diff --git a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/App/Data.elm b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/App/Data.elm
index 28fbd8d4..8be4d15f 100644
--- a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/App/Data.elm
+++ b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/App/Data.elm
@@ -66,12 +66,19 @@ init key url flags_ settings =
 
         ( csm, csc ) =
             Page.CollectiveSettings.Data.init flags
+
+        homeViewMode =
+            if settings.searchMenuVisible then
+                Page.Home.Data.SearchView
+
+            else
+                Page.Home.Data.SimpleView
     in
     ( { flags = flags
       , key = key
       , page = page
       , version = Api.Model.VersionInfo.empty
-      , homeModel = Page.Home.Data.init flags
+      , homeModel = Page.Home.Data.init flags homeViewMode
       , loginModel = Page.Login.Data.emptyModel
       , manageDataModel = mdm
       , collSettingsModel = csm
diff --git a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/App/Update.elm b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/App/Update.elm
index e261463b..5d40b1c0 100644
--- a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/App/Update.elm
+++ b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/App/Update.elm
@@ -181,7 +181,8 @@ updateWithSub msg model =
         GetUiSettings settings ->
             Util.Update.andThen2
                 [ updateUserSettings Page.UserSettings.Data.UpdateSettings
-                , updateHome Page.Home.Data.DoSearch
+                , updateHome Page.Home.Data.UiSettingsUpdated
+                , updateItemDetail Page.ItemDetail.Data.UiSettingsUpdated
                 ]
                 { model | uiSettings = settings }
 
diff --git a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Comp/ItemDetail/Model.elm b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Comp/ItemDetail/Model.elm
index ea75691a..d04289ff 100644
--- a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Comp/ItemDetail/Model.elm
+++ b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Comp/ItemDetail/Model.elm
@@ -272,6 +272,7 @@ type Msg
     | UpdateThrottle
     | KeyInputMsg Comp.KeyInput.Msg
     | ToggleAttachMenu
+    | UiSettingsUpdated
 
 
 type SaveNameState
diff --git a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Comp/ItemDetail/Update.elm b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Comp/ItemDetail/Update.elm
index 5fddccca..37e805b3 100644
--- a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Comp/ItemDetail/Update.elm
+++ b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Comp/ItemDetail/Update.elm
@@ -1269,6 +1269,15 @@ update key flags inav settings msg model =
         ToggleAttachMenu ->
             noSub ( { model | attachMenuOpen = not model.attachMenuOpen }, Cmd.none )
 
+        UiSettingsUpdated ->
+            let
+                model_ =
+                    { model
+                        | menuOpen = settings.editMenuVisible
+                    }
+            in
+            noSub ( model_, Cmd.none )
+
 
 
 --- Helper
diff --git a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Comp/UiSettingsForm.elm b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Comp/UiSettingsForm.elm
index 7a4a29dc..4bd955af 100644
--- a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Comp/UiSettingsForm.elm
+++ b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Comp/UiSettingsForm.elm
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ type alias Model =
     , searchMenuTagCatCountModel : Comp.IntField.Model
     , formFields : List Field
     , itemDetailShortcuts : Bool
+    , searchMenuVisible : Bool
+    , editMenuVisible : Bool
     }
 
 
@@ -89,6 +91,8 @@ init flags settings =
                 "Number of categories in search menu"
       , formFields = settings.formFields
       , itemDetailShortcuts = settings.itemDetailShortcuts
+      , searchMenuVisible = settings.searchMenuVisible
+      , editMenuVisible = settings.editMenuVisible
       }
     , Api.getTags flags "" GetTagsResp
     )
@@ -106,6 +110,8 @@ type Msg
     | SearchMenuTagCatMsg Comp.IntField.Msg
     | FieldListMsg Comp.FieldListSelect.Msg
     | ToggleItemDetailShortcuts
+    | ToggleSearchMenuVisible
+    | ToggleEditMenuVisible
 
 
 
@@ -273,6 +279,24 @@ update sett msg model =
             , Just { sett | itemDetailShortcuts = flag }
             )
 
+        ToggleSearchMenuVisible ->
+            let
+                flag =
+                    not model.searchMenuVisible
+            in
+            ( { model | searchMenuVisible = flag }
+            , Just { sett | searchMenuVisible = flag }
+            )
+
+        ToggleEditMenuVisible ->
+            let
+                flag =
+                    not model.editMenuVisible
+            in
+            ( { model | editMenuVisible = flag }
+            , Just { sett | editMenuVisible = flag }
+            )
+
 
