diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildstep.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildstep.h
index 4d2cf7bea21..0abf7d5b78b 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildstep.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildstep.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "projectconfiguration.h"
 #include "projectexplorer_export.h"
 
+#include <utils/optional.h>
 #include <utils/qtcassert.h>
 
 #include <QFutureInterface>
@@ -88,6 +89,10 @@ public:
     bool widgetExpandedByDefault() const;
     void setWidgetExpandedByDefault(bool widgetExpandedByDefault);
 
+    bool hasUserExpansionState() const { return m_wasExpanded.has_value(); }
+    bool wasUserExpanded() const { return m_wasExpanded.value_or(false); }
+    void setUserExpanded(bool expanded) { m_wasExpanded = expanded; }
+
     bool isImmutable() const { return m_immutable; }
     void setImmutable(bool immutable) { m_immutable = immutable; }
 
@@ -123,6 +128,7 @@ private:
     bool m_immutable = false;
     bool m_widgetExpandedByDefault = true;
     bool m_runInGuiThread = true;
+    Utils::optional<bool> m_wasExpanded;
 };
 
 class PROJECTEXPLORER_EXPORT BuildStepInfo
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildstepspage.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildstepspage.cpp
index a9897e610c7..331ccd9f402 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildstepspage.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildstepspage.cpp
@@ -258,8 +258,11 @@ void BuildStepListWidget::init(BuildStepList *bsl)
     for (int i = 0; i < bsl->count(); ++i) {
         addBuildStep(i);
         // addBuilStep expands the config widget by default, which we don't want here
-        if (m_buildStepsData.at(i)->step->widgetExpandedByDefault())
-            m_buildStepsData.at(i)->detailsWidget->setState(DetailsWidget::Collapsed);
+        if (m_buildStepsData.at(i)->step->widgetExpandedByDefault()) {
+            m_buildStepsData.at(i)->detailsWidget->setState(
+                        m_buildStepsData.at(i)->step->wasUserExpanded()
+                        ? DetailsWidget::Expanded : DetailsWidget::Collapsed);
+        }
     }
 
     m_noStepsLabel->setVisible(bsl->isEmpty());
@@ -323,10 +326,10 @@ void BuildStepListWidget::addBuildStep(int pos)
             this, &BuildStepListWidget::updateEnabledState);
 
     // Expand new build steps by default
-    if (newStep->widgetExpandedByDefault())
-        s->detailsWidget->setState(DetailsWidget::Expanded);
-    else
-        s->detailsWidget->setState(DetailsWidget::OnlySummary);
+    const bool expand = newStep->hasUserExpansionState()
+            ? newStep->wasUserExpanded() : newStep->widgetExpandedByDefault();
+    s->detailsWidget->setState(expand ? DetailsWidget::Expanded : DetailsWidget::OnlySummary);
+    connect(s->detailsWidget, &DetailsWidget::expanded, newStep, &BuildStep::setUserExpanded);
 
     m_noStepsLabel->setVisible(false);
     updateBuildStepButtonsState();