewModels/BranchTreeNode.cs b/src/ViewModels/BranchTreeNode.cs
index 025632c1..a8232047 100644
--- a/src/ViewModels/BranchTreeNode.cs
+++ b/src/ViewModels/BranchTreeNode.cs
@@ -59,6 +59,12 @@ namespace SourceGit.ViewModels
             public List<BranchTreeNode> Locals => _locals;
             public List<BranchTreeNode> Remotes => _remotes;
 
+            public void SetExpandedNodes(List<string> expanded)
+            {
+                foreach (var node in expanded)
+                    _expanded.Add(node);
+            }
+
             public void Run(List<Models.Branch> branches, List<Models.Remote> remotes, bool bForceExpanded)
             {
                 var folders = new Dictionary<string, BranchTreeNode>();
@@ -97,20 +103,6 @@ namespace SourceGit.ViewModels
                 SortNodes(_remotes);
             }
 
-            public void CollectExpandedNodes(List<BranchTreeNode> nodes)
-            {
-                foreach (var node in nodes)
-                {
-                    if (node.Backend is Models.Branch)
-                        continue;
-
-                    if (node.IsExpanded)
-                        _expanded.Add(node.Path);
-
-                    CollectExpandedNodes(node.Children);
-                }
-            }
-
             private void MakeBranchNode(Models.Branch branch, List<BranchTreeNode> roots, Dictionary<string, BranchTreeNode> folders, string prefix, bool bForceExpanded)
             {
                 var fullpath = $"{prefix}/{branch.Name}";
diff --git a/src/ViewModels/Repository.cs b/src/ViewModels/Repository.cs
index d8d6806c..df6f2e27 100644
--- a/src/ViewModels/Repository.cs
+++ b/src/ViewModels/Repository.cs
@@ -322,32 +322,67 @@ namespace SourceGit.ViewModels
 
         public bool IsLocalBranchGroupExpanded
         {
-            get => _isLocalBranchGroupExpanded;
-            set => SetProperty(ref _isLocalBranchGroupExpanded, value);
+            get => _settings.IsLocalBranchesExpandedInSideBar;
+            set
+            {
+                if (value != _settings.IsLocalBranchesExpandedInSideBar)
+                {
+                    _settings.IsLocalBranchesExpandedInSideBar = value;
+                    OnPropertyChanged();
+                }
+            }
         }
 
         public bool IsRemoteGroupExpanded
         {
-            get => _isRemoteGroupExpanded;
-            set => SetProperty(ref _isRemoteGroupExpanded, value);
+            get => _settings.IsRemotesExpandedInSideBar;
+            set
+            {
+                if (value != _settings.IsRemotesExpandedInSideBar)
+                {
+                    _settings.IsRemotesExpandedInSideBar = value;
+                    OnPropertyChanged();
+                }
+            }
         }
 
         public bool IsTagGroupExpanded
         {
-            get => _isTagGroupExpanded;
-            set => SetProperty(ref _isTagGroupExpanded, value);
+            get => _settings.IsTagsExpandedInSideBar;
+            set
+            {
+                if (value != _settings.IsTagsExpandedInSideBar)
+                {
+                    _settings.IsTagsExpandedInSideBar = value;
+                    OnPropertyChanged();
+                }
+            }
         }
 
         public bool IsSubmoduleGroupExpanded
         {
-            get => _isSubmoduleGroupExpanded;
-            set => SetProperty(ref _isSubmoduleGroupExpanded, value);
+            get => _settings.IsSubmodulesExpandedInSideBar;
+            set
+            {
+                if (value != _settings.IsSubmodulesExpandedInSideBar)
+                {
+                    _settings.IsSubmodulesExpandedInSideBar = value;
+                    OnPropertyChanged();
+                }
+            }
         }
 
         public bool IsWorktreeGroupExpanded
         {
-            get => _isWorktreeGroupExpanded;
-            set => SetProperty(ref _isWorktreeGroupExpanded, value);
+            get => _settings.IsWorktreeExpandedInSideBar;
+            set
+            {
+                if (value != _settings.IsWorktreeExpandedInSideBar)
+                {
+                    _settings.IsWorktreeExpandedInSideBar = value;
+                    OnPropertyChanged();
+                }
+            }
         }
 
         public InProgressContext InProgressContext
@@ -700,6 +735,22 @@ namespace SourceGit.ViewModels
             Task.Run(RefreshCommits);
         }
 
+        public void UpdateBranchNodeIsExpanded(BranchTreeNode node)
+        {
+            if (_settings == null || !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(_filter))
+                return;
+
+            if (node.IsExpanded)
+            {
+                if (!_settings.ExpandedBranchNodesInSideBar.Contains(node.Path))
+                    _settings.ExpandedBranchNodesInSideBar.Add(node.Path);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                _settings.ExpandedBranchNodesInSideBar.Remove(node.Path);
+            }
+        }
+
         public void SetTagFilterMode(Models.Tag tag, Models.FilterMode mode)
         {
             var changed = _settings.UpdateHistoriesFilter(tag.Name, Models.FilterType.Tag, mode);
@@ -2014,8 +2065,7 @@ namespace SourceGit.ViewModels
             var builder = new BranchTreeNode.Builder();
             if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(_filter))
             {
-                builder.CollectExpandedNodes(_localBranchTrees);
-                builder.CollectExpandedNodes(_remoteBranchTrees);
+                builder.SetExpandedNodes(_settings.ExpandedBranchNodesInSideBar);
                 builder.Run(branches, remotes, false);
             }
             else
@@ -2237,12 +2287,6 @@ namespace SourceGit.ViewModels
         private List<Models.Commit> _searchedCommits = new List<Models.Commit>();
         private List<string> _revisionFiles = new List<string>();
 
-        private bool _isLocalBranchGroupExpanded = true;
-        private bool _isRemoteGroupExpanded = false;
-        private bool _isTagGroupExpanded = false;
-        private bool _isSubmoduleGroupExpanded = false;
-        private bool _isWorktreeGroupExpanded = false;
-
         private string _filter = string.Empty;
         private List<Models.Remote> _remotes = new List<Models.Remote>();
         private List<Models.Branch> _branches = new List<Models.Branch>();
diff --git a/src/Views/BranchTree.axaml.cs b/src/Views/BranchTree.axaml.cs
index d9588a0f..bb9b886f 100644
--- a/src/Views/BranchTree.axaml.cs
+++ b/src/Views/BranchTree.axaml.cs
@@ -275,6 +275,9 @@ namespace SourceGit.Views
                 rows.RemoveRange(idx + 1, removeCount);
             }
 
+            var repo = DataContext as ViewModels.Repository;
+            repo?.UpdateBranchNodeIsExpanded(node);
+
             RaiseEvent(new RoutedEventArgs(RowsChangedEvent));
             _disableSelectionChangingEvent = false;
         }