diff --git a/src/app/components/network/network-menu-left/download-button-inverse/download-button-inverse.component.html b/src/app/components/network/network-menu-left/download-button-inverse/download-button-inverse.component.html
index b6e85d17b6abcc4c9c35d5459f86615a5414fe7f..aab025831e1487a7043e5fff04bb190719d5b6ef 100644
--- a/src/app/components/network/network-menu-left/download-button-inverse/download-button-inverse.component.html
+++ b/src/app/components/network/network-menu-left/download-button-inverse/download-button-inverse.component.html
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
     id="{{ 'controls-' + buttonId }}"
     role="menu"
     [ngClass]="{
-      'inner-dropdown': !networkHandler.activeNetwork.networkSidebarOpen
+      'inner-dropdown': !networkHandler.networkSidebarOpen
     }"
   >
     <div class="dropdown-content">
diff --git a/src/app/components/network/network-menu-left/network-menu-left.component.html b/src/app/components/network/network-menu-left/network-menu-left.component.html
index c44c0d93cb7349fc39aba6e80b873f2f0b5dd5c8..7e47a55ee25f95b1c7b3f7df714395b6603248fe 100644
--- a/src/app/components/network/network-menu-left/network-menu-left.component.html
+++ b/src/app/components/network/network-menu-left/network-menu-left.component.html
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <div
   class="network-footer-toolbar drgstn-box-shadow"
   [ngClass]="
-    networkHandler.activeNetwork.networkSidebarOpen ? 'opened' : 'closed'
+    networkHandler.networkSidebarOpen ? 'opened' : 'closed'
   "
   [class.no-header]="networkHandler.activeNetwork.networkType === 'analysis'"
   [class.small-sidebar]="drugstoneConfig.smallStyle"
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
   <a
     (click)="networkHandler.activeNetwork.toggleNetworkSidebar()"
     class="button is-small is-primary network-toolbar-toggle"
-    [ngClass]="{ 'rotated': !networkHandler.activeNetwork.networkSidebarOpen }"
+    [ngClass]="{ 'rotated': !networkHandler.networkSidebarOpen }"
   >
     <app-fa-solid-icon
       icon="angle-left"
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@
           class="dropdown network-footer-toolbar-element"
           [class.is-active]="networkHandler.activeNetwork.expressionExpanded"
           [ngClass]="{
-            'inner-dropdown': !networkHandler.activeNetwork.networkSidebarOpen
+            'inner-dropdown': !networkHandler.networkSidebarOpen
           }"
         >
           <div class="dropdown-trigger">
diff --git a/src/app/components/network/network-menu/download-button/download-button.component.html b/src/app/components/network/network-menu/download-button/download-button.component.html
index ea5e9151beeea82385dbb4e9fd34afc36611c41f..909fdd694b9ce21b4b031f88aeed407d221336ce 100644
--- a/src/app/components/network/network-menu/download-button/download-button.component.html
+++ b/src/app/components/network/network-menu/download-button/download-button.component.html
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
     id="{{ 'controls-' + buttonId }}"
     role="menu"
     [ngClass]="{
-      'inner-dropdown': !networkHandler.activeNetwork.networkSidebarOpen
+      'inner-dropdown': !networkHandler.networkSidebarOpen
     }"
   >
     <div class="dropdown-content">
diff --git a/src/app/components/network/network-menu/network-menu.component.html b/src/app/components/network/network-menu/network-menu.component.html
index 46340a8c953abe46294122663217d06bf624948f..f0ed1fa9664c6d1ec798d0c1bb0ea972e77c29c2 100644
--- a/src/app/components/network/network-menu/network-menu.component.html
+++ b/src/app/components/network/network-menu/network-menu.component.html
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <div
   class="network-footer-toolbar drgstn-box-shadow"
   [ngClass]="
-    networkHandler.activeNetwork.networkSidebarOpen ? 'opened' : 'closed'
+    networkHandler.networkSidebarOpen ? 'opened' : 'closed'
   "
   [class.no-header]="networkHandler.activeNetwork.networkType === 'analysis'"
   [class.small-sidebar]="drugstoneConfig.smallStyle"
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
   <a
     (click)="networkHandler.activeNetwork.toggleNetworkSidebar()"
     class="button is-small is-primary network-toolbar-toggle"
-    [ngClass]="{ 'rotated': networkHandler.activeNetwork.networkSidebarOpen }"
+    [ngClass]="{ 'rotated': networkHandler.networkSidebarOpen }"
   >
     <app-fa-solid-icon
       icon="angle-left"
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@
           class="dropdown network-footer-toolbar-element"
           [class.is-active]="networkHandler.activeNetwork.expressionExpanded"
           [ngClass]="{
-            'inner-dropdown': !networkHandler.activeNetwork.networkSidebarOpen
+            'inner-dropdown': !networkHandler.networkSidebarOpen
           }"
         >
           <div class="dropdown-trigger">
diff --git a/src/app/components/network/network.component.ts b/src/app/components/network/network.component.ts
index 47bad6e2af72e8145863b4b0374c4ef378eb2b36..18bebdfa50e2e24cc8b738a672eb9ba121b35a17 100644
--- a/src/app/components/network/network.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/components/network/network.component.ts
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ export class NetworkComponent implements OnInit {
   public selectedTissue: Tissue | null = null;
 
