diff --git a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/tree/asyncDataTree.ts b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/tree/asyncDataTree.ts
index 7c2564c5056f5..e996ae8bc2105 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/tree/asyncDataTree.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/tree/asyncDataTree.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import { ComposedTreeDelegate, TreeFindMode as TreeFindMode, IAbstractTreeOption
 import { ICompressedTreeElement, ICompressedTreeNode } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/tree/compressedObjectTreeModel';
 import { getVisibleState, isFilterResult } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/tree/indexTreeModel';
 import { CompressibleObjectTree, ICompressibleKeyboardNavigationLabelProvider, ICompressibleObjectTreeOptions, ICompressibleTreeRenderer, IObjectTreeOptions, IObjectTreeSetChildrenOptions, ObjectTree } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/tree/objectTree';
-import { IAsyncDataSource, ICollapseStateChangeEvent, ITreeContextMenuEvent, ITreeDragAndDrop, ITreeElement, ITreeEvent, ITreeFilter, ITreeMouseEvent, ITreeNode, ITreeRenderer, ITreeSorter, TreeError, TreeFilterResult, TreeVisibility, WeakMapper } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/tree/tree';
+import { IAsyncDataSource, ICollapseStateChangeEvent, IObjectTreeElement, ITreeContextMenuEvent, ITreeDragAndDrop, ITreeEvent, ITreeFilter, ITreeMouseEvent, ITreeNode, ITreeRenderer, ITreeSorter, TreeError, TreeFilterResult, TreeVisibility, WeakMapper } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/tree/tree';
 import { CancelablePromise, createCancelablePromise, Promises, timeout } from 'vs/base/common/async';
 import { Codicon } from 'vs/base/common/codicons';
 import { ThemeIcon } from 'vs/base/common/themables';
@@ -988,7 +988,7 @@ export class AsyncDataTree<TInput, T, TFilterData = void> implements IDisposable
 		this._onDidRender.fire();
 	}
 
-	protected asTreeElement(node: IAsyncDataTreeNode<TInput, T>, viewStateContext?: IAsyncDataTreeViewStateContext<TInput, T>): ITreeElement<IAsyncDataTreeNode<TInput, T>> {
+	protected asTreeElement(node: IAsyncDataTreeNode<TInput, T>, viewStateContext?: IAsyncDataTreeViewStateContext<TInput, T>): IObjectTreeElement<IAsyncDataTreeNode<TInput, T>> {
 		if (node.stale) {
 			return {
 				element: node,
diff --git a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/tree/compressedObjectTreeModel.ts b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/tree/compressedObjectTreeModel.ts
index 8ea45f5e3e585..241c26daf23e1 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/tree/compressedObjectTreeModel.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/tree/compressedObjectTreeModel.ts
@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@
 import { IIdentityProvider } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/list/list';
 import { IIndexTreeModelSpliceOptions, IList } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/tree/indexTreeModel';
 import { IObjectTreeModel, IObjectTreeModelOptions, IObjectTreeModelSetChildrenOptions, ObjectTreeModel } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/tree/objectTreeModel';
-import { ICollapseStateChangeEvent, ITreeElement, ITreeModel, ITreeModelSpliceEvent, ITreeNode, TreeError, TreeFilterResult, TreeVisibility, WeakMapper } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/tree/tree';
+import { ICollapseStateChangeEvent, IObjectTreeElement, ITreeModel, ITreeModelSpliceEvent, ITreeNode, TreeError, TreeFilterResult, TreeVisibility, WeakMapper } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/tree/tree';
 import { Event } from 'vs/base/common/event';
 import { Iterable } from 'vs/base/common/iterator';
 
 // Exported only for test reasons, do not use directly
-export interface ICompressedTreeElement<T> extends ITreeElement<T> {
+export interface ICompressedTreeElement<T> extends IObjectTreeElement<T> {
 	readonly children?: Iterable<ICompressedTreeElement<T>>;
 	readonly incompressible?: boolean;
 }
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ export interface ICompressedTreeNode<T> {
 	readonly incompressible: boolean;
 }
 
