diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/misc/CollapsibleSection.svelte b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/misc/CollapsibleSection.svelte
index 91dd003381..68e4e9b7cb 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/misc/CollapsibleSection.svelte
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/misc/CollapsibleSection.svelte
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 		defaultOpen?: boolean;
 		/** Controlled open state, for a caller that binds it. */
 		open?: boolean;
+		/** Called on every toggle, for a caller that persists the state. */
+		ontoggle?: ((open: boolean) => void) | null;
 		/** Extra classes for the chevron, to line it up with a row's own control. */
 		chevronClass?: string;
 		/** Hide the chevron while expanded, until the trigger is hovered. */
@@ -32,6 +34,7 @@
 		children,
 		defaultOpen = true,
 		inMenu = false,
+		ontoggle = null,
 		open = $bindable(defaultOpen),
 		revealChevronOnHover = false,
 		trigger,
@@ -39,6 +42,11 @@
 		triggerPosition = 'top',
 		triggerStyle = ''
 	}: Props = $props();
+
+	function toggle(): void {
+		open = !open;
+		ontoggle?.(open);
+	}
 </script>
 
 {#snippet chevron()}
@@ -65,13 +73,7 @@
 		>
 			{#snippet child({ props })}
 				<!-- No `class` here: a static attribute would override the spread props.class. -->
-				<button
-					{...props}
-					aria-expanded={open}
-					onclick={() => (open = !open)}
-					style={triggerStyle}
-					type="button"
-				>
+				<button {...props} aria-expanded={open} onclick={toggle} style={triggerStyle} type="button">
 					{@render trigger()}
 
 					{@render chevron()}
@@ -82,7 +84,7 @@
 		<button
 			aria-expanded={open}
 			class="group {triggerClass}"
-			onclick={() => (open = !open)}
+			onclick={toggle}
 			style={triggerStyle}
 			type="button"
 		>
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/misc/GroupedList.svelte b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/misc/GroupedList.svelte
index fb6f609f44..5c8927a107 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/misc/GroupedList.svelte
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/misc/GroupedList.svelte
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 <script generics="G, E" lang="ts">
 	import CollapsibleRegion from './CollapsibleRegion.svelte';
+	import { modelsStore } from '$lib/stores';
 	import type { Snippet } from 'svelte';
 	import { SvelteMap, SvelteSet } from 'svelte/reactivity';
 
@@ -21,6 +22,8 @@
 		groups?: GroupedListGroup<G, E>[] | null;
 		/** Entries of one group shown before its show more row. 0 shows every entry. */
 		groupWindow?: number;
+		/** Namespace of the persisted open state, e.g. a section key. Omit to keep it in memory. */
+		groupStateKey?: string;
 		/** One row. Depth is 1 under a group, 0 in a flat list. */
 		item: Snippet<[{ depth: number; entry: E }]>;
 		/** Identity of a row, used for the keyed each. */
@@ -42,6 +45,7 @@
 	let {
 		group,
 		groups = null,
+		groupStateKey,
 		groupWindow = 0,
 		item,
 		items = [],
@@ -53,8 +57,13 @@
 		weightOf
 	}: Props = $props();
 
-	// groups start open; this tracks the ones the user folded away
-	const collapsed = new SvelteSet<string>();
+	// groups start open; this tracks the ones the user folded away, and a list with
+	// a state key opens with the ones the user had folded away before the reload
+	// the initial namespace only
+	// svelte-ignore state_referenced_locally
+	const collapsed = new SvelteSet<string>(
+		groupStateKey ? modelsStore.collapsedGroupsUnder(groupStateKey) : []
+	);
 	// windows grow one step at a time, per group and per list
 	const groupSteps = new SvelteMap<string, number>();
 	let sectionSteps = $state(0);
@@ -62,11 +71,11 @@
 	function toggleGroup(key: string): void {
 		if (collapsed.has(key)) {
 			collapsed.delete(key);
-
-			return;
+		} else {
+			collapsed.add(key);
 		}
 
-		collapsed.add(key);
+		if (groupStateKey) modelsStore.setGroupOpen(`${groupStateKey}-${key}`, !collapsed.has(key));
 	}
 
 	function growGroup(key: string): void {
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsManager/ModelsManagerModelsTable.svelte b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsManager/ModelsManagerModelsTable.svelte
index 7712568886..7969358ef3 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsManager/ModelsManagerModelsTable.svelte
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsManager/ModelsManagerModelsTable.svelte
@@ -556,12 +556,14 @@
 					defaultOpen={group.kind !== 'hidden'}
 					icon={group.kind === 'provider' ? undefined : groupIcon}
 					label={group.label}
+					persistKey={group.key}
 					revealChevronOnHover
 					sticky
 					stickyClass="sticky z-10 bg-muted/90 backdrop-blur-lg"
 				>
 					<GroupedList
 						group={familyRow}
+						groupStateKey={group.key}
 						groupWindow={FAMILY_ROW_WINDOW}
 						groups={group.flat ? null : familyGroups(group)}
 						item={listItem}
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSection.svelte b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSection.svelte
index d42ec20267..854b0ae7b2 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSection.svelte
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSection.svelte
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 	import { ChevronLeft, CircleAlert, Loader2 } from '@lucide/svelte';
 	import { CollapsibleSection } from '$lib/components/app';
 	import { BackendIcon } from '$lib/components/app/backends';
+	import { modelsStore } from '$lib/stores';
 	import { getBackend } from '$lib/utils/api-base';
 	import type { Snippet } from 'svelte';
 