 
 --- View
@@ -317,6 +341,19 @@ view flags _ model =
             )
         , div [ class "ui dividing header" ]
             [ text "Search Menu" ]
+        , div [ class "field" ]
+            [ div [ class "ui checkbox" ]
+                [ input
+                    [ type_ "checkbox"
+                    , onCheck (\_ -> ToggleSearchMenuVisible)
+                    , checked model.searchMenuVisible
+                    ]
+                    []
+                , label []
+                    [ text "Show search side menu by default"
+                    ]
+                ]
+            ]
         , Html.map SearchMenuTagMsg
             (Comp.IntField.viewWithInfo
                 "How many tags to display in search menu at once. Others can be expanded. Use 0 to always show all."
@@ -367,6 +404,19 @@ view flags _ model =
                     ]
                 ]
             ]
+        , div [ class "field" ]
+            [ div [ class "ui checkbox" ]
+                [ input
+                    [ type_ "checkbox"
+                    , onCheck (\_ -> ToggleEditMenuVisible)
+                    , checked model.editMenuVisible
+                    ]
+                    []
+                , label []
+                    [ text "Show edit side menu by default"
+                    ]
+                ]
+            ]
         , div [ class "grouped fields" ]
             [ label [] [ text "Position of item notes" ]
             , div [ class "field" ]
diff --git a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Data/UiSettings.elm b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Data/UiSettings.elm
index e08f1d44..38263ddf 100644
--- a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Data/UiSettings.elm
+++ b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Data/UiSettings.elm
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ type alias StoredUiSettings =
     , searchMenuTagCatCount : Maybe Int
     , formFields : Maybe (List String)
     , itemDetailShortcuts : Bool
+    , searchMenuVisible : Bool
+    , editMenuVisible : Bool
     }
 
 
@@ -62,6 +64,8 @@ type alias UiSettings =
     , searchMenuTagCatCount : Int
     , formFields : List Field
     , itemDetailShortcuts : Bool
+    , searchMenuVisible : Bool
+    , editMenuVisible : Bool
     }
 
 
@@ -105,6 +109,8 @@ defaults =
     , searchMenuTagCatCount = 3
     , formFields = Data.Fields.all
     , itemDetailShortcuts = False
+    , searchMenuVisible = False
+    , editMenuVisible = False
     }
 
 
@@ -138,6 +144,8 @@ merge given fallback =
             (Maybe.map Data.Fields.fromList given.formFields)
             fallback.formFields
     , itemDetailShortcuts = given.itemDetailShortcuts
+    , searchMenuVisible = given.searchMenuVisible
+    , editMenuVisible = given.editMenuVisible
     }
 
 
@@ -162,6 +170,8 @@ toStoredUiSettings settings =
         List.map Data.Fields.toString settings.formFields
             |> Just
     , itemDetailShortcuts = settings.itemDetailShortcuts
+    , searchMenuVisible = settings.searchMenuVisible
+    , editMenuVisible = settings.editMenuVisible
     }
 
 
diff --git a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Page/Home/Data.elm b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Page/Home/Data.elm
index 9754a70f..dfc22f55 100644
--- a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Page/Home/Data.elm
+++ b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Page/Home/Data.elm
@@ -81,8 +81,8 @@ type ViewMode
     | SelectView SelectViewModel
 
 
-init : Flags -> Model
-init flags =
+init : Flags -> ViewMode -> Model
+init flags viewMode =
     let
         searchTypeOptions =
             if flags.config.fullTextSearchEnabled then
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ init flags =
     , dragDropData =
         DD.DragDropData DD.init Nothing
     , scrollToCard = Nothing
-    , viewMode = SimpleView
+    , viewMode = viewMode
     }
 
 
@@ -173,6 +173,7 @@ type Msg
     | MultiUpdateResp FormChange (Result Http.Error BasicResult)
     | ReplaceChangedItemsResp (Result Http.Error ItemLightList)
     | DeleteAllResp (Result Http.Error BasicResult)
+    | UiSettingsUpdated
 
 
 type SearchType
diff --git a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Page/Home/Update.elm b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Page/Home/Update.elm
index 35cc0147..a4840e25 100644
--- a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Page/Home/Update.elm
+++ b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Page/Home/Update.elm
@@ -495,6 +495,31 @@ update mId key flags settings msg model =
         ReplaceChangedItemsResp (Err _) ->
             noSub ( model, Cmd.none )
 
+        UiSettingsUpdated ->
+            let
+                defaultViewMode =
+                    if settings.searchMenuVisible then
+                        SearchView
+
+                    else
+                        SimpleView
+
+                viewMode =
+                    case model.viewMode of
+                        SimpleView ->
+                            defaultViewMode
+
+                        SearchView ->
+                            defaultViewMode
+
+                        sv ->
+                            sv
+
+                model_ =
+                    { model | viewMode = viewMode }
+            in
+            update mId key flags settings DoSearch model_
+
 
 
 --- Helpers
diff --git a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Page/ItemDetail/Data.elm b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Page/ItemDetail/Data.elm
index ed432e9f..f1597990 100644
--- a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Page/ItemDetail/Data.elm
+++ b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Page/ItemDetail/Data.elm
@@ -23,3 +23,4 @@ type Msg
     | ItemDetailMsg Comp.ItemDetail.Model.Msg
     | ItemResp (Result Http.Error ItemDetail)
     | ScrollResult (Result Dom.Error ())
+    | UiSettingsUpdated
diff --git a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Page/ItemDetail/Update.elm b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Page/ItemDetail/Update.elm
index 001de073..63509826 100644
--- a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Page/ItemDetail/Update.elm
+++ b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Page/ItemDetail/Update.elm
@@ -59,3 +59,10 @@ update key flags inav settings msg model =
 
         ScrollResult _ ->
             ( model, Cmd.none, Sub.none )
+
+        UiSettingsUpdated ->
+            let
+                lmsg =
+                    ItemDetailMsg Comp.ItemDetail.Model.UiSettingsUpdated
+            in
+            update key flags inav settings lmsg model