diff --git a/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/DesktopTypes.tsx b/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/DesktopTypes.tsx
index db68be5ed..d29d3344a 100644
--- a/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/DesktopTypes.tsx
+++ b/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/DesktopTypes.tsx
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ export type UIActions = {
   onExpandAllRecursively: (nodeId: Id) => void;
   onCollapseAllNonAncestors: (nodeId: Id) => void;
   onCollapseAllRecursively: (nodeId: Id) => void;
+  ensureAncestorsExpanded: (nodeId: Id) => void;
 };
 
 export type SelectionSource =
diff --git a/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/components/visualizer/Visualization2D.tsx b/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/components/visualizer/Visualization2D.tsx
index 10670413a..c8ee3bcc7 100644
--- a/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/components/visualizer/Visualization2D.tsx
+++ b/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/components/visualizer/Visualization2D.tsx
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ export const Visualization2D: React.FC<
   const onClickOverlay = () => {
     instance.uiActions.onSelectNode(hoveredNodeId, 'visualiser');
     if (hoveredNodeId != null) {
-      instance.uiActions.onCollapseAllNonAncestors(hoveredNodeId);
+      instance.uiActions.ensureAncestorsExpanded(hoveredNodeId);
     }
 
     if (targetMode.state !== 'disabled') {
diff --git a/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/index.tsx b/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/index.tsx
index 16378b5c9..6187ff096 100644
--- a/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/index.tsx
+++ b/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/index.tsx
@@ -31,10 +31,7 @@ import {
 } from './DesktopTypes';
 import {getStreamInterceptor} from './fb-stubs/StreamInterceptor';
 import {prefetchSourceFileLocation} from './components/fb-stubs/IDEContextMenu';
-import {
-  checkFocusedNodeStillActive,
-  collapseinActiveChildren,
-} from './plugin/ClientDataUtils';
+import {checkFocusedNodeStillActive} from './plugin/ClientDataUtils';
 import {uiActions} from './plugin/uiActions';
 
 type PendingData = {
@@ -67,10 +64,6 @@ export function plugin(client: PluginClient<Events>) {
     limit: 10 * 1024,
   });
 
-  //this keeps track of all node ids we have seen so we dont keep reexpanding nodes when they come in again.
-  //Could probably be removed if we refactor the nodes to be expanded by default and only collapsed is toggled on
-  const seenNodes = new Set<Id>();
-
   //this holds pending any pending data that needs to be applied in the event of a stream interceptor error
   //while in the error state more metadata or a more recent frame may come in so both cases need to apply the same darta
   const pendingData: PendingData = {frame: null, metadata: {}};
@@ -279,21 +272,6 @@ export function plugin(client: PluginClient<Events>) {
     }
     mutableLiveClientData.nodes = nodes;
 
-    uiState.expandedNodes.update((draft) => {
-      for (const node of nodes.values()) {
-        if (!seenNodes.has(node.id)) {
-          draft.add(node.id);
-        }
-        seenNodes.add(node.id);
-
-        if (!uiState.isPaused.get()) {
-          //we need to not do this while paused as you may move to another screen / tab
-          //and it would collapse the tree node for the activity you were paused on.
-          collapseinActiveChildren(node, draft);
-        }
-      }
-    });
-
     if (!uiState.isPaused.get()) {
       nodesAtom.set(mutableLiveClientData.nodes);
       snapshot.set(mutableLiveClientData.snapshotInfo);
diff --git a/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/plugin/ClientDataUtils.tsx b/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/plugin/ClientDataUtils.tsx
index 6f02b6137..21437b86f 100644
--- a/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/plugin/ClientDataUtils.tsx
+++ b/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/plugin/ClientDataUtils.tsx
@@ -7,24 +7,9 @@
  * @format
  */
 
-import {Draft} from 'flipper-plugin';
 import {ClientNode, Id} from '../ClientTypes';
 import {UIState} from '../DesktopTypes';
 
-export function collapseinActiveChildren(
-  node: ClientNode,
-  expandedNodes: Draft<Set<Id>>,
-) {
-  if (node.activeChild) {
-    expandedNodes.add(node.activeChild);
-    for (const child of node.children) {
-      if (child !== node.activeChild) {
-        expandedNodes.delete(child);
-      }
-    }
-  }
-}
-
 export function checkFocusedNodeStillActive(
   uiState: UIState,
   nodes: Map<Id, ClientNode>,
diff --git a/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/plugin/uiActions.tsx b/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/plugin/uiActions.tsx
index 0d6582669..42ed7910a 100644
--- a/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/plugin/uiActions.tsx
+++ b/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/plugin/uiActions.tsx
@@ -19,10 +19,7 @@ import {
   WireFrameMode,
 } from '../DesktopTypes';
 import {tracker} from '../utils/tracker';
-import {
-  checkFocusedNodeStillActive,
-  collapseinActiveChildren,
-} from './ClientDataUtils';
+import {checkFocusedNodeStillActive} from './ClientDataUtils';
 
 export function uiActions(
   uiState: UIState,
@@ -87,19 +84,19 @@ export function uiActions(
   };
 
   const onCollapseAllNonAncestors = (nodeId: Id) => {
-    //this is not the simplest way to achieve this but on android there is a parent pointer missing for the decor view
-    //due to the nested obversers.
+    uiState.expandedNodes.update((draft) => {
+      draft.clear();
+    });
+    ensureAncestorsExpanded(nodeId);
+  };
+
+  const ensureAncestorsExpanded = (nodeId: Id) => {
     uiState.expandedNodes.update((draft) => {
       const nodesMap = nodes.get();
-      let prevNode: Id | null = null;
+
       let curNode = nodesMap.get(nodeId);
       while (curNode != null) {
-        for (const child of curNode.children) {
-          if (child !== prevNode) {
-            draft.delete(child);
-          }
-        }
-        prevNode = curNode.id;
+        draft.add(curNode.id);
         curNode = nodesMap.get(curNode?.parent ?? 'Nonode');
       }
     });
@@ -177,13 +174,6 @@ export function uiActions(
     tracker.track('play-pause-toggled', {paused: isPaused});
     uiState.isPaused.set(isPaused);
     if (!isPaused) {
-      //When going back to play mode then set the atoms to the live state to rerender the latest
-      //Also need to fixed expanded state for any change in active child state
-      uiState.expandedNodes.update((draft) => {
-        liveClientData.nodes.forEach((node) => {
-          collapseinActiveChildren(node, draft);
-        });
-      });
       nodes.set(liveClientData.nodes);
       snapshot.set(liveClientData.snapshotInfo);
       checkFocusedNodeStillActive(uiState, nodes.get());
@@ -216,5 +206,6 @@ export function uiActions(
     onCollapseAllNonAncestors,
     onExpandAllRecursively,
     onCollapseAllRecursively,
+    ensureAncestorsExpanded,
   };
 }