diff --git a/r2/r2/controllers/api.py b/r2/r2/controllers/api.py
index 7abed0dcb..2021ac2d3 100755
--- a/r2/r2/controllers/api.py
+++ b/r2/r2/controllers/api.py
@@ -3495,3 +3495,13 @@ class ApiController(RedditController, OAuth2ResourceController):
             giftmessage=None,
             comment=comment._fullname,
         ))
+
+    @json_validate(
+        VUser(),
+        VModhash(),
+        collapsed=VBoolean('collapsed'),
+    )
+    def POST_set_left_bar_collapsed(self, responder, collapsed):
+        c.user.pref_collapse_left_bar = collapsed
+        c.user._commit()
+
diff --git a/r2/r2/lib/pages/pages.py b/r2/r2/lib/pages/pages.py
index 703619ab2..cee50956b 100755
--- a/r2/r2/lib/pages/pages.py
+++ b/r2/r2/lib/pages/pages.py
@@ -616,6 +616,8 @@ class Reddit(Templated):
 
         if self.show_chooser:
             classes.add('with-listing-chooser')
+            if c.user.pref_collapse_left_bar:
+                classes.add('listing-chooser-collapsed')
 
         if self.extra_page_classes:
             classes.update(self.extra_page_classes)
diff --git a/r2/r2/models/account.py b/r2/r2/models/account.py
index a249fba3e..2104df780 100644
--- a/r2/r2/models/account.py
+++ b/r2/r2/models/account.py
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ class Account(Thing):
                      pref_show_sponsorships = True,
                      pref_highlight_new_comments = True,
                      pref_monitor_mentions=True,
+                     pref_collapse_left_bar=False,
                      mobile_compress = False,
                      mobile_thumbnail = True,
                      trusted_sponsor = False,
diff --git a/r2/r2/public/static/js/multi.js b/r2/r2/public/static/js/multi.js
index d9e8b1fff..c9479ce16 100644
--- a/r2/r2/public/static/js/multi.js
+++ b/r2/r2/public/static/js/multi.js
@@ -609,6 +609,12 @@ r.multi.ListingChooser = Backbone.View.extend({
     initialize: function() {
         this.$el.addClass('initialized')
 
+        // transition collapsed state to server pref
+        if (store.get('ui.collapse.listingchooser') == true) {
+            this.toggleCollapsed(true)
+            store.remove('ui.collapse.listingchooser')
+        }
+
         // HACK: fudge page heights for long lists of multis / short pages
         var thisHeight = this.$('.contents').height(),
             bodyHeight = $('body').height()
@@ -629,8 +635,14 @@ r.multi.ListingChooser = Backbone.View.extend({
         }
     },
 
-    toggleCollapsed: function() {
-        $('body').toggleClass('listing-chooser-collapsed')
-        store.set('ui.collapse.listingchooser', $('body').is('.listing-chooser-collapsed'))
+    toggleCollapsed: function(value) {
+        $('body').toggleClass('listing-chooser-collapsed', value)
+        Backbone.ajax({
+            type: 'POST',
+            url: '/api/set_left_bar_collapsed.json',
+            data: {
+                'collapsed': $('body').is('.listing-chooser-collapsed')
+            }
+        })
     }
 })
diff --git a/r2/r2/public/static/js/uibase.js b/r2/r2/public/static/js/uibase.js
index f9aa1eaba..ee21f5a7a 100644
--- a/r2/r2/public/static/js/uibase.js
+++ b/r2/r2/public/static/js/uibase.js
@@ -91,10 +91,3 @@ r.ui.Summarize.prototype = {
         e.preventDefault()
     }
 }
-
-r.ui.collapseListingChooser = function() {
-    if (store.get('ui.collapse.listingchooser') == true) {
-        $('body').addClass('listing-chooser-collapsed')
-    }
-}
-
diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/listingchooser.html b/r2/r2/templates/listingchooser.html
index ef4412d62..4152bb34e 100644
--- a/r2/r2/templates/listingchooser.html
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/listingchooser.html
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@
   %endfor
 </%def>
 
-<script>r.ui.collapseListingChooser()</script>
 <div class="listing-chooser">
   <div class="grippy"></div>
   <div class="contents">