diff --git a/src/app.html b/src/app.html
index 0dabdd9b..6381776f 100644
--- a/src/app.html
+++ b/src/app.html
@@ -125,6 +125,24 @@
       }
     </script>
 
+    <!-- Init menu as fast as possible as well -->
+    <script>
+      try {
+        const currentMenu = ["collapsed", "expanded"].includes(
+          localStorage.nnsMenu,
+        )
+          ? JSON.parse(localStorage.nnsMenu)
+          : undefined;
+
+        document.documentElement.setAttribute(
+          "menu",
+          currentMenu ?? "expanded",
+        );
+      } catch (error) {
+        console.error("Error initializing menu", error);
+      }
+    </script>
+
     %sveltekit.head%
   </head>
   <body>
diff --git a/src/lib/components/Menu.svelte b/src/lib/components/Menu.svelte
index 40f75174..33d7ca7e 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/Menu.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/Menu.svelte
@@ -1,18 +1,17 @@
 <script lang="ts">
   import MenuBackground from "./MenuBackground.svelte";
-  import {
-    layoutMenuCollapsed,
-    layoutMenuOpen,
-  } from "$lib/stores/layout.store";
+  import { layoutMenuOpen } from "$lib/stores/layout.store";
   import { handleKeyPress } from "$lib/utils/keyboard.utils";
   import IconEast from "$lib/icons/IconEast.svelte";
+  import { applyMenu } from "$lib/utils/menu.utils";
+  import { Menu } from "$lib/types/menu";
 
   export let sticky = true;
 
   const close = () => layoutMenuOpen.set(false);
 </script>
 
-<div role="menu" class:collapsed={!$layoutMenuOpen && $layoutMenuCollapsed}>
+<div role="menu" class:open={$layoutMenuOpen}>
   <MenuBackground />
 
   <div
@@ -27,17 +26,15 @@
   >
     <slot />
 
-    <div class="expand">
-      <button on:click={() => layoutMenuCollapsed.set(false)} class:visible={$layoutMenuCollapsed}
-        ><IconEast /></button
-      >
-    </div>
+    <button
+      class="menu-expand"
+      on:click={() => applyMenu({ menu: Menu.EXPANDED })}><IconEast /></button
+    >
   </div>
 
   <button
-    class="bottom"
-    on:click={() => layoutMenuCollapsed.set(true)}
-    class:visible={!$layoutMenuCollapsed}><IconEast /></button
+    class="menu-collapse"
+    on:click={() => applyMenu({ menu: Menu.COLLAPSED })}><IconEast /></button
   >
 </div>
 
@@ -67,16 +64,6 @@
     }
 
     position: relative;
-
-    --menu-width: var(--menu-expanded-width);
-
-    &.collapsed {
-      --menu-width: var(--menu-collapsed-width);
-
-      .inner {
-        overflow-x: hidden;
-      }
-    }
   }
 
   .inner {
@@ -116,30 +103,4 @@
       padding-top: var(--padding-4x);
     }
   }
-
-  .bottom {
-    position: absolute;
-    right: 0;
-    bottom: 64px;
-    transform: rotate(-180deg);
-  }
-
-  button {
-    opacity: 0;
-    visibility: hidden;
-    transition: opacity var(--animation-time-long);
-
-    padding: var(--padding-1_5x);
-
-    @include media.min-width(large) {
-      &.visible {
-        opacity: 1;
-        visibility: visible;
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
-  .expand {
-    display: flex;
-  }
 </style>
diff --git a/src/lib/components/MenuBackground.svelte b/src/lib/components/MenuBackground.svelte
index a1162ae2..764b6939 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/MenuBackground.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/MenuBackground.svelte
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
   import backgroundLight from "$lib/assets/menu-bg-light.png";
   import { themeStore } from "$lib/stores/theme.store";
   import { Theme } from "$lib/types/theme";
-  import {layoutMenuCollapsed, layoutMenuOpen} from "$lib/stores/layout.store";
+  import { layoutMenuOpen } from "$lib/stores/layout.store";
   import { nonNullish } from "@dfinity/utils";
 
   let logoOnChain: string;
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
     $themeStore === Theme.LIGHT ? backgroundLight : backgroundDark;
 </script>
 
-<div class:open={$layoutMenuOpen} class:collapsed={$layoutMenuCollapsed}>
+<div class:open={$layoutMenuOpen} class="menu-background">
   <img
     class="logo-nns"
     src={logoNNS}
@@ -104,9 +104,4 @@
     bottom: 0;
     left: 0;
   }
-
-  .collapsed {
-    visibility: hidden;
-    opacity: 0;
-  }
 </style>
diff --git a/src/lib/components/MenuItem.svelte b/src/lib/components/MenuItem.svelte
index 6ffb2f88..f1662edd 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/MenuItem.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/MenuItem.svelte
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 <script lang="ts">
-  import {layoutMenuCollapsed, layoutMenuOpen} from "$lib/stores/layout.store";
-
   export let href: string;
   export let selected = false;
   export let testId: string | undefined = undefined;
@@ -14,7 +12,6 @@
   {rel}
   {target}
   class:selected
-  class:icon-only={!$layoutMenuOpen && $layoutMenuCollapsed}
   data-tid={testId}
   on:click
 >
@@ -82,17 +79,4 @@
 
