System details:

Positron and OS details:

Positron Version: 2026.01.0 build 147
Code - OSS Version: 1.106.0
Commit: 3290136
Date: 2026-01-06T01:40:35.071Z (3 wks ago)
Electron: 37.7.0
Chromium: 138.0.7204.251
Node.js: 22.20.0
V8: 13.8.258.32-electron.0
OS: Darwin arm64 24.6.0

Describe the issue:

Setting "workbench.secondarySideBar.defaultVisibility": "hidden" in the settings does not keep the secondary side bar hidden by default on startup or when opening a new workspace. The setting appears to be ignored.

Steps to reproduce the issue:

1. Add to your User or Workspace settings:

{
  "workbench.secondarySideBar.defaultVisibility": "hidden"
}

2. Restart the editor / open a new workspace.

3. Observe that the secondary sidebar still shows up (instead of remaining hidden).

Expected or desired behavior:

It should stay hidden unless opened manually.