diff --git a/nw/config.py b/nw/config.py
index 18f2bc8e..dfdbe402 100644
--- a/nw/config.py
+++ b/nw/config.py
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ class Config:
         ## General
         self.guiTheme     = "default"
         self.guiSyntax    = "default_light"
+
+        ## Sizes
         self.winGeometry  = [1100, 650]
         self.treeColWidth = [120, 30, 50]
         self.mainPanePos  = [300, 800]
@@ -94,12 +96,15 @@ class Config:
 
         self.spellLanguage   = "en_GB"
 
-        # Backup
+        ## Backup
         self.backupPath      = ""
         self.backupOnClose   = False
         self.askBeforeBackup = True
 
-        # Path
+        ## State
+        self.showRefPanel = True
+
+        ## Path
         self.recentList = [""]*10
 
         # Check Qt5 Versions
@@ -244,6 +249,10 @@ class Config:
         self.backupOnClose   = self._parseLine(cnfParse, cnfSec, "backuponclose",   self.CNF_BOOL, self.backupOnClose)
         self.askBeforeBackup = self._parseLine(cnfParse, cnfSec, "askbeforebackup", self.CNF_BOOL, self.askBeforeBackup)
 
+        ## State
+        cnfSec = "State"
+        self.showRefPanel = self._parseLine(cnfParse, cnfSec, "showrefdetails", self.CNF_BOOL, self.showRefPanel)
+
         ## Path
         cnfSec = "Path"
         self.lastPath = self._parseLine(cnfParse, cnfSec, "lastpath", self.CNF_STR, self.lastPath)
@@ -312,6 +321,11 @@ class Config:
         cnfParse.set(cnfSec,"backuponclose",  str(self.backupOnClose))
         cnfParse.set(cnfSec,"askbeforebackup",str(self.askBeforeBackup))
 
+        ## State
+        cnfSec = "State"
+        cnfParse.add_section(cnfSec)
+        cnfParse.set(cnfSec,"showrefdetails",str(self.showRefPanel))
+
         ## Path
         cnfSec = "Path"
         cnfParse.add_section(cnfSec)
@@ -385,6 +399,11 @@ class Config:
         self.confChanged = True
         return True
 
+    def setShowRefPanel(self, checkState):
+        self.showRefPanel = checkState
+        self.confChanged  = True
+        return
+
     ##
     #  Internal Functions
     ##
diff --git a/nw/gui/elements/viewdetails.py b/nw/gui/elements/viewdetails.py
index 026955b4..1dfe5118 100644
--- a/nw/gui/elements/viewdetails.py
+++ b/nw/gui/elements/viewdetails.py
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ class GuiDocViewDetails(QWidget):
         self.showHide.setToolButtonStyle(Qt.ToolButtonIconOnly)
         self.showHide.setArrowType(Qt.DownArrow)
         self.showHide.setCheckable(True)
-        self.showHide.setChecked(True)
         self.showHide.setIconSize(QSize(16,16))
         self.showHide.toggled.connect(self._doShowHide)
 
@@ -79,6 +78,8 @@ class GuiDocViewDetails(QWidget):
         self.setLayout(self.outerBox)
         self.setContentsMargins(0,0,0,0)
 
+        self._doShowHide(self.mainConf.showRefPanel)
+
         logger.debug("DocViewDetails initialisation complete")
 
         return
@@ -91,12 +92,6 @@ class GuiDocViewDetails(QWidget):
             return
 
         theRefs = self.theParent.theIndex.buildReferenceList(tHandle)
-        if theRefs:
-            self.setVisible(True)
-        else:
-            self.setVisible(False)
-            return
-
         theList = []
         for tHandle in theRefs:
             tItem = self.theProject.getItem(tHandle)
@@ -120,6 +115,7 @@ class GuiDocViewDetails(QWidget):
 
     def _doShowHide(self, chState):
         self.scrollBox.setVisible(chState)
+        self.mainConf.setShowRefPanel(chState)
         if chState:
             self.showHide.setArrowType(Qt.DownArrow)
         else: