diff --git a/lib/features/connections/connections_panel.dart b/lib/features/connections/connections_panel.dart
index e6219d8c..8c83a172 100644
--- a/lib/features/connections/connections_panel.dart
+++ b/lib/features/connections/connections_panel.dart
@@ -902,6 +902,9 @@ class ConnectionsPanelState extends State<ConnectionsPanel> {
     if (id == null) return tile;
     final colors = context.colors;
     return material.Draggable<int>(
+      // Keyed by the connection: a row keeps its own expanded branches when
+      // another connection is inserted above it (#1821).
+      key: material.ValueKey('connection-$id'),
       data: id,
       maxSimultaneousDrags: 1,
       onDragStarted: () {
@@ -1309,6 +1312,24 @@ class ConnectionsPanelState extends State<ConnectionsPanel> {
                             horizontal: 12, vertical: 12),
                         sliver: material.SliverList(
                           delegate: material.SliverChildBuilderDelegate(
+                            findChildIndexCallback: (key) {
+                              if (key is! material.ValueKey<String>) return null;
+                              final v = key.value;
+                              final offset = showEmptyState ? 1 : 0;
+                              if (v.startsWith('folder-')) {
+                                final i = filteredFolders
+                                    .indexOf(v.substring('folder-'.length));
+                                return i < 0 ? null : i + offset;
+                              }
+                              if (v.startsWith('connection-')) {
+                                final i = rootConnections.indexWhere(
+                                    (c) => 'connection-${c.id}' == v);
+                                return i < 0
+                                    ? null
+                                    : i + offset + filteredFolders.length;
+                              }
+                              return null;
+                            },
                             (context, index) {
                               if (showEmptyState && index == 0) {
                                 return material.Padding(
@@ -1325,6 +1346,7 @@ class ConnectionsPanelState extends State<ConnectionsPanel> {
                               if (folderIndex < filteredFolders.length) {
                                 final name = filteredFolders[folderIndex];
                                 return _FolderTile(
+                                  key: material.ValueKey('folder-$name'),
                                   name: name,
                                   initiallyExpanded: q.isNotEmpty ||
                                       _expandedFolders.contains(name),
diff --git a/lib/features/connections/connections_panel_sidebar.dart b/lib/features/connections/connections_panel_sidebar.dart
index 9464f0e5..8154cafd 100644
--- a/lib/features/connections/connections_panel_sidebar.dart
+++ b/lib/features/connections/connections_panel_sidebar.dart
@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@ class _ConnectionTile extends StatelessWidget {
 
 class _FolderTile extends StatefulWidget {
   const _FolderTile({
+    super.key,
     required this.name,
     required this.initiallyExpanded,
     required this.onExpansionCommitted,
diff --git a/test/features/connections/connections_panel_keeps_rows_test.dart b/test/features/connections/connections_panel_keeps_rows_test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e164dcfc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/features/connections/connections_panel_keeps_rows_test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+import 'dart:io';
+
+import 'package:flutter/material.dart' as material;
+import 'package:flutter/material.dart' show MaterialApp;
+import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
+import 'package:path_provider_platform_interface/path_provider_platform_interface.dart';
+import 'package:querya_desktop/core/storage/folders_storage.dart';
+import 'package:querya_desktop/core/storage/local_db.dart';
+import 'package:querya_desktop/features/connections/connections_panel.dart';
+
+import '../../support/querya_theme_test_shell.dart';
+
+class _FakePathProvider extends PathProviderPlatform {
+  _FakePathProvider(this._root);
+  final String _root;
+
+  @override
+  Future<String?> getApplicationSupportPath() async => _root;
+
+  @override
+  Future<String?> getTemporaryPath() async => _root;
+
+  @override
+  Future<String?> getApplicationDocumentsPath() async => _root;
+}
+
+ConnectionRow _row(String name) => ConnectionRow(
+      type: 'postgresql',
+      name: name,
+      host: '127.0.0.1',
+      port: 5432,
+      createdAt: DateTime.now().toUtc().toIso8601String(),
+    );
+
+void main() {
+  TestWidgetsFlutterBinding.ensureInitialized();
+
+  late Directory tempDir;
+
+  setUpAll(() async {
+    tempDir = await Directory.systemTemp.createTemp('querya_rows_keep_test_');
+    PathProviderPlatform.instance = _FakePathProvider(tempDir.path);
+    await LocalDb.initFfi();
+    await LocalDb.instance.close();
+    await FoldersStorage.instance.reload();
+  });
+
+  tearDownAll(() async {
+    await LocalDb.instance.close();
+    if (await tempDir.exists()) await tempDir.delete(recursive: true);
+  });
+
+  testWidgets(
+      'a connection added above another leaves the other row\'s state alone '
+      '(#1821)', (tester) async {
+    late int zetaId;
+    await tester.runAsync(() async {
+      zetaId = await LocalDb.instance.addConnection(_row('Zeta'));
+    });
+
+    await tester.binding.setSurfaceSize(const material.Size(400, 720));
+    addTearDown(() => tester.binding.setSurfaceSize(null));
+    await tester.pumpWidget(
+      MaterialApp(
+        theme: queryaDarkMaterialTheme,
+        darkTheme: queryaDarkMaterialTheme,
+        themeMode: material.ThemeMode.dark,
+        builder: (context, child) => material.Material(child: child),
+        home: material.SizedBox.expand(
+          child: ConnectionsPanel(
+            skipInitialDbLoadForTest: true,
+            onPostgresOpenSqlWorkspace: (_, {database, schema, name, kind}) {},
+          ),
+        ),
+      ),
+    );
+    final panel =
+        tester.state<ConnectionsPanelState>(find.byType(ConnectionsPanel));
+    Future<void> reload() async {
+      await tester.runAsync(() async {
+        await panel.reloadConnectionsFromDb();
+        await Future<void>.delayed(const Duration(milliseconds: 1));
+      });
+      await tester.pump(const Duration(milliseconds: 16));
+    }
+
+    await reload();
+    final zeta = find.byKey(material.ValueKey('connection-$zetaId'));
+    final before = tester.state(zeta);
+
+    await tester.runAsync(() async {
+      await LocalDb.instance.addConnection(_row('Alpha'));
+    });
+    await reload();
+
+    expect(find.text('Alpha'), findsOneWidget);
+    expect(identical(tester.state(zeta), before), isTrue,
+        reason: 'the Zeta row was rebuilt as a new element');
+
+    await tester.runAsync(() async {
+      for (final c in await LocalDb.instance.getConnections()) {
+        await LocalDb.instance.removeConnection(c.id!);
+      }
+    });
+  });
+}