@@ -21,6 +22,8 @@
 		loading?: boolean;
 		/** Renders the back control, for a drilled-in provider. */
 		onBack?: () => void;
+		/** Persists the open state under this id, e.g. a section key. */
+		persistKey?: string;
 		/** Start expanded; the manager collapses its hidden block. */
 		defaultOpen?: boolean;
 		revealChevronOnHover?: boolean;
@@ -42,6 +45,7 @@
 		label,
 		loading = false,
 		onBack,
+		persistKey,
 		revealChevronOnHover = false,
 		sectionHeaderClass = 'm-0 px-2 py-2 text-[13px] font-semibold text-muted-foreground select-none',
 		sticky = false,
@@ -57,7 +61,8 @@
 
 <CollapsibleSection
 	{chevronClass}
-	{defaultOpen}
+	defaultOpen={persistKey ? modelsStore.isGroupOpen(persistKey, defaultOpen) : defaultOpen}
+	ontoggle={persistKey ? (open: boolean) => modelsStore.setGroupOpen(persistKey, open) : null}
 	{revealChevronOnHover}
 	{triggerClass}
 	{triggerStyle}
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSelector/ModelsSelectorList.svelte b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSelector/ModelsSelectorList.svelte
index d1c3f523a5..e2eee8bc91 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSelector/ModelsSelectorList.svelte
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/components/app/models/ModelsSelector/ModelsSelectorList.svelte
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 		type ModelItem,
 		windowLocalGroups
 	} from '$lib/components/app/navigation/utils';
-	import { MODEL_ROW_WINDOW } from '$lib/constants';
+	import { LOCAL_BACKEND_ID, MODEL_ROW_WINDOW } from '$lib/constants';
 	import { ModelDownloadConfirmAction } from '$lib/enums';
 	import { ModelGroupingMode } from '$lib/enums/settings.enums';
 	import { modelsStore, settingsStore } from '$lib/stores';
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@
 	{#if settingsStore.config.groupModelsByFamily}
 		<GroupedList
 			group={familyHeading}
+			groupStateKey={prefix}
 			groups={groupModelFamilies(items, (row) => row.option.model).map((family) => ({
 				entries: family.entries,
 				group: family,
@@ -188,7 +189,13 @@
 {/snippet}
 
 {#if loaded.length > 0}
-	<ModelsSection count={loaded.length} label="Loaded models" revealChevronOnHover sticky>
+	<ModelsSection
+		count={loaded.length}
+		label="Loaded models"
+		persistKey="loaded"
+		revealChevronOnHover
+		sticky
+	>
 		{#snippet icon()}
 			<Power class="h-3.5 w-3.5 shrink-0" />
 		{/snippet}
@@ -201,7 +208,7 @@
 
 {#if favorites.length > 0}
 	<!-- Favorites come first; the sections below skip them -->
-	<ModelsSection label="Favorites" revealChevronOnHover sticky>
+	<ModelsSection label="Favorites" persistKey="favorites" revealChevronOnHover sticky>
 		{#snippet icon()}
 			<Heart class="h-3.5 w-3.5 shrink-0" />
 		{/snippet}
@@ -243,7 +250,7 @@
 		iconKind: 'boxes' | 'logo',
 		key: string
 	)}
-		<ModelsSection {label} revealChevronOnHover sticky>
+		<ModelsSection {label} persistKey={key} revealChevronOnHover sticky>
 			{#snippet icon()}
 				{#if iconKind === 'logo'}
 					<Logo class="shrink-0" style="--size: 0.875rem" />
@@ -261,7 +268,7 @@
 	{/each}
 {:else}
 	{#if groups.loaded.length > 0 || groups.available.length > 0}
-		<ModelsSection label="Local models" revealChevronOnHover sticky>
+		<ModelsSection label="Local models" persistKey={LOCAL_BACKEND_ID} revealChevronOnHover sticky>
 			{#snippet icon()}
 				<Logo class="shrink-0" style="--size: 0.875rem" />
 			{/snippet}
@@ -278,6 +285,7 @@
 			label={provider.name}
 			loading={provider.loading}
 			onBack={onProviderBack}
+			persistKey={provider.backendId}
 			revealChevronOnHover
 			sticky
 		>
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/constants/storage.constants.ts b/tools/ui/src/lib/constants/storage.constants.ts
index bc915a39f2..d5ca6985ff 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/constants/storage.constants.ts
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/constants/storage.constants.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ export const DISABLED_TOOL_KEYS_LOCALSTORAGE_KEY = `${STORAGE_APP_NAME}.disabled
 export const DISABLED_TOOL_CATEGORIES_LOCALSTORAGE_KEY = `${STORAGE_APP_NAME}.disabledToolCategories`;
 export const FAVORITE_MODELS_LOCALSTORAGE_KEY = `${STORAGE_APP_NAME}.favoriteModels`;
 
