diff --git a/javascript/CMSMain.js b/javascript/CMSMain.js
index 769e822d..dd3724a3 100644
--- a/javascript/CMSMain.js
+++ b/javascript/CMSMain.js
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+/**
+ * @type jquery.layout Global variable so layout state management
+ * can pick it up.
+ */
+var ss_MainLayout;
+
 (function($) {
 	$('body.CMSMain').concrete('ss', function($){return{
 
@@ -9,7 +15,11 @@
 		onmatch: function() {
 			var self = this;
 
-			this.setMainLayout(this._setupLayout());
+			// Layout
+			ss_MainLayout = this._setupLayout();
+			this.setMainLayout(ss_MainLayout);
+			layoutState.options.keys = "west.size,west.isClosed";
+			$(window).unload(function(){ console.debug(layoutState);layoutState.save('ss_MainLayout') }); 
 			
 			// artificially delay the resize event 200ms
 			// to avoid overlapping height changes in different onresize() methods
@@ -46,7 +56,8 @@
 			var self = this;
 			
 			// layout containing the tree, CMS menu, the main form etc.
-			var layout = $('body').layout({
+			var savedLayoutSettings = layoutState.load('ss_MainLayout');
+			var layoutSettings = jQuery.extend({
 				defaults: {
 					// TODO Reactivate once we have localized values
 					togglerTip_open: '',
@@ -78,7 +89,8 @@
 					size: 250
 				},
 				center: {}
-			});
+			}, savedLayoutSettings);
+			var layout = $('body').layout(layoutSettings);
 			
 			// Adjust tree accordion etc. in left panel to work correctly
 			// with jQuery.layout (see http://layout.jquery-dev.net/tips.html#Widget_Accordion)
diff --git a/thirdparty/jquery-layout/jquery.layout.state.js b/thirdparty/jquery-layout/jquery.layout.state.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..85af0f08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/thirdparty/jquery-layout/jquery.layout.state.js
@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+/*
+ *	LAYOUT STATE MANAGEMENT
+ *
+ *	@requires json2.js - http://www.json.org/json2.js
+ *
+ *	@example layoutState.options = { layoutName: "myLayout", keys: "west.isClosed,east.isClosed" }
+ *	@example layoutState.save( "myLayout", "west.isClosed,north.size,south.isHidden", {expires: 7} );
+ *	@example layoutState.load( "myLayout" );
+ *	@example layoutState.clear();
+ *	@example var hash_SavedState = layoutState.load();
+ *	@example var hash_SavedState = layoutState.data;
+ */
+var layoutState = {
+
+	options: {
+		layoutName:	'myLayout' // default name (optional)
+
+	//	*** IMPORTANT *** specify your keys in same format as your layout options...
+	/*	Sub-Key-Format State Options
+	,	keys:		'north.size,south.size,east.size,west.size,' +
+					'north.isClosed,south.isClosed,east.isClosed,west.isClosed,' +
+					'north.isHidden,south.isHidden,east.isHidden,west.isHidden'
+	*/
+	//	Flat-Format State Options
+	,	keys:		'north__size,south__size,east__size,west__size,' +
+					'north__isClosed,south__isClosed,east__isClosed,west__isClosed,' +
+					'north__isHidden,south__isHidden,east__isHidden,west__isHidden'
+	// Cookie Options
+	,	domain:		''
+	,	path:		''
+	,	expires:	''	// 'days' to keep cookie - leave blank for 'session cookie'
+	,	secure:		false
+	}
+
+,	data: {}
+
+,	clear: function (layoutName) {
+		this.save( layoutName, 'dummyKey', { expires: -1 });
+	}
+
+,	save: function (layoutName, keys, opts) {
+	console.log('save');
+		var
+			o = jQuery.extend( {}, this.options, opts||{} )
+		,	layout = window[ layoutName || o.layoutName ]
+		;
+		if (!keys) keys = o.keys;
+		if (typeof keys == 'string') keys = keys.split(',');
+		if (!layout || !layout.state || !keys.length) return false;
+
+		var
+			isNum	= typeof o.expires == 'number'
+		,	date	= new Date()
+		,	params	= ''
+		,	clear	= false
+		;
+		if (isNum || o.expires.toUTCString) {
+			if (isNum) {
+				if (o.expires <= 0) {
+					date.setYear(1970);
+					clear = true;
+				}
+				else
+					date.setTime(date.getTime() + (o.expires * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000));
+			}
+			else
+				date = o.expires;
+			// use expires attribute, max-age is not supported by IE
+			params += ';expires='+ date.toUTCString();
+		}
+		if (o.path)		params += ';path='+ o.path;
+		if (o.domain)	params += ';domain='+ o.domain;
+		if (o.secure)	params += ';secure';
+
+		if (clear) {
+			this.data = {}; // clear the data struct too
+			document.cookie = (layoutName || o.layoutName) +'='+ params;
+		}
+		else {
+			this.data = readState( layout, keys ); // read current panes-state
+			document.cookie = (layoutName || o.layoutName) +'='+ encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify(this.data)) + params;
+			//alert( 'JSON.stringify(this.data) = '+ (layoutName || o.layoutName) +'='+ JSON.stringify( this.data ) );
+		}
+		return this.data;
+
+		// SUB-ROUTINE
+		function readState (layout, keys) {
+			var
+				state	= layout.state	// alias to the 'layout state'
+			,	data	= {}
+			,	panes	= 'north,south,east,west,center' // validation
+			,	alt		= { isClosed: 'initClosed', isHidden: 'initHidden' }
+			,	delim	= (keys[0].indexOf('__') > 0 ? '__' : '.')
+			,	pair, pane, key, val
+			;
+			for (var i=0; i < keys.length; i++) {
+				pair = keys[i].split(delim);
+				pane = pair[0];
+				key  = pair[1];
+				if (panes.indexOf(pane) < 0) continue; // bad pane!
+				if (key=='isClosed') // if 'temporarily open' (sliding), then isClosed=false, so...
+					val = state[ pane ][ key ] || state[ pane ][ 'isSliding' ];
+				else
+					val = state[ pane ][ key ];
+				if (val != undefined) {
+					if (delim=='.') { // sub-key format
+						if (!data[ pane ]) data[ pane ] = {};
+						data[ pane ][ alt[key] ? alt[key] : key ] = val;
+					}
+					else // delim = '__' - flat-format
+						data[ pane + delim + (alt[key] ? alt[key] : key) ] = val;
+				}
+			}
+			return data;
+		}
+	}
+
+,	load: function (layoutName) {
+		if (!layoutName) layoutName = this.options.layoutName;
+		if (!layoutName) return {};
+		var
+			data = {}
+		,	c = document.cookie
+		,	cs, pair, i // loop vars
+		;
+		if (c && c != '') {
+			cs = c.split(';');
+			for (i = 0; i < cs.length; i++) {
+				c = jQuery.trim(cs[i]);
+				pair = c.split('='); // name=value pair
+				if (pair[0] == layoutName) { // this is the layout cookie
+					data = JSON.parse(decodeURIComponent(pair[1]));
+					break; // DONE
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		return (this.data = data);
+	}
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file