diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 5e3957808..d1b5a9a5e 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -3345,9 +3345,9 @@
       }
     },
     "electron": {
-      "version": "9.0.0-beta.22",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/electron/-/electron-9.0.0-beta.22.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-dfqAf+CXXTKcNDj7DU7mYsmx+oZQcXOvJnZ8ZsgAHjrE9Tv8zsYUgCP3JlO4Z8CIazgleKXYmgh6H2stdK7fEA==",
+      "version": "9.0.0-beta.21",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/electron/-/electron-9.0.0-beta.21.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-xFOD8I4RB9IkpVKnzoHwHvDNGvGl1IinpYTyQ7o7FAgSnkvP/upI1JtzE5Ff6PlAdyIGnbC+Rz1hJIfmAXxVuQ==",
       "dev": true,
       "requires": {
         "@electron/get": "^1.0.1",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index cb68c60c4..4d96ee213 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
     "yazl": "^2.5.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "electron": "9.0.0-beta.22",
+    "electron": "9.0.0-beta.21",
     "electron-builder": "22.6.0",
     "electron-packager": "14.2.1",
     "electron-rebuild": "1.10.1",
diff --git a/src/public/app/entities/note_short.js b/src/public/app/entities/note_short.js
index 68e14f3be..2b1dbf610 100644
--- a/src/public/app/entities/note_short.js
+++ b/src/public/app/entities/note_short.js
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ const RELATION = 'relation';
 const RELATION_DEFINITION = 'relation-definition';
 
 /**
+ * FIXME: since there's no "full note" anymore we can rename this to Note
+ *
  * This note's representation is used in note tree and is kept in TreeCache.
  */
 class NoteShort {
diff --git a/src/public/app/services/tree_cache.js b/src/public/app/services/tree_cache.js
index 7f4095f40..3f92901e6 100644
--- a/src/public/app/services/tree_cache.js
+++ b/src/public/app/services/tree_cache.js
@@ -246,10 +246,10 @@ class TreeCache {
         return this.notes[noteId];
     }
 
-    getBranches(branchIds) {
+    getBranches(branchIds, silentNotFoundError = false) {
         return branchIds
-            .map(branchId => this.getBranch(branchId))
-            .filter(b => b !== null);
+            .map(branchId => this.getBranch(branchId, silentNotFoundError))
+            .filter(b => !!b);
     }
 
     /** @return {Branch} */
diff --git a/src/public/app/widgets/note_tree.js b/src/public/app/widgets/note_tree.js
index 2aa86a861..0959dafdd 100644
--- a/src/public/app/widgets/note_tree.js
+++ b/src/public/app/widgets/note_tree.js
@@ -362,17 +362,13 @@ export default class NoteTreeWidget extends TabAwareWidget {
             },
             // this is done to automatically lazy load all expanded notes after tree load
             loadChildren: (event, data) => {
-                // semaphore since the conflict when two processes are trying to load the same data
-                // breaks the fancytree
-                if (!this.tree || !this.tree.autoLoadingDisabled) {
-                    data.node.visit((subNode) => {
-                        // Load all lazy/unloaded child nodes
-                        // (which will trigger `loadChildren` recursively)
-                        if (subNode.isUndefined() && subNode.isExpanded()) {
-                            subNode.load();
-                        }
-                    });
-                }
+                data.node.visit((subNode) => {
+                    // Load all lazy/unloaded child nodes
+                    // (which will trigger `loadChildren` recursively)
+                    if (subNode.isUndefined() && subNode.isExpanded()) {
+                        subNode.load();
+                    }
+                });
             }
         });
 
@@ -596,47 +592,30 @@ export default class NoteTreeWidget extends TabAwareWidget {
         return notes;
     }
 