   // change this to true to have sidebar open per default
-  public networkSidebarOpen = false;
+  // public networkSidebarOpen = false;
 
   public queryItems: Wrapper[] = [];
 
@@ -84,7 +84,6 @@ export class NetworkComponent implements OnInit {
   public loading = false;
 
   constructor(
-    public configService: DrugstoneConfigService,
     public legendService: LegendService,
     public networkHandler: NetworkHandlerService,
     public analysis: AnalysisService,
@@ -96,7 +95,6 @@ export class NetworkComponent implements OnInit {
 
   ngOnInit(): void {
     this.networkHandler.networks[this.networkType] = this;
-    this.networkSidebarOpen = this.configService.config.expandNetworkMenu || false;
   }
 
   setLoading(bool: boolean): void {
@@ -363,7 +361,7 @@ export class NetworkComponent implements OnInit {
   }
 
   toggleNetworkSidebar() {
-    this.networkSidebarOpen = !this.networkSidebarOpen;
+    this.networkHandler.networkSidebarOpen = !this.networkHandler.networkSidebarOpen;
   }
 
   public selectTissue(tissue: Tissue | null) {
diff --git a/src/app/pages/explorer-page/explorer-page.component.ts b/src/app/pages/explorer-page/explorer-page.component.ts
index 81f61bcd77b2f9166ade7d9128d79497ad1d29d4..b135116cad4db7eaf2d472e6b3ad1d47c92a183a 100644
--- a/src/app/pages/explorer-page/explorer-page.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/pages/explorer-page/explorer-page.component.ts
@@ -210,6 +210,7 @@ export class ExplorerPageComponent implements OnInit, AfterViewInit {
         this.networkHandler.activeNetwork.getInteractions(configObj[key]);
       }
     }
+    this.networkHandler.networkSidebarOpen = this.drugstoneConfig.config.expandNetworkMenu;
     // trigger updates on config e.g. in legend
     if (this.drugstoneConfig.analysisConfig) {
       this.drugstoneConfig.analysisConfig = {...this.drugstoneConfig.analysisConfig};
diff --git a/src/app/services/network-handler/network-handler.service.ts b/src/app/services/network-handler/network-handler.service.ts
index cca5b2ed95ff2c3d6e4b4c17f52315e0299cdffd..e0f862365d3c49414f0abda19e452b58ca3825d3 100644
--- a/src/app/services/network-handler/network-handler.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/services/network-handler/network-handler.service.ts
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@ export class NetworkHandlerService {
   }
 
   private change = new Subject<any>();
-
+  public networkSidebarOpen = this.drugstoneConfig.config.expandNetworkMenu || false;
   public networks: { NetworkType: NetworkComponent } | {} = {};
-  public activeNetwork: NetworkComponent = new NetworkComponent(this.drugstoneConfig, this.legendService, this.networkHandler, this.analysis, this.drugstoneConfig, this.netex, this.omnipath, this.loadingScreen);
+  public activeNetwork: NetworkComponent = new NetworkComponent(this.legendService, this.networkHandler, this.analysis, this.drugstoneConfig, this.netex, this.omnipath, this.loadingScreen);
 
   public setActiveNetwork(network: NetworkType) {
     this.triggerChange();
diff --git a/src/index.html b/src/index.html
index ccb3cefcbc0da63d827b59e5bb9d7e37194eb11e..2929ff9f4f9b7b640ca73fcf58cdb3a2f75608c8 100644
--- a/src/index.html
+++ b/src/index.html
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ Analysis<br>
 Screenshot button<br>
 <input type="checkbox" onclick=changeConfigStr('{"showNetworkMenuButtonExportGraphml":'+this.checked+'}') checked/> Show
 Export As Graphml Button<br>
+<input type="checkbox" onclick=changeConfigStr('{"expandNetworkMenu":'+this.checked+'}') checked/> Expand network menu<br>
 
 
 <input id="new_color" type="text"/>