diff --git a/surfsense_web/app/dashboard/[workspace_id]/client-layout.tsx b/surfsense_web/app/dashboard/[workspace_id]/client-layout.tsx
index 221586674..54fc9d000 100644
--- a/surfsense_web/app/dashboard/[workspace_id]/client-layout.tsx
+++ b/surfsense_web/app/dashboard/[workspace_id]/client-layout.tsx
@@ -20,9 +20,11 @@ import { useElectronAPI } from "@/hooks/use-platform";
 export function DashboardClientLayout({
 	children,
 	workspaceId,
+	initialPlaygroundSidebarCollapsed,
 }: {
 	children: React.ReactNode;
 	workspaceId: string;
+	initialPlaygroundSidebarCollapsed: boolean;
 }) {
 	const t = useTranslations("dashboard");
 	const router = useRouter();
@@ -162,7 +164,10 @@ export function DashboardClientLayout({
 	return (
 		<DocumentUploadDialogProvider>
 			<OnboardingTour />
-			<LayoutDataProvider workspaceId={workspaceId}>
+			<LayoutDataProvider
+				workspaceId={workspaceId}
+				initialPlaygroundSidebarCollapsed={initialPlaygroundSidebarCollapsed}
+			>
 				{children}
 				<ConnectorIndicator showTrigger={false} />
 			</LayoutDataProvider>
diff --git a/surfsense_web/app/dashboard/[workspace_id]/layout.tsx b/surfsense_web/app/dashboard/[workspace_id]/layout.tsx
index 74c12fd98..4ef79076e 100644
--- a/surfsense_web/app/dashboard/[workspace_id]/layout.tsx
+++ b/surfsense_web/app/dashboard/[workspace_id]/layout.tsx
@@ -1,16 +1,27 @@
 // Server component
 import type React from "react";
-import { use } from "react";
+import { cookies } from "next/headers";
 import { DashboardClientLayout } from "./client-layout";
 
-export default function DashboardLayout({
+const PLAYGROUND_SIDEBAR_COLLAPSED_COOKIE = "surfsense_playground_sidebar_collapsed";
+
+export default async function DashboardLayout({
 	params,
 	children,
 }: {
 	params: Promise<{ workspace_id: string }>;
 	children: React.ReactNode;
 }) {
-	const { workspace_id } = use(params);
+	const [{ workspace_id }, cookieStore] = await Promise.all([params, cookies()]);
+	const initialPlaygroundSidebarCollapsed =
+		cookieStore.get(PLAYGROUND_SIDEBAR_COLLAPSED_COOKIE)?.value === "true";
 
-	return <DashboardClientLayout workspaceId={workspace_id}>{children}</DashboardClientLayout>;
+	return (
+		<DashboardClientLayout
+			workspaceId={workspace_id}
+			initialPlaygroundSidebarCollapsed={initialPlaygroundSidebarCollapsed}
+		>
+			{children}
+		</DashboardClientLayout>
+	);
 }
diff --git a/surfsense_web/components/layout/providers/LayoutDataProvider.tsx b/surfsense_web/components/layout/providers/LayoutDataProvider.tsx
index e60d04198..eec58648f 100644
--- a/surfsense_web/components/layout/providers/LayoutDataProvider.tsx
+++ b/surfsense_web/components/layout/providers/LayoutDataProvider.tsx
@@ -56,10 +56,15 @@ import { LayoutShell } from "../ui/shell";
 
 interface LayoutDataProviderProps {
 	workspaceId: string;
+	initialPlaygroundSidebarCollapsed: boolean;
 	children: React.ReactNode;
 }
 
