diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 86f3a0b1..712f57a6 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "utopia-ui",
-  "version": "3.0.86",
+  "version": "3.0.93",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "utopia-ui",
-      "version": "3.0.86",
+      "version": "3.0.93",
       "license": "GPL-3.0-only",
       "dependencies": {
         "@heroicons/react": "^2.0.17",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index b8309549..aa2efef2 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "utopia-ui",
-  "version": "3.0.86",
+  "version": "3.0.93",
   "description": "Reuseable React Components to build mapping apps for real life communities and networks",
   "repository": "https://github.com/utopia-os/utopia-ui",
   "homepage": "https://utopia-os.org/",
diff --git a/src/Components/Map/Subcomponents/Controls/LayerControl.tsx b/src/Components/Map/Subcomponents/Controls/LayerControl.tsx
index 64d60b95..10180de0 100644
--- a/src/Components/Map/Subcomponents/Controls/LayerControl.tsx
+++ b/src/Components/Map/Subcomponents/Controls/LayerControl.tsx
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ import LayerSVG from '#assets/layer.svg'
 import { useIsLayerVisible, useToggleVisibleLayer } from '#components/Map/hooks/useFilter'
 import { useLayers } from '#components/Map/hooks/useLayers'
 
-export function LayerControl() {
-  const [open, setOpen] = useState(false)
+export function LayerControl({ expandLayerControl = false }: { expandLayerControl: boolean }) {
+  const [open, setOpen] = useState(expandLayerControl)
 
   const layers = useLayers()
 
diff --git a/src/Components/Map/Subcomponents/ItemFormPopup.tsx b/src/Components/Map/Subcomponents/ItemFormPopup.tsx
index d37d1fe6..572bfa58 100644
--- a/src/Components/Map/Subcomponents/ItemFormPopup.tsx
+++ b/src/Components/Map/Subcomponents/ItemFormPopup.tsx
@@ -101,9 +101,7 @@ export function ItemFormPopup(props: Props) {
       setSpinner(false)
       map.closePopup()
     } else {
-      const item = items.find(
-        (i) => i.user_created?.id === user?.id && i.layer?.id === popupForm.layer.id,
-      )
+      const item = items.find((i) => i.user_created?.id === user?.id && i.layer === popupForm.layer)
 
       const uuid = crypto.randomUUID()
       let success = false
diff --git a/src/Components/Map/Tags.tsx b/src/Components/Map/Tags.tsx
index fb435f1a..11de83b7 100644
--- a/src/Components/Map/Tags.tsx
+++ b/src/Components/Map/Tags.tsx
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 import { useEffect } from 'react'
-import { useLocation } from 'react-router-dom'
 
-import { useAddFilterTag, useFilterTags, useResetFilterTags } from './hooks/useFilter'
-import { useSetTagData, useSetTagApi, useTags } from './hooks/useTags'
+import { useSetTagData, useSetTagApi } from './hooks/useTags'
 
 import type { ItemsApi } from '#types/ItemsApi'
 import type { Tag } from '#types/Tag'
@@ -42,36 +40,5 @@ export function Tags({ data, api }: { data?: Tag[]; api?: ItemsApi<Tag> }) {
     // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
   }, [api, data])
 
