diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/sidebar/ConnectionTree.vue b/apps/desktop/src/components/sidebar/ConnectionTree.vue
index e4d6eb4ae0..68f295e6ae 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/sidebar/ConnectionTree.vue
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/sidebar/ConnectionTree.vue
@@ -1567,6 +1567,16 @@ async function locateTabInSidebar(tab: QueryTab | undefined | null, align: Sideb
     }
   }
 
+  // Connection groups never register loaded tree children, so the guard above
+  // skips them and a collapsed group keeps the target out of the visible flat
+  // tree. Reopen them through the layout op so the expansion is persisted and
+  // survives the next layout rebuild; flipping isExpanded directly would be
+  // reverted by that rebuild (issue #7387).
+  const collapsedGroupIds = nodePath.filter((node) => node.type === "connection-group" && !node.isExpanded).map((node) => node.id);
+  if (collapsedGroupIds.length > 0) {
+    store.expandConnectionGroups(collapsedGroupIds);
+  }
+
   await nextTick();
 
   const match = target ? findSidebarNodeForTarget(target, flatNodes.value) : null;
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/sidebar/__tests__/ConnectionTree.locateCollapsedGroup.spec.ts b/apps/desktop/src/components/sidebar/__tests__/ConnectionTree.locateCollapsedGroup.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4c2b68bd4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/sidebar/__tests__/ConnectionTree.locateCollapsedGroup.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+
+const connectionTreeSource = readFileSync(new URL("../ConnectionTree.vue", import.meta.url), "utf8");
+
+describe("ConnectionTree locate in collapsed groups", () => {
+  it("reopens collapsed connection groups on the node path through the persisted layout op", () => {
+    // Group expansion must flow through store.expandConnectionGroups so
+    // layout.collapsed is flipped and the next layout rebuild keeps the group
+    // open; flipping isExpanded directly would be reverted by that rebuild.
+    expect(connectionTreeSource).toMatch(/const collapsedGroupIds = nodePath\s*\.filter\(\(node\) => node\.type === "connection-group" && !node\.isExpanded\)\s*\.map\(\(node\) => node\.id\);/);
+    // The expansion happens before the flat-tree match that drives selection,
+    // scrolling and flashing, so the reopened groups are visible to it.
+    expect(connectionTreeSource).toMatch(/store\.expandConnectionGroups\(collapsedGroupIds\);\s*\}\s*\n\s*await nextTick\(\);\s*\n\s*const match = target \? findSidebarNodeForTarget\(target, flatNodes\.value\) : null;/);
+  });
+
+  it("still gates generic ancestor expansion on loaded children only (#5850)", () => {
+    expect(connectionTreeSource).toMatch(/if \(!ancestor\.isExpanded && store\.canUseLoadedTreeNodeToggle\(ancestor\)\) \{\s*ancestor\.isExpanded = true;\s*\}/);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/app-tests/sidebarActiveTabTarget.test.ts b/packages/app-tests/sidebarActiveTabTarget.test.ts
index f90de252b4..81f1ac58a4 100644
--- a/packages/app-tests/sidebarActiveTabTarget.test.ts
+++ b/packages/app-tests/sidebarActiveTabTarget.test.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import { strict as assert } from "node:assert";
 import { test } from "vitest";
-import { activeTabSidebarTarget, findNodePathForTarget, findSidebarConnectionNode, findSidebarNodeForActiveTab, scrollTopForSidebarNode, shouldScrollActiveSidebarSelection } from "../../apps/desktop/src/lib/sidebar/sidebarActiveTabTarget.ts";
+import { activeTabSidebarTarget, findNodePathForTarget, findSidebarConnectionNode, findSidebarNodeForActiveTab, findSidebarNodeForTarget, scrollTopForSidebarNode, shouldScrollActiveSidebarSelection } from "../../apps/desktop/src/lib/sidebar/sidebarActiveTabTarget.ts";
+import { buildTreeNodesFromLayout, expandGroups } from "../../apps/desktop/src/lib/sidebar/sidebarLayout.ts";
+import { flattenTree } from "../../apps/desktop/src/composables/useFlatTree.ts";
 import type { FlatTreeNode } from "../../apps/desktop/src/composables/useFlatTree.ts";
-import type { QueryTab, TreeNode } from "../../apps/desktop/src/types/database.ts";
+import type { ConnectionConfig, QueryTab, SidebarLayout, TreeNode } from "../../apps/desktop/src/types/database.ts";
 