-export function LayoutDataProvider({ workspaceId, children }: LayoutDataProviderProps) {
+export function LayoutDataProvider({
+	workspaceId,
+	initialPlaygroundSidebarCollapsed,
+	children,
+}: LayoutDataProviderProps) {
 	const t = useTranslations("dashboard");
 	const tCommon = useTranslations("common");
 	const tSidebar = useTranslations("sidebar");
@@ -720,6 +725,7 @@ export function LayoutDataProvider({ workspaceId, children }: LayoutDataProvider
 				onTabSwitch={handleTabSwitch}
 				onTabPrefetch={handleTabPrefetch}
 				playgroundSidebar={<PlaygroundSidebar workspaceId={workspaceId} />}
+				initialPlaygroundSidebarCollapsed={initialPlaygroundSidebarCollapsed}
 			>
 				<Fragment key={chatResetKey}>{children}</Fragment>
 			</LayoutShell>
diff --git a/surfsense_web/components/layout/ui/shell/LayoutShell.tsx b/surfsense_web/components/layout/ui/shell/LayoutShell.tsx
index aec472f84..7a42d5a2e 100644
--- a/surfsense_web/components/layout/ui/shell/LayoutShell.tsx
+++ b/surfsense_web/components/layout/ui/shell/LayoutShell.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 import { useAtomValue } from "jotai";
 import dynamic from "next/dynamic";
-import { useEffect, useMemo, useState } from "react";
+import { useMemo, useState } from "react";
 import { activeTabAtom, type Tab } from "@/atoms/tabs/tabs.atom";
 import { Logo } from "@/components/Logo";
 import { Spinner } from "@/components/ui/spinner";
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ const DocumentTabContent = dynamic(
 	}
 );
 
-const PLAYGROUND_SIDEBAR_COLLAPSED_STORAGE_KEY = "surfsense:layout:v1:playground-sidebar-collapsed";
+const PLAYGROUND_SIDEBAR_COLLAPSED_COOKIE = "surfsense_playground_sidebar_collapsed";
+const PLAYGROUND_SIDEBAR_COOKIE_MAX_AGE = 60 * 60 * 24 * 365;
 
 function MacDesktopTitleBar({
 	isSidebarCollapsed,
@@ -115,6 +116,7 @@ interface LayoutShellProps {
 	onTabSwitch?: (tab: Tab) => void;
 	onTabPrefetch?: (tab: Tab) => void;
 	playgroundSidebar?: React.ReactNode;
+	initialPlaygroundSidebarCollapsed?: boolean;
 }
 
 function MainContentPanel({
@@ -216,12 +218,15 @@ export function LayoutShell({
 	onTabSwitch,
 	onTabPrefetch,
 	playgroundSidebar,
+	initialPlaygroundSidebarCollapsed = false,
 }: LayoutShellProps) {
 	const isMobile = useIsMobile();
 	const electronAPI = useElectronAPI();
 	const isMacDesktop = electronAPI?.versions.platform === "darwin";
 	const [mobileMenuOpen, setMobileMenuOpen] = useState(false);
-	const [isPlaygroundSidebarCollapsed, setIsPlaygroundSidebarCollapsed] = useState(false);
+	const [isPlaygroundSidebarCollapsed, setIsPlaygroundSidebarCollapsed] = useState(
+		initialPlaygroundSidebarCollapsed
+	);
 	const { isCollapsed, setIsCollapsed, toggleCollapsed } = useSidebarState(defaultCollapsed);
 	const {
 		sidebarWidth,
@@ -234,23 +239,11 @@ export function LayoutShell({
 		() => ({ isCollapsed, setIsCollapsed, toggleCollapsed }),
 		[isCollapsed, setIsCollapsed, toggleCollapsed]
 	);
-	useEffect(() => {
-		try {
-			setIsPlaygroundSidebarCollapsed(
-				window.localStorage.getItem(PLAYGROUND_SIDEBAR_COLLAPSED_STORAGE_KEY) === "true"
-			);
-		} catch {}
-	}, []);
-
 	const handlePlaygroundSidebarToggle = () => {
 		setIsPlaygroundSidebarCollapsed((collapsed) => {
 			const nextCollapsed = !collapsed;
-			try {
-				window.localStorage.setItem(
-					PLAYGROUND_SIDEBAR_COLLAPSED_STORAGE_KEY,
-					String(nextCollapsed)
-				);
-			} catch {}
+			const secureAttribute = window.location.protocol === "https:" ? "; Secure" : "";
+			document.cookie = `${PLAYGROUND_SIDEBAR_COLLAPSED_COOKIE}=${nextCollapsed}; Path=/; Max-Age=${PLAYGROUND_SIDEBAR_COOKIE_MAX_AGE}; SameSite=Lax${secureAttribute}`;
 			return nextCollapsed;
 		});
 	};