diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 9ac3f74..6e4ab58 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,15 @@ version bump. Starts at 2.1.0 — earlier history (the theming rebuild,
 window chrome/taskbar, Site Editor support, etc.) lives in `git log` and
 `PROJECT_STATUS.md`, not reconstructed here.
 
+## [2.3.1] - 2026-07-04
+
+### Fixed
+- Sidebar accordion now treats the "Aurora" branded nav section as part of
+  the same single-open accordion as the WP-native menu list, instead of
+  being the one exception that stayed open regardless of what else was
+  expanded. Expanding any native section now collapses Aurora too, and
+  vice versa.
+
 ## [2.3.0] - 2026-07-04
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/app/package.json b/app/package.json
index af69ba1..e968818 100644
--- a/app/package.json
+++ b/app/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "aurora-admin-app",
-  "version": "2.3.0",
+  "version": "2.3.1",
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/app/src/shell/components/Sidebar.vue b/app/src/shell/components/Sidebar.vue
index bef170b..addcd8c 100644
--- a/app/src/shell/components/Sidebar.vue
+++ b/app/src/shell/components/Sidebar.vue
@@ -63,11 +63,28 @@ const isSectionActive = (item) => {
   return (item.submenu || []).some((sub) => normalize(sub.url) === current.value);
 };
 
-// Accordion: only one section's submenu open at a time, so expanding one
-// closes the rest instead of the list growing indefinitely. Starts on
-// whichever section is active (each nav is a full page load in this
-// multi-page admin, so there's no need to react to URL changes afterward).
-const openId = ref(props.menu.find((item) => isSectionActive(item))?.id ?? null);
+// Accordion: only one section's submenu open at a time — the WP-native
+// menu list and the Aurora branded section below it are one shared
+// accordion, not two independent ones, so expanding either closes
+// whichever else was open (including Aurora, previously the one
+// exception). AURORA_ID is a sentinel alongside the real native-menu item
+// ids, since Aurora's own nav isn't one of the `menu` array's entries.
+const AURORA_ID = '__aurora__';
+
+const isAuroraSectionActive = () =>
+  props.auroraNav.some((item) => normalize(item.url) === current.value);
+
+// Starts on whichever section is active (each nav is a full page load in
+// this multi-page admin, so there's no need to react to URL changes
+// afterward); falls back to Aurora expanded (its long-standing default)
+// unless the user previously collapsed it, matching the old per-browser
+// localStorage preference.
+const openId = ref(
+  props.menu.find((item) => isSectionActive(item))?.id ??
+    (isAuroraSectionActive() || localStorage.getItem('aurora-nav-expanded') !== '0'
+      ? AURORA_ID
+      : null)
+);
 
 const isExpanded = (item) => openId.value === item.id;
 
@@ -75,13 +92,12 @@ const toggle = (item) => {
   openId.value = openId.value === item.id ? null : item.id;
 };
 
-// Aurora's own branded nav section (Settings, Menu Creator, Admin Notices,
-// Role Editor, Activity Log, Database Explorer) — separate from the
-// WP-native menu list above it. Expanded by default; per-browser preference
-// kept in localStorage, same pattern as the main collapsed-menu state.
-const auroraExpanded = ref(localStorage.getItem('aurora-nav-expanded') !== '0');
+const auroraExpanded = computed(() => openId.value === AURORA_ID);
 const toggleAuroraNav = () => {
-  auroraExpanded.value = !auroraExpanded.value;
+  openId.value = auroraExpanded.value ? null : AURORA_ID;
+  // Only Aurora's own expand state needs to persist across page loads —
+  // native sections already resolve their open/closed state from whether
+  // they're active on the current page.
   localStorage.setItem('aurora-nav-expanded', auroraExpanded.value ? '1' : '0');
 };
 const isAuroraActive = (item) => normalize(item.url) === current.value;
diff --git a/aurora-admin.php b/aurora-admin.php
index 3999172..4d66a2a 100644
--- a/aurora-admin.php
+++ b/aurora-admin.php
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  * Plugin Name: Aurora Admin
  * Plugin URI: https://aurora.co
  * Description: A modern, fast WordPress admin interface.
- * Version: 2.3.0
+ * Version: 2.3.1
  * Author: Aurora
  * Text Domain: aurora-admin
  * Domain Path: /languages/
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 defined("ABSPATH") || exit();
 
-define("AURORA_ADMIN_VERSION", "2.3.0");
+define("AURORA_ADMIN_VERSION", "2.3.1");
 define("AURORA_ADMIN_PATH", plugin_dir_path(__FILE__));
 define("AURORA_ADMIN_URL", plugins_url("aurora-admin/"));