-  const location = useLocation()
-  const addFilterTag = useAddFilterTag()
-  const resetFilterTags = useResetFilterTags()
-  const tags = useTags()
-  const filterTags = useFilterTags()
-
-  useEffect(() => {
-    const params = new URLSearchParams(location.search)
-    const urlTags = params.get('tags')
-    const decodedTags = urlTags ? decodeURIComponent(urlTags) : ''
-    const decodedTagsArray = decodedTags.split(';')
-    if (
-      decodedTagsArray.some(
-        (ut) => !filterTags.find((ft) => ut.toLocaleLowerCase() === ft.name.toLocaleLowerCase()),
-      ) ||
-      filterTags.some(
-        (ft) =>
-          !decodedTagsArray.find((ut) => ut.toLocaleLowerCase() === ft.name.toLocaleLowerCase()),
-      )
-    ) {
-      resetFilterTags()
-      decodedTagsArray.map((urlTag) => {
-        const tag = tags.find((t) => t.name.toLocaleLowerCase() === urlTag.toLocaleLowerCase())
-        tag && addFilterTag(tag)
-        return null
-      })
-    }
-
-    // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
-  }, [location, tags])
-
   return <></>
 }
diff --git a/src/Components/Map/UtopiaMap.tsx b/src/Components/Map/UtopiaMap.tsx
index 19f81152..da909e3b 100644
--- a/src/Components/Map/UtopiaMap.tsx
+++ b/src/Components/Map/UtopiaMap.tsx
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ function UtopiaMap({
   showThemeControl = false,
   defaultTheme,
   donationWidget,
+  expandLayerControl,
 }: {
   /** height of the map (default '500px') */
   height?: string
@@ -82,6 +83,8 @@ function UtopiaMap({
   defaultTheme?: string
   /** ask to donate to the Utopia Project OpenCollective campaign (default false) */
   donationWidget?: boolean
+  /** open layer control on map initialisation */
+  expandLayerControl?: boolean
 }) {
   return (
     <ContextWrapper>
@@ -100,6 +103,7 @@ function UtopiaMap({
           donationWidget={donationWidget}
           showThemeControl={showThemeControl}
           defaultTheme={defaultTheme}
+          expandLayerControl={expandLayerControl}
         >
           {children}
         </UtopiaMapInner>
diff --git a/src/Components/Map/UtopiaMapInner.tsx b/src/Components/Map/UtopiaMapInner.tsx
index 64860a1a..c099915d 100644
--- a/src/Components/Map/UtopiaMapInner.tsx
+++ b/src/Components/Map/UtopiaMapInner.tsx
@@ -17,7 +17,13 @@ import { useTheme } from '#components/AppShell/hooks/useTheme'
 import { containsUUID } from '#utils/ContainsUUID'
 
 import { useClusterRef, useSetClusterRef } from './hooks/useClusterRef'
-import { useAddVisibleLayer } from './hooks/useFilter'
+import {
+  useAddFilterTag,
+  useAddVisibleLayer,
+  useFilterTags,
+  useResetFilterTags,
+  useToggleVisibleLayer,
+} from './hooks/useFilter'
 import { useLayers } from './hooks/useLayers'
 import { useLeafletRefs } from './hooks/useLeafletRefs'
 import { usePopupForm } from './hooks/usePopupForm'
@@ -26,6 +32,7 @@ import {
   useSetMapClicked,
   useSetSelectPosition,
 } from './hooks/useSelectPosition'
+import { useTags } from './hooks/useTags'
 import AddButton from './Subcomponents/AddButton'
 import { Control } from './Subcomponents/Controls/Control'
 import { FilterControl } from './Subcomponents/Controls/FilterControl'
@@ -47,6 +54,7 @@ export function UtopiaMapInner({
   showThemeControl = false,
   defaultTheme = '',
   donationWidget,
+  expandLayerControl,
 }: {
   children?: React.ReactNode
   geo?: GeoJsonObject
@@ -56,6 +64,7 @@ export function UtopiaMapInner({
   donationWidget?: boolean
   showThemeControl?: boolean
   defaultTheme?: string
+  expandLayerControl?: boolean
 }) {
   const selectNewItemPosition = useSelectPosition()
   const setSelectNewItemPosition = useSetSelectPosition()
@@ -198,6 +207,63 @@ export function UtopiaMapInner({
     }
   }
 