 function flat(node: TreeNode, depth = 0): FlatTreeNode {
   return { id: node.id, node, depth, type: node.type };
@@ -578,3 +580,59 @@ test("active sidebar selection only scrolls on tab or setting changes", () => {
     true,
   );
 });
+
+test("locate under collapsed connection groups resolves the path, expands the groups, then finds the flat node", () => {
+  // Mirrors locateTabInSidebar for a target inside collapsed (nested)
+  // connection groups: the node path ignores expansion, the visible flat tree
+  // does not, so locate must reopen the collapsed groups through the layout op
+  // and rebuild before matching, otherwise the locate silently fails (#7387).
+  const conn = (id: string): ConnectionConfig => ({
+    id,
+    name: id,
+    db_type: "postgres",
+    host: "localhost",
+    port: 5432,
+    username: "user",
+    password: "",
+  });
+  const layout: SidebarLayout = {
+    groups: [
+      { id: "group-outer", name: "Outer", collapsed: true },
+      { id: "group-inner", name: "Inner", collapsed: true },
+      { id: "group-open", name: "Open", collapsed: false },
+    ],
+    order: [
+      {
+        type: "group",
+        id: "group-outer",
+        children: [{ type: "group", id: "group-inner", children: [{ type: "connection", id: "conn-grouped" }] }],
+      },
+      { type: "group", id: "group-open", children: [{ type: "connection", id: "conn-open" }] },
+    ],
+  };
+  const connections = [conn("conn-grouped"), conn("conn-open")];
+  const target = { type: "connection", connectionId: "conn-grouped" } as const;
+
+  const collapsedTree = buildTreeNodesFromLayout(layout, connections, new Set());
+  const nodePath = findNodePathForTarget(target, collapsedTree);
+  assert.deepEqual(nodePath?.map((node) => node.id), ["group-outer", "group-inner", "conn-grouped"]);
+  assert.equal(findSidebarNodeForTarget(target, flattenTree(collapsedTree)), null);
+
+  const collapsedGroupIds = nodePath!
+    .filter((node) => node.type === "connection-group" && !node.isExpanded)
+    .map((node) => node.id);
+  assert.deepEqual(collapsedGroupIds, ["group-outer", "group-inner"]);
+
+  const expandedLayout = expandGroups(layout, collapsedGroupIds);
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    expandedLayout.groups.map((group) => [group.id, group.collapsed]),
+    [
+      ["group-outer", false],
+      ["group-inner", false],
+      ["group-open", false],
+    ],
+  );
+
+  const rebuiltTree = buildTreeNodesFromLayout(expandedLayout, connections, new Set());
+  assert.equal(findSidebarNodeForTarget(target, flattenTree(rebuiltTree))?.id, "conn-grouped");
+});
diff --git a/packages/app-tests/sidebarLayout.test.ts b/packages/app-tests/sidebarLayout.test.ts
index 62f48f43ed..a9d9378146 100644
--- a/packages/app-tests/sidebarLayout.test.ts
+++ b/packages/app-tests/sidebarLayout.test.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   moveConnectionToGroup,
   reorderEntry,
   toggleGroupCollapsed,
+  expandGroups,
   appendConnectionToLayout,
   removeConnectionFromSidebarLayout,
   emptyLayout,
@@ -381,6 +382,35 @@ test("collapseAllGroups keeps other groups collapsed after one group is reopened
   );
 });
 
+// --- expandGroups ---
+
+test("expandGroups reopens collapsed groups and is a no-op otherwise", () => {
+  const layout: SidebarLayout = {
+    groups: [
+      { id: "g1", name: "G1", collapsed: true },
+      { id: "g2", name: "G2", collapsed: false },
+    ],
+    order: [
+      { type: "group", id: "g1", children: [{ type: "connection", id: "a" }] },
+      { type: "group", id: "g2", children: [] },
+    ],
+  };
+
+  const expanded = expandGroups(layout, ["g1", "g2", "missing"]);
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    expanded.groups.map((group) => [group.id, group.collapsed]),
+    [
+      ["g1", false],
+      ["g2", false],
+    ],
+  );
+
+  // Nothing to reopen: the same layout reference comes back so callers skip
+  // unnecessary rebuilds and persistence.
+  assert.equal(expandGroups(expanded, ["g1"]), expanded);
+  assert.equal(expandGroups(layout, []), layout);
+});
+
 // --- moveConnectionToGroup ---
 
 test("moveConnectionToGroup moves connection into a group", () => {