-    async expandTree(node = null) {
+    async setExpandedStatusForSubtree(node, isExpanded) {
         if (!node) {
             const hoistedNoteId = hoistedNoteService.getHoistedNoteId();
 
             node = this.getNodesByNoteId(hoistedNoteId)[0];
         }
 
-        this.batchUpdate(async () => {
-            try {
-                this.tree.autoLoadingDisabled = true;
+        const {branchIds} = await server.put(`branches/${node.data.branchId}/expanded-subtree/${isExpanded ? 1 : 0}`);
 
-                // trick - first force load of the whole subtree and then visit and expand.
-                // unfortunately the two steps can't be combined
-                await node.visitAndLoad(_ => {}, true);
+        treeCache.getBranches(branchIds, true).forEach(branch => branch.isExpanded = isExpanded);
 
-                node.visit(node => {
-                    if (node.isFolder()) {
-                        node.setExpanded(true);
-                    }
-                }, true);
-            }
-            finally {
-                this.tree.autoLoadingDisabled = false;
-            }
+        await this.batchUpdate(async () => {
+            await node.load(true);
+
+            await node.setExpanded(isExpanded, {noEvents: true});
         });
     }
 
-    collapseTree(node = null) {
-        if (!node) {
-            const hoistedNoteId = hoistedNoteService.getHoistedNoteId();
+    async expandTree(node = null) {
+        await this.setExpandedStatusForSubtree(node, true);
+    }
 
-            node = this.getNodesByNoteId(hoistedNoteId)[0];
-        }
-
-        this.batchUpdate(() => {
-            node.visit(node => {
-                if (node.isFolder()) {
-                    node.setExpanded(false);
-                }
-            }, true);
-        });
+    async collapseTree(node = null) {
+        await this.setExpandedStatusForSubtree(node, false);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/routes/api/branches.js b/src/routes/api/branches.js
index 6917f5981..7bceaa4cc 100644
--- a/src/routes/api/branches.js
+++ b/src/routes/api/branches.js
@@ -118,6 +118,27 @@ async function setExpanded(req) {
     // we don't sync expanded label
 }
 
+async function setExpandedForSubtree(req) {
+    const {branchId, expanded} = req.params;
+
+    const branchIds = await sql.getColumn(`
+        WITH RECURSIVE
+        tree(branchId, noteId) AS (
+            SELECT branchId, noteId FROM branches WHERE branchId = ?
+            UNION
+            SELECT branches.branchId, branches.noteId FROM branches
+                JOIN tree ON branches.parentNoteId = tree.noteId
+            WHERE branches.isDeleted = 0
+        )
+        SELECT branchId FROM tree`, [branchId]);
+
+    await sql.executeMany(`UPDATE branches SET isExpanded = ${expanded} WHERE branchId IN (???)`, branchIds);
+
+    return {
+        branchIds
+    };
+}
+
 async function deleteBranch(req) {
     const last = req.query.last === 'true';
     const branch = await repository.getBranch(req.params.branchId);
@@ -149,6 +170,7 @@ module.exports = {
     moveBranchBeforeNote,
     moveBranchAfterNote,
     setExpanded,
+    setExpandedForSubtree,
     deleteBranch,
     setPrefix
 };
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/routes/routes.js b/src/routes/routes.js
index 13783ec35..439ae1201 100644
--- a/src/routes/routes.js
+++ b/src/routes/routes.js
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ function register(app) {
     apiRoute(PUT, '/api/branches/:branchId/move-before/:beforeBranchId', branchesApiRoute.moveBranchBeforeNote);
     apiRoute(PUT, '/api/branches/:branchId/move-after/:afterBranchId', branchesApiRoute.moveBranchAfterNote);
     apiRoute(PUT, '/api/branches/:branchId/expanded/:expanded', branchesApiRoute.setExpanded);
+    apiRoute(PUT, '/api/branches/:branchId/expanded-subtree/:expanded', branchesApiRoute.setExpandedForSubtree);
     apiRoute(DELETE, '/api/branches/:branchId', branchesApiRoute.deleteBranch);
 
     apiRoute(GET, '/api/autocomplete', autocompleteApiRoute.getAutocomplete);