diff --git a/src/components/sidebar/ConnectionTree.vue b/src/components/sidebar/ConnectionTree.vue
index 94560ebd56..c279644866 100644
--- a/src/components/sidebar/ConnectionTree.vue
+++ b/src/components/sidebar/ConnectionTree.vue
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { useI18n } from "vue-i18n";
 import { Search, X, ListFilter, Check, FolderPlus } from "lucide-vue-next";
 import { useConnectionStore } from "@/stores/connectionStore";
 import type { TreeNode } from "@/types/database";
-import { matchSidebarLabel } from "@/lib/sidebarSearch";
+import { filterSidebarTree } from "@/lib/sidebarSearchTree";
 import { isCancelSearchShortcut } from "@/lib/keyboardShortcuts";
 import {
   SIDEBAR_TREE_ROW_HEIGHT,
@@ -90,54 +90,6 @@ function clearTypeFilter() {
   selectedTypes.value = [];
 }
 
-const normalizedLabelCache = new WeakMap<TreeNode, { label: string; normalized: string }>();
-
-function normalizedLabel(node: TreeNode): string {
-  const cached = normalizedLabelCache.get(node);
-  if (cached?.label === node.label) return cached.normalized;
-
-  const normalized = node.label.toLowerCase();
-  normalizedLabelCache.set(node, { label: node.label, normalized });
-  return normalized;
-}
-
-function filterTree(nodes: TreeNode[], q: string): TreeNode[] {
-  const filteredNodes: { node: TreeNode; score: number }[] = [];
-
-  for (const node of nodes) {
-    if (node.type === "object-browser" && node.hiddenChildren) {
-      const matches = node.hiddenChildren
-        .map((child) => ({ node: child, score: matchSidebarLabel(normalizedLabel(child), q)?.score ?? 0 }))
-        .filter((m) => m.score > 0);
-      filteredNodes.push(...matches);
-      continue;
-    }
-
-    const label = normalizedLabel(node);
-    const selfMatch = matchSidebarLabel(label, q);
-    const filteredChildren = node.children ? filterTree(node.children, q) : undefined;
-
-    if (selfMatch || (filteredChildren && filteredChildren.length > 0)) {
-      if (!node.children) {
-        filteredNodes.push({ node, score: selfMatch?.score ?? 0 });
-      } else {
-        const children = filteredChildren ?? [];
-        filteredNodes.push({
-          node: {
-            ...node,
-            children,
-            isExpanded: children.length > 0 && !searchCollapsedIds.value.has(node.id),
-          },
-          score: selfMatch?.score ?? 0,
-        });
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
-  filteredNodes.sort((a, b) => b.score - a.score);
-  return filteredNodes.map((m) => m.node);
-}
-
 function matchesType(node: TreeNode): boolean {
   if (node.type === "connection-group") {
     return node.children?.some(matchesType) ?? false;
@@ -163,7 +115,7 @@ const filteredNodes = computed(() => {
 
   const q = deferredSearchQuery.value;
   if (q) {
-    nodes = filterTree(nodes, q);
+    nodes = filterSidebarTree(nodes, q, searchCollapsedIds.value);
   }
 
   return nodes;
diff --git a/src/lib/sidebarSearchTree.ts b/src/lib/sidebarSearchTree.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a2cba04dd9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/sidebarSearchTree.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+import type { TreeNode } from "@/types/database";
+import { matchSidebarLabel } from "@/lib/sidebarSearch";
+
+const preserveMatchedSubtreeTypes = new Set(["table", "view"]);
+
+const normalizedLabelCache = new WeakMap<TreeNode, { label: string; normalized: string }>();
+
+function normalizedLabel(node: TreeNode): string {
+  const cached = normalizedLabelCache.get(node);
+  if (cached?.label === node.label) return cached.normalized;
+
+  const normalized = node.label.toLowerCase();
+  normalizedLabelCache.set(node, { label: node.label, normalized });
+  return normalized;
+}
+
+export function filterSidebarTree(nodes: TreeNode[], query: string, collapsedIds: ReadonlySet<string>): TreeNode[] {
+  const filteredNodes: { node: TreeNode; score: number }[] = [];
+
+  for (const node of nodes) {
+    if (node.type === "object-browser" && node.hiddenChildren) {
+      const matches = node.hiddenChildren
+        .map((child) => ({ node: child, score: matchSidebarLabel(normalizedLabel(child), query)?.score ?? 0 }))
+        .filter((match) => match.score > 0);
+      filteredNodes.push(...matches);
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    const label = normalizedLabel(node);
+    const selfMatch = matchSidebarLabel(label, query);
+    const preservesSubtree = !!selfMatch && preserveMatchedSubtreeTypes.has(node.type);
+    const filteredChildren = preservesSubtree
+      ? node.children
+      : node.children
+        ? filterSidebarTree(node.children, query, collapsedIds)
+        : undefined;
+
+    if (selfMatch || (filteredChildren && filteredChildren.length > 0)) {
+      if (!node.children) {
+        filteredNodes.push({ node, score: selfMatch?.score ?? 0 });
+      } else {
+        const children = filteredChildren ?? [];
+        filteredNodes.push({
+          node: {
+            ...node,
+            children,
+            isExpanded: children.length > 0 && !collapsedIds.has(node.id),
+          },
+          score: selfMatch?.score ?? 0,
+        });
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  filteredNodes.sort((a, b) => b.score - a.score);
+  return filteredNodes.map((match) => match.node);
+}
diff --git a/tests/sidebarSearchTree.test.ts b/tests/sidebarSearchTree.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6202b6a4a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/sidebarSearchTree.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+import { strict as assert } from "node:assert";
+import test from "node:test";
+import { filterSidebarTree } from "../src/lib/sidebarSearchTree.ts";
+import type { TreeNode } from "../src/types/database.ts";
+
+test("preserves loaded table children when the table itself matches search", () => {
+  const nodes: TreeNode[] = [
+    {
+      id: "conn:db",
+      label: "app",
+      type: "database",
+      connectionId: "conn",
+      database: "app",
+      isExpanded: true,
+      children: [
+        {
+          id: "conn:db:orders",
+          label: "orders",
+          type: "table",
+          connectionId: "conn",
+          database: "app",
+          isExpanded: true,
+          children: [
+            {
+              id: "conn:db:orders:__columns",
+              label: "tree.columns",
+              type: "group-columns",
+              connectionId: "conn",
+              database: "app",
+              tableName: "orders",
+              isExpanded: true,
+              children: [
+                {
+                  id: "conn:db:orders:__columns:id",
+                  label: "id",
+                  type: "column",
+                  connectionId: "conn",
+                  database: "app",
+                  tableName: "orders",
+                },
+              ],
+            },
+          ],
+        },
+      ],
+    },
+  ];
+
+  const filtered = filterSidebarTree(nodes, "orders", new Set());
+
+  const table = filtered[0]?.children?.[0];
+  assert.equal(table?.label, "orders");
+  assert.equal(table?.children?.[0]?.label, "tree.columns");
+  assert.equal(table?.children?.[0]?.children?.[0]?.label, "id");
+});