     margin: 0 var(--padding) 0 var(--padding-2x);
   }
-
-  span, div {
-    opacity: 1;
-    visibility: visible;
-    transition: opacity var(--animation-time-normal);
-  }
-
-  .icon-only {
-    span, div {
-      opacity: 0;
-      visibility: hidden;
-    }
-  }
 </style>
diff --git a/src/lib/stores/layout.store.ts b/src/lib/stores/layout.store.ts
index aac367e8..c774472d 100644
--- a/src/lib/stores/layout.store.ts
+++ b/src/lib/stores/layout.store.ts
@@ -2,5 +2,4 @@ import { writable } from "svelte/store";
 
 export const layoutBottomOffset = writable<number>(0);
 export const layoutMenuOpen = writable<boolean>(false);
-export const layoutMenuCollapsed = writable<boolean>(false);
 export const layoutContentScrollY = writable<"hidden" | "auto">("auto");
diff --git a/src/lib/stores/menu.store.ts b/src/lib/stores/menu.store.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2c58b68b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/stores/menu.store.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import type { Menu } from "$lib/types/menu";
+import { applyMenu, initMenu } from "$lib/utils/menu.utils";
+import { writable } from "svelte/store";
+
+const initialMenu: Menu | undefined = initMenu();
+
+export const initMenuStore = () => {
+  const { subscribe, set } = writable<Menu | undefined>(initialMenu);
+
+  return {
+    subscribe,
+
+    select: (menu: Menu) => {
+      applyMenu({ menu, preserve: true });
+      set(menu);
+    },
+  };
+};
+
+export const menuStore = initMenuStore();
diff --git a/src/lib/styles/global.scss b/src/lib/styles/global.scss
index 27b368af..4780f299 100644
--- a/src/lib/styles/global.scss
+++ b/src/lib/styles/global.scss
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 @import "./global/utility-classes.scss";
 @import "./global/blockquote.scss";
 @import "./global/scrollbar.scss";
+@import "./global/menu.scss";
 
 @import "./themes/dark.scss";
 @import "./themes/light.scss";
diff --git a/src/lib/styles/global/menu.scss b/src/lib/styles/global/menu.scss
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a32208ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/styles/global/menu.scss
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+@use "../mixins/media";
+
+:root {
+  div.split-pane,
+  div.stretch-pane {
+    div[role="menu"]:first-child {
+      --menu-width: var(--menu-expanded-width);
+
+      button {
+        &.menu-expand,
+        &.menu-collapse {
+          opacity: 0;
+          visibility: hidden;
+          transition: opacity var(--animation-time-long);
+
+          padding: var(--padding-1_5x);
+        }
+
+        &.menu-collapse {
+          position: absolute;
+          right: 0;
+          bottom: 64px;
+          transform: rotate(-180deg);
+        }
+      }
+
+      [role="menuitem"] {
+        span,
+        div {
+          opacity: 1;
+          transition: opacity var(--animation-time-normal);
+        }
+      }
+
+      .menu-background {
+        visibility: visible;
+        opacity: 1;
+        transition: opacity var(--animation-time-normal);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  &[menu="collapsed"] {
+    div.split-pane,
+    div.stretch-pane {
+      div[role="menu"]:first-child:not(.open) {
+        --menu-width: var(--menu-collapsed-width);
+
+        .inner {
+          overflow-x: hidden;
+        }
+
+        @include media.min-width(large) {
+          button.menu-expand {
+            opacity: 1;
+            visibility: visible;
+          }
+        }
+
+        [role="menuitem"] {
+          span,
+          div {
+            opacity: 0;
+          }
+        }
+
+        .menu-background *:not(.background) {
+          opacity: 0;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  &:not([menu="collapsed"]) {
+    div.split-pane,
+    div.stretch-pane {
+      div[role="menu"]:first-child {
+        @include media.min-width(large) {
+          button.menu-collapse {
+            opacity: 1;
+            visibility: visible;
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/lib/types/menu.ts b/src/lib/types/menu.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..df5a476f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/types/menu.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+export enum Menu {
+  COLLAPSED = "collapsed",
+  EXPANDED = "expanded",
+}
diff --git a/src/lib/utils/menu.utils.ts b/src/lib/utils/menu.utils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..048b9bae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/utils/menu.utils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+import { Menu } from "$lib/types/menu";
+import { isNode } from "$lib/utils/env.utils";
+import { enumFromStringExists } from "./enum.utils";
+
+export const MENU_ATTRIBUTE = "menu";
+export const LOCALSTORAGE_MENU_KEY = "nnsMenu";
+
+export const initMenu = (): Menu | undefined => {
+  // No DOM therefore cannot guess the menu
+  if (isNode()) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+
+  const menu: string | null =
+    document.documentElement.getAttribute(MENU_ATTRIBUTE);
+
+  const initialMenu: Menu = enumFromStringExists({
+    obj: Menu,
+    value: menu,
+  })
+    ? (menu as Menu)
+    : Menu.EXPANDED;
+
+  applyMenu({ menu: initialMenu, preserve: false });
+
+  return initialMenu;
+};
+
+export const applyMenu = ({
+  menu,
+  preserve = true,
+}: {
+  menu: Menu;
+  preserve?: boolean;
+}) => {
+  const { documentElement } = document;
+
+  documentElement.setAttribute(MENU_ATTRIBUTE, menu);
+
+  if (preserve) {
+    localStorage.setItem(LOCALSTORAGE_MENU_KEY, JSON.stringify(menu));
+  }
+};