+  const addFilterTag = useAddFilterTag()
+  const resetFilterTags = useResetFilterTags()
+  const tags = useTags()
+  const filterTags = useFilterTags()
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const params = new URLSearchParams(location.search)
+    const urlTags = params.get('tags')
+    const decodedTags = urlTags ? decodeURIComponent(urlTags) : ''
+    const decodedTagsArray = decodedTags.split(';').filter(Boolean)
+
+    const urlDiffersFromState =
+      decodedTagsArray.some(
+        (ut) => !filterTags.find((ft) => ut.toLowerCase() === ft.name.toLowerCase()),
+      ) ||
+      filterTags.some(
+        (ft) => !decodedTagsArray.find((ut) => ut.toLowerCase() === ft.name.toLowerCase()),
+      )
+
+    if (urlDiffersFromState) {
+      resetFilterTags()
+      decodedTagsArray.forEach((urlTag) => {
+        const match = tags.find((t) => t.name.toLowerCase() === urlTag.toLowerCase())
+        if (match) addFilterTag(match)
+      })
+    }
+  }, [location, tags, filterTags, addFilterTag, resetFilterTags])
+
+  const toggleVisibleLayer = useToggleVisibleLayer()
+  const allLayers = useLayers()
+
+  const initializedRef = useRef(false)
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (initializedRef.current || allLayers.length === 0) return
+
+    const params = new URLSearchParams(location.search)
+    const urlLayersParam = params.get('layers')
+    if (!urlLayersParam) {
+      initializedRef.current = true
+      return
+    }
+
+    const urlLayerNames = urlLayersParam.split(',').filter(Boolean)
+
+    const layerNamesToHide = allLayers
+      .map((l) => l.name)
+      .filter((name) => !urlLayerNames.includes(name))
+
+    layerNamesToHide.forEach((name) => {
+      const match = allLayers.find((l) => l.name === name)
+      if (match) toggleVisibleLayer(match)
+    })
+
+    initializedRef.current = true
+  }, [location, allLayers, toggleVisibleLayer])
+
   return (
     <div className={`tw:h-full ${selectNewItemPosition != null ? 'crosshair-cursor-enabled' : ''}`}>
       <Outlet />
@@ -207,7 +273,7 @@ export function UtopiaMapInner({
       </Control>
       <Control position='bottomLeft' zIndex='999' absolute>
         {showFilterControl && <FilterControl />}
-        {showLayerControl && <LayerControl />}
+        {showLayerControl && <LayerControl expandLayerControl={expandLayerControl ?? false} />}
         {showGratitudeControl && <GratitudeControl />}
       </Control>
       <TileLayer
diff --git a/src/Components/Map/hooks/useFilter.tsx b/src/Components/Map/hooks/useFilter.tsx
index febc6bfd..d7733f04 100644
--- a/src/Components/Map/hooks/useFilter.tsx
+++ b/src/Components/Map/hooks/useFilter.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/no-unnecessary-condition */
 /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/restrict-template-expressions */
 /* eslint-disable no-case-declarations */
-import { useCallback, useReducer, createContext, useContext, useState } from 'react'
+import { useCallback, useReducer, createContext, useContext, useState, useEffect } from 'react'
 import { useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom'
 
 import { useLayers } from './useLayers'
@@ -100,6 +100,28 @@ function useFilterManager(initialTags: Tag[]): {
     }
   }, initialLayers)
 
+  const allLayers = useLayers()
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (allLayers.length === 0) return
+
+    const visibleNames = visibleLayers.map((l) => l.name)
+    const allNames = allLayers.map((l) => l.name)
+    const params = new URLSearchParams(location.search)
+
+    const allVisible =
+      visibleNames.length === allNames.length &&
+      visibleNames.every((name) => allNames.includes(name))
+
+    if (allVisible) {
+      params.delete('layers')
+    } else {
+      params.set('layers', visibleNames.join(','))
+    }
+
+    navigate(`${location.pathname}?${params.toString()}`, { replace: true })
+  }, [visibleLayers, allLayers, navigate])
+
   const [visibleGroupTypes, dispatchGroupTypes] = useReducer(
     (state: string[], action: ActionType) => {
       switch (action.type) {
diff --git a/src/types/UtopiaMapProps.d.ts b/src/types/UtopiaMapProps.d.ts
index 664bdac6..3d85374e 100644
--- a/src/types/UtopiaMapProps.d.ts
+++ b/src/types/UtopiaMapProps.d.ts
@@ -17,4 +17,5 @@ export interface UtopiaMapProps {
   infoText?: string
   donationWidget?: boolean
   defaultTheme?: string
+  expandLayerControl?: boolean
 }