diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-client/src/js/ui/sidebar.js b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-client/src/js/ui/sidebar.js
index 4ddfcd8ee..f438df283 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-client/src/js/ui/sidebar.js
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-client/src/js/ui/sidebar.js
@@ -29,9 +29,14 @@ RED.sidebar = (function() {
             menuToggle: 'menu-item-palette',
             minimumWidth: 180,
             maximumWidth: 800,
+            // Make LH side slightly narrower by default as its the palette that doesn't require a lot of width
             defaultWidth: 180
         }
     }
+    const defaultSidebarConfiguration = {
+        primary: ['info','debug','help','config','context'],
+        secondary: ['palette']
+    }
 
     const knownTabs = {};
 
@@ -79,7 +84,7 @@ RED.sidebar = (function() {
         let targetTabButtonIndex = -1 // Append to end by default
 
         // Check the saved sidebar state to see if this tab should be added to the primary or secondary sidebar
-        const savedState = RED.settings.get('editor.sidebar.state', null)
+        const savedState = RED.settings.get('editor.sidebar.state', defaultSidebarConfiguration)
         if (savedState) {
             let targetSidebar = null
             let sidebarState