+/** Open state the user set for a model list section or one of its families, by id. */
+export const MODEL_GROUP_OPEN_LOCALSTORAGE_KEY = `${STORAGE_APP_NAME}.modelGroupOpen`;
+
 /** Model families pinned to the top of their provider section. */
 export const FAVORITE_MODEL_FAMILIES_LOCALSTORAGE_KEY = `${STORAGE_APP_NAME}.favoriteModelFamilies`;
 
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/stores/models/index.svelte.ts b/tools/ui/src/lib/stores/models/index.svelte.ts
index d3b2069103..9731e8f005 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/stores/models/index.svelte.ts
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/stores/models/index.svelte.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import {
 	FAVORITE_MODEL_FAMILIES_LOCALSTORAGE_KEY,
 	FAVORITE_MODELS_LOCALSTORAGE_KEY,
 	HIDDEN_MODELS_LOCALSTORAGE_KEY,
+	MODEL_GROUP_OPEN_LOCALSTORAGE_KEY,
 	MODEL_ROW_WINDOW,
 	RECENT_MODEL_LIMIT,
 	RECENT_MODEL_USAGE_LOCALSTORAGE_KEY,
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ import { settingsStore } from '$lib/stores/settings/index.svelte';
 import { getBackendCapabilities, readModelContextLength } from '$lib/utils/backend';
 import { getConversationModel } from '$lib/utils/conversation-utils';
 import { backendIdFromModelId, qualifyModelId, rawModelId } from '$lib/utils/model-option-id';
-import { SvelteSet } from 'svelte/reactivity';
+import { SvelteMap, SvelteSet } from 'svelte/reactivity';
 import { toast } from 'svelte-sonner';
 
 /** Selection kept from the last session, so a reload does not drop the picked model. */
@@ -100,6 +101,24 @@ function loadFavoriteFamilies(): Set<string> {
 	}
 }
 
+/** Open state the user set for a section or family of the model lists. */
+function loadGroupOpenState(): SvelteMap<string, boolean> {
+	if (!browser) return new SvelteMap<string, boolean>();
+
+	try {
+		const raw = localStorage.getItem(MODEL_GROUP_OPEN_LOCALSTORAGE_KEY);
+		const parsed = raw ? (JSON.parse(raw) as unknown) : null;
+		const entries =
+			parsed && typeof parsed === 'object' ? Object.entries(parsed as Record<string, unknown>) : [];
+
+		return new SvelteMap(
+			entries.filter((entry): entry is [string, boolean] => typeof entry[1] === 'boolean')
+		);
+	} catch {
+		return new SvelteMap<string, boolean>();
+	}
+}
+
 /** Recently used backend-qualified ids, most recent first. */
 function loadRecentModels(): string[] {
 	if (!browser) return [];
@@ -124,6 +143,7 @@ class ModelsStore implements ModelPropsHost, ModelStatusHost {
 	error = $state<string | null>(null);
 	favoriteFamilyIds = $state<Set<string>>(loadFavoriteFamilies());
 	favoriteModelIds = $state<Set<string>>(this.loadFavoritesFromStorage());
+	groupOpenState = $state<SvelteMap<string, boolean>>(loadGroupOpenState());
 	hiddenModelIds = $state<Set<string>>(loadHiddenModels());
 	loading = $state(false);
 	/**
@@ -280,6 +300,15 @@ class ModelsStore implements ModelPropsHost, ModelStatusHost {
 		this.persistSelection();
 	}
 
+	/** Family keys folded away under one section, for a list that restores them. */
+	collapsedGroupsUnder(prefix: string): string[] {
+		const head = `${prefix}-`;
+
+		return [...this.groupOpenState]
+			.filter(([id, open]) => !open && id.startsWith(head))
+			.map(([id]) => id.slice(head.length));
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Auto-selects the first available model if none is selected.
 	 * Prioritizes:
@@ -448,6 +477,10 @@ class ModelsStore implements ModelPropsHost, ModelStatusHost {
 		return this.favoriteFamilyIds.has(key);
 	}
 
+	isGroupOpen(id: string, fallbackOpen: boolean): boolean {
+		return this.groupOpenState.get(id) ?? fallbackOpen;
+	}
+
 	isHidden(modelId: string): boolean {
 		return this.hiddenModelIds.has(modelId);
 	}
@@ -563,6 +596,22 @@ class ModelsStore implements ModelPropsHost, ModelStatusHost {
 		}
 	}
 
+	setGroupOpen(id: string, open: boolean): void {
+		const next = new SvelteMap(this.groupOpenState);
+
+		next.set(id, open);
+		this.groupOpenState = next;
+
+		try {
+			localStorage.setItem(
+				MODEL_GROUP_OPEN_LOCALSTORAGE_KEY,
+				JSON.stringify(Object.fromEntries(next))
+			);
+		} catch {
+			toast.error('Failed to save the model list state to local storage');
+		}
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Activate a backend for the selector tabs. Everything comes from memory:
 	 * the model list and router rows are prefetched at startup and the local