diff --git a/src/lib/components/chat/ChatControls.svelte b/src/lib/components/chat/ChatControls.svelte
index 8ac5f06617..d50968f692 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/chat/ChatControls.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/chat/ChatControls.svelte
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@
 	$: if ($selectedTerminalId && showFilesTab) {
 		activeTab = 'files';
 		if (largeScreen) {
-			showControls.set(true);
+			showControls.set($settings?.autoOpenTerminalSidebar ?? true);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/lib/components/chat/Settings/Interface.svelte b/src/lib/components/chat/Settings/Interface.svelte
index 250c75a9ff..1aeb3ddf91 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/chat/Settings/Interface.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/chat/Settings/Interface.svelte
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@
 
 	let landingPageMode = '';
 	let chatBubble = true;
+	let autoOpenTerminalSidebar = true;
 	let chatDirection: 'LTR' | 'RTL' | 'auto' = 'auto';
 	let ctrlEnterToSend = false;
 	let copyFormatted = false;
@@ -241,6 +242,7 @@
 
 		landingPageMode = $settings?.landingPageMode ?? '';
 		chatBubble = $settings?.chatBubble ?? true;
+		autoOpenTerminalSidebar = $settings?.autoOpenTerminalSidebar ?? true;
 		widescreenMode = $settings?.widescreenMode ?? false;
 		splitLargeChunks = $settings?.splitLargeChunks ?? false;
 		scrollOnBranchChange = $settings?.scrollOnBranchChange ?? true;
@@ -721,6 +723,25 @@
 				</div>
 			{/if}
 
+			<div>
+                <div class=" py-0.5 flex w-full justify-between">
+                    <div id="auto-open-terminal-sidebar-label" class=" self-center text-xs">
+                        {$i18n.t('Auto-Open Terminal Sidebar')}
+                    </div>
+
+                    <div class="flex items-center gap-2 p-1">
+                        <Switch
+                            tooltip={true}
+                            ariaLabelledbyId="auto-open-terminal-sidebar-label"
+                            bind:state={autoOpenTerminalSidebar}
+                            on:change={() => {
+                                saveSettings({ autoOpenTerminalSidebar });
+                            }}
+                        />
+                    </div>
+                </div>
+            </div>
+
 			<div>
 				<div class=" py-0.5 flex w-full justify-between">
 					<div id="widescreen-mode-label" class=" self-center text-xs">
diff --git a/src/lib/stores/index.ts b/src/lib/stores/index.ts
index b87303c0b0..f2c11de1a7 100644
--- a/src/lib/stores/index.ts
+++ b/src/lib/stores/index.ts
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@ type Settings = {
 	directConnections?: null;
 	chatBubble?: boolean;
 	copyFormatted?: boolean;
+	autoOpenTerminalSidebar?: boolean;
 	models?: string[];
 	conversationMode?: boolean;
 	speechAutoSend?: boolean;