diff --git a/src/platform/packages/shared/shared-ux/chrome/navigation/__jest__/build_nav_tree.test.tsx b/src/platform/packages/shared/shared-ux/chrome/navigation/__jest__/build_nav_tree.test.tsx
index b8cc8bfd3b8fe..2de8be7d3d51a 100644
--- a/src/platform/packages/shared/shared-ux/chrome/navigation/__jest__/build_nav_tree.test.tsx
+++ b/src/platform/packages/shared/shared-ux/chrome/navigation/__jest__/build_nav_tree.test.tsx
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ describe('builds navigation tree', () => {
               children: [
                 {
                   ...panelOpenerNode,
-                  href: '/foo/bar', // Panel opener with a link should not be converted to accordion
+                  href: '/foo/bar', // Panel opener with a link should also be converted to accordion when side nav is collapsed
                 },
               ],
             },
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ describe('builds navigation tree', () => {
 
       const accordionButtonLabel = queryAllByTestId('accordionToggleBtn').map((c) => c.textContent);
 
-      expect(accordionButtonLabel).toEqual(['Group 1']); // Only 1 accordion button (top level)
+      expect(accordionButtonLabel).toEqual(['Group 1', 'Nested Group 1']);
       unmount();
     }
   });
diff --git a/src/platform/packages/shared/shared-ux/chrome/navigation/src/ui/components/navigation_section_ui.tsx b/src/platform/packages/shared/shared-ux/chrome/navigation/src/ui/components/navigation_section_ui.tsx
index 03d46b611213c..100b61356a276 100644
--- a/src/platform/packages/shared/shared-ux/chrome/navigation/src/ui/components/navigation_section_ui.tsx
+++ b/src/platform/packages/shared/shared-ux/chrome/navigation/src/ui/components/navigation_section_ui.tsx
@@ -60,8 +60,7 @@ const getRenderAs = (
   navNode: ChromeProjectNavigationNode,
   { isSideNavCollapsed }: { isSideNavCollapsed: boolean }
 ): RenderAs => {
-  if (isSideNavCollapsed && navNode.renderAs === 'panelOpener' && !nodeHasLink(navNode))
-    return 'accordion'; // When the side nav is collapsed, we render panel openers as accordions if they don't have a landing page
+  if (isSideNavCollapsed && navNode.renderAs === 'panelOpener') return 'accordion'; // When the side nav is collapsed, we render panel openers as accordions
   if (navNode.renderAs) return navNode.renderAs;
   if (!navNode.children) return 'item';
   return DEFAULT_RENDER_AS;
@@ -107,7 +106,7 @@ const getTestSubj = (navNode: ChromeProjectNavigationNode, isActive = false): st
   });
 };
 
-const serializeNavNode = (
+export const serializeNavNode = (
   navNode: ChromeProjectNavigationNode,
   {
     isSideNavCollapsed,