-function noCompress<T>(element: ICompressedTreeElement<T>): ITreeElement<ICompressedTreeNode<T>> {
+function noCompress<T>(element: ICompressedTreeElement<T>): ICompressedTreeElement<ICompressedTreeNode<T>> {
 	const elements = [element.element];
 	const incompressible = element.incompressible || false;
 
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ function noCompress<T>(element: ICompressedTreeElement<T>): ITreeElement<ICompre
 }
 
 // Exported only for test reasons, do not use directly
-export function compress<T>(element: ICompressedTreeElement<T>): ITreeElement<ICompressedTreeNode<T>> {
+export function compress<T>(element: ICompressedTreeElement<T>): ICompressedTreeElement<ICompressedTreeNode<T>> {
 	const elements = [element.element];
 	const incompressible = element.incompressible || false;
 
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ export function compress<T>(element: ICompressedTreeElement<T>): ITreeElement<IC
 	};
 }
 
-function _decompress<T>(element: ITreeElement<ICompressedTreeNode<T>>, index = 0): ICompressedTreeElement<T> {
+function _decompress<T>(element: ICompressedTreeElement<ICompressedTreeNode<T>>, index = 0): ICompressedTreeElement<T> {
 	let children: Iterable<ICompressedTreeElement<T>>;
 
 	if (index < element.element.elements.length - 1) {
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ function _decompress<T>(element: ITreeElement<ICompressedTreeNode<T>>, index = 0
 }
 
 // Exported only for test reasons, do not use directly
-export function decompress<T>(element: ITreeElement<ICompressedTreeNode<T>>): ICompressedTreeElement<T> {
+export function decompress<T>(element: ICompressedTreeElement<ICompressedTreeNode<T>>): ICompressedTreeElement<T> {
 	return _decompress(element, 0);
 }
 
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ export class CompressedObjectTreeModel<T extends NonNullable<any>, TFilterData e
 
 	private _setChildren(
 		node: ICompressedTreeNode<T> | null,
-		children: Iterable<ITreeElement<ICompressedTreeNode<T>>>,
+		children: Iterable<IObjectTreeElement<ICompressedTreeNode<T>>>,
 		options: IIndexTreeModelSpliceOptions<ICompressedTreeNode<T>, TFilterData>,
 	): void {
 		const insertedElements = new Set<T | null>();
diff --git a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/tree/objectTree.ts b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/tree/objectTree.ts
index 86aca57ac40fc..5880b0bb25dae 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/tree/objectTree.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/tree/objectTree.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import { AbstractTree, IAbstractTreeOptions, IAbstractTreeOptionsUpdate } from '
 import { CompressibleObjectTreeModel, ElementMapper, ICompressedTreeElement, ICompressedTreeNode } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/tree/compressedObjectTreeModel';
 import { IList } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/tree/indexTreeModel';
 import { IObjectTreeModel, ObjectTreeModel } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/tree/objectTreeModel';
-import { ICollapseStateChangeEvent, ITreeElement, ITreeModel, ITreeNode, ITreeRenderer, ITreeSorter } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/tree/tree';
+import { ICollapseStateChangeEvent, IObjectTreeElement, ITreeModel, ITreeNode, ITreeRenderer, ITreeSorter } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/tree/tree';
 import { memoize } from 'vs/base/common/decorators';
 import { Event } from 'vs/base/common/event';
 import { Iterable } from 'vs/base/common/iterator';
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ export class ObjectTree<T extends NonNullable<any>, TFilterData = void> extends
 		super(user, container, delegate, renderers, options as IObjectTreeOptions<T | null, TFilterData>);
 	}
 
-	setChildren(element: T | null, children: Iterable<ITreeElement<T>> = Iterable.empty(), options?: IObjectTreeSetChildrenOptions<T>): void {
+	setChildren(element: T | null, children: Iterable<IObjectTreeElement<T>> = Iterable.empty(), options?: IObjectTreeSetChildrenOptions<T>): void {
 		this.model.setChildren(element, children, options);
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/tree/objectTreeModel.ts b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/tree/objectTreeModel.ts
index fe44f7e91c7d5..919f14b2b3ae7 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/tree/objectTreeModel.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/tree/objectTreeModel.ts
@@ -5,14 +5,14 @@
 
 import { IIdentityProvider } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/list/list';
 import { IIndexTreeModelOptions, IIndexTreeModelSpliceOptions, IList, IndexTreeModel } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/tree/indexTreeModel';
-import { ICollapseStateChangeEvent, ITreeElement, ITreeModel, ITreeModelSpliceEvent, ITreeNode, ITreeSorter, TreeError } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/tree/tree';
+import { ICollapseStateChangeEvent, IObjectTreeElement, ITreeElement, ITreeModel, ITreeModelSpliceEvent, ITreeNode, ITreeSorter, ObjectTreeElementCollapseState, TreeError } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/tree/tree';
 import { Event } from 'vs/base/common/event';
 import { Iterable } from 'vs/base/common/iterator';
 
 export type ITreeNodeCallback<T, TFilterData> = (node: ITreeNode<T, TFilterData>) => void;
 
 export interface IObjectTreeModel<T extends NonNullable<any>, TFilterData extends NonNullable<any> = void> extends ITreeModel<T | null, TFilterData, T | null> {
-	setChildren(element: T | null, children: Iterable<ITreeElement<T>> | undefined, options?: IObjectTreeModelSetChildrenOptions<T, TFilterData>): void;
+	setChildren(element: T | null, children: Iterable<IObjectTreeElement<T>> | undefined, options?: IObjectTreeModelSetChildrenOptions<T, TFilterData>): void;
 	resort(element?: T | null, recursive?: boolean): void;
 	updateElementHeight(element: T, height: number | undefined): void;
 }
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ export class ObjectTreeModel<T extends NonNullable<any>, TFilterData extends Non
 
 	setChildren(
 		element: T | null,
-		children: Iterable<ITreeElement<T>> = Iterable.empty(),
+		children: Iterable<IObjectTreeElement<T>> = Iterable.empty(),
 		options: IObjectTreeModelSetChildrenOptions<T, TFilterData> = {},
 	): void {
 		const location = this.getElementLocation(element);
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ export class ObjectTreeModel<T extends NonNullable<any>, TFilterData extends Non
 		);
 	}
 
-	private preserveCollapseState(elements: Iterable<ITreeElement<T>> = Iterable.empty()): Iterable<ITreeElement<T>> {
+	private preserveCollapseState(elements: Iterable<IObjectTreeElement<T>> = Iterable.empty()): Iterable<ITreeElement<T>> {
 		if (this.sorter) {
 			elements = [...elements].sort(this.sorter.compare.bind(this.sorter));
 		}
@@ -141,14 +141,37 @@ export class ObjectTreeModel<T extends NonNullable<any>, TFilterData extends Non
 			}
 
 			if (!node) {
+				let collapsed: boolean | undefined;
+
+				if (typeof treeElement.collapsed === 'undefined') {
+					collapsed = undefined;
+				} else if (treeElement.collapsed === ObjectTreeElementCollapseState.Collapsed || treeElement.collapsed === ObjectTreeElementCollapseState.PreserveOrCollapsed) {
+					collapsed = true;
+				} else if (treeElement.collapsed === ObjectTreeElementCollapseState.Expanded || treeElement.collapsed === ObjectTreeElementCollapseState.PreserveOrExpanded) {
+					collapsed = false;
+				} else {
+					collapsed = Boolean(treeElement.collapsed);
+				}
+
 				return {
 					...treeElement,
-					children: this.preserveCollapseState(treeElement.children)
+					children: this.preserveCollapseState(treeElement.children),
+					collapsed
 				};
 			}
 
 			const collapsible = typeof treeElement.collapsible === 'boolean' ? treeElement.collapsible : node.collapsible;
-			const collapsed = typeof treeElement.collapsed !== 'undefined' ? treeElement.collapsed : node.collapsed;
+			let collapsed: boolean | undefined;
+
+			if (typeof treeElement.collapsed === 'undefined' || treeElement.collapsed === ObjectTreeElementCollapseState.PreserveOrCollapsed || treeElement.collapsed === ObjectTreeElementCollapseState.PreserveOrExpanded) {
+				collapsed = node.collapsed;
+			} else if (treeElement.collapsed === ObjectTreeElementCollapseState.Collapsed) {
+				collapsed = true;
+			} else if (treeElement.collapsed === ObjectTreeElementCollapseState.Expanded) {
+				collapsed = false;
+			} else {
+				collapsed = Boolean(treeElement.collapsed);
+			}
 
 			return {
 				...treeElement,
diff --git a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/tree/tree.ts b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/tree/tree.ts
index d9826115a57e9..94e8650f2defa 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/tree/tree.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/tree/tree.ts
@@ -78,6 +78,28 @@ export interface ITreeElement<T> {
 	readonly collapsed?: boolean;
 }
 
+export enum ObjectTreeElementCollapseState {
+	Expanded,
+	Collapsed,
+
+	/**
+	 * If the element is already in the tree, preserve its current state. Else, expand it.
+	 */
+	PreserveOrExpanded,
+
+	/**
+	 * If the element is already in the tree, preserve its current state. Else, collapse it.
+	 */
+	PreserveOrCollapsed,
+}
+
+export interface IObjectTreeElement<T> {
+	readonly element: T;
+	readonly children?: Iterable<IObjectTreeElement<T>>;
+	readonly collapsible?: boolean;
+	readonly collapsed?: boolean | ObjectTreeElementCollapseState;
+}
+
 export interface ITreeNode<T, TFilterData = void> {
 	readonly element: T;
 	readonly children: ITreeNode<T, TFilterData>[];
diff --git a/src/vs/base/test/browser/ui/tree/objectTreeModel.test.ts b/src/vs/base/test/browser/ui/tree/objectTreeModel.test.ts
index df96ed6840901..2b9917e4ef972 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/test/browser/ui/tree/objectTreeModel.test.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/test/browser/ui/tree/objectTreeModel.test.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 import * as assert from 'assert';
 import { IList } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/tree/indexTreeModel';
 import { ObjectTreeModel } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/tree/objectTreeModel';
-import { ITreeFilter, ITreeNode, TreeVisibility } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/tree/tree';
+import { ITreeFilter, ITreeNode, ObjectTreeElementCollapseState, TreeVisibility } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/tree/tree';
 import { timeout } from 'vs/base/common/async';
 
 function toList<T>(arr: T[]): IList<T> {
@@ -171,6 +171,27 @@ suite('ObjectTreeModel', function () {
 		assert.deepStrictEqual(toArray(list), ['father']);
 	});
 
+	test('collapse state can be optionally preserved with strict identity', () => {
+		const list: ITreeNode<string>[] = [];
+		const model = new ObjectTreeModel<string>('test', toList(list), { collapseByDefault: true });
+		const data = [{ element: 'father', collapsed: ObjectTreeElementCollapseState.PreserveOrExpanded, children: [{ element: 'child' }] }];
+
+		model.setChildren(null, data);
+		assert.deepStrictEqual(toArray(list), ['father', 'child']);
+
+		model.setCollapsed('father', true);
+		assert.deepStrictEqual(toArray(list), ['father']);
+
+		model.setChildren(null, data);
+		assert.deepStrictEqual(toArray(list), ['father']);
+
+		model.setCollapsed('father', false);
+		assert.deepStrictEqual(toArray(list), ['father', 'child']);
+
+		model.setChildren(null, data);
+		assert.deepStrictEqual(toArray(list), ['father', 'child']);
+	});
+
 	test('sorter', () => {
 		const compare: (a: string, b: string) => number = (a, b) => a < b ? -1 : 1;