diff --git a/layouts/partials/sidebar-tree.html b/layouts/partials/sidebar-tree.html
deleted file mode 100644
index 7fb17ee..0000000
--- a/layouts/partials/sidebar-tree.html
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,64 +0,0 @@
-<aside class="sidebar-container flex flex-col print:hidden md:top-16 md:shrink-0 md:w-64 md:self-start max-md:[transform:translate3d(0,-100%,0)] md:sticky">
-  {{- partialCached "sidebar/mobile-search" . -}}
-
-  <div class="hextra-scrollbar overflow-y-auto overflow-x-hidden p-4 grow md:h-[calc(100vh-var(--navbar-height)-var(--menu-height))]">
-    <ul class="flex flex-col gap-1 max-md:hidden">
-      {{ partial "sidebar/tree" (dict "context" .FirstSection "page" . "level" 0) }}
-    </ul>
-  </div>
-</aside>
-
-{{- define "partials/sidebar/mobile-search" -}}
-  <div class="px-4 pt-4 md:hidden">
-    {{- partialCached "search.html" . -}}
-  </div>
-{{- end -}}
-
-{{- define "partials/sidebar/link" -}}
-  {{- $external := strings.HasPrefix .link "http" -}}
-  {{- $open := .open | default true -}}
-  <a
-    class="flex items-center justify-between gap-2 cursor-pointer rounded px-2 py-1.5 text-sm transition-colors [-webkit-tap-highlight-color:transparent] [-webkit-touch-callout:none] [word-break:break-word]
-    text-gray-500 hover:bg-gray-100 hover:text-gray-900 contrast-more:border contrast-more:border-transparent contrast-more:text-gray-900 contrast-more:hover:border-gray-900 dark:text-neutral-400 dark:hover:bg-primary-100/5 dark:hover:text-gray-50 contrast-more:dark:text-gray-50 contrast-more:dark:hover:border-gray-50"
-    href="{{ .link }}"
-    {{ if $external }}target="_blank" rel="noreferer"{{ end }}
-  >
-    {{- .title -}}
-    {{- with .context }}
-      {{- if or .RegularPages .Sections }}{{ partialCached "sidebar/collapsible-button" . }}{{ end -}}
-    {{ end -}}
-  </a>
-{{- end -}}
-
-{{- define "partials/sidebar/tree" -}}
-  {{- if ge .level 4 -}}
-    {{- return -}}
-  {{- end -}}
-
-  {{- $context := .context -}}
-  {{- $page := .page }}
-  {{- $level := .level -}}
-
-  {{- with $items := union .context.RegularPages .context.Sections -}}
-    {{- if eq $level 0 -}}
-      {{- range $items.ByWeight }}
-        <li class="">
-          {{- partial "sidebar/link" (dict "context" . "title" .LinkTitle "link" .RelPermalink) -}}
-          {{- partial "sidebar/tree" (dict "context" . "page" $page "level" (add $level 1)) -}}
-        </li>
-      {{- end -}}
-    {{- else -}}
-      <div class="pt-1 ltr:pr-0 overflow-hidden transition-all ease-in-out duration-200">
-        <ul class='relative flex flex-col gap-1 before:absolute before:inset-y-1 before:w-px before:bg-gray-200 before:content-[""] ltr:ml-3 ltr:pl-3 ltr:before:left-0 rtl:mr-3 rtl:pr-3 rtl:before:right-0 dark:before:bg-neutral-800'>
-          {{- range $items.ByWeight }}
-            {{- $title := .LinkTitle | default .File.BaseFileName -}}
-            <li class="flex flex-col gap-1">
-              {{- partial "sidebar/link" (dict "context" . "title" $title "link" .RelPermalink) -}}
-              {{- partial "sidebar/tree" (dict "context" . "page" $page "level" (add $level 1)) -}}
-            </li>
-          {{- end -}}
-        </ul>
-      </div>
-    {{- end -}}
-  {{- end }}
-{{- end -}}
diff --git a/layouts/partials/sidebar.html b/layouts/partials/sidebar.html
index 0f406d5..d1a1191 100644
--- a/layouts/partials/sidebar.html
+++ b/layouts/partials/sidebar.html
@@ -10,84 +10,73 @@
 
 
 <aside class="sidebar-container flex flex-col print:hidden md:top-16 md:shrink-0 md:w-64 md:self-start max-md:[transform:translate3d(0,-100%,0)] {{ $sidebarClass }}">
-  <!-- Search bar on small screen -->
-  <div class="px-4 pt-4 md:hidden">
-    {{ partialCached "search.html" $context }}
-  </div>
+  {{/* Search bar on small screen */}}
+  {{- partialCached "sidebar/mobile-search" . -}}
+
   <div class="hextra-scrollbar overflow-y-auto overflow-x-hidden p-4 grow md:h-[calc(100vh-var(--navbar-height)-var(--menu-height))]">
     <ul class="flex flex-col gap-1 md:hidden">
-      <!-- Nav -->
-      {{ template "sidebar-main" (dict "context" site.Home "pageURL" $pageURL "page" $context "toc" true) -}}
-      {{ partialCached "sidebar/footer" $context }}
+      {{/* Mobile Navigation */}}
+      {{/* TODO: add back mobile navigation tree */}}
+      {{ partialCached "sidebar/extra" $context }}
     </ul>
 
-    <!-- Sidebar on large screen -->
-    {{- if $disableSidebar -}}
-      {{- if $displayPlaceholder }}<div class="max-xl:hidden h-0 w-64 shrink-0"></div>{{ end -}}
-      {{ .context.Scratch.Set "enableFooterSwitches" true }}
-    {{- else -}}
-      <ul class="flex flex-col gap-1 max-md:hidden">
-        {{ template "sidebar-main" (dict "context" $navRoot "page" $context  "pageURL" $pageURL) }}
-        {{ partialCached "sidebar/footer" $context }}
-      </ul>
-    {{ end -}}
+    {{/* Sidebar on large screen */}}
+    <ul class="flex flex-col gap-1 max-md:hidden">
+      {{ $tree := partialCached "sidebar/section-tree" $navRoot $navRoot }}
+      {{ partial "sidebar/render-tree" (dict "context" $navRoot "page" $context "tree" ($tree | unmarshal)) }}
+      {{ partialCached "sidebar/extra" $context }}
+    </ul>
   </div>
 
   {{ partial "sidebar/switches" (dict "context" $context "disableSidebar" $disableSidebar) }}
 </aside>
 
-{{- define "sidebar-main" -}}
-  {{ template "sidebar-tree" (dict "context" .context "level" 0 "page" .page "pageURL" .pageURL "toc" (.toc | default false)) }}
+{{- define "partials/sidebar/render-tree" -}}
+  {{- $context := .context -}}
+  {{- $page := .page -}}
+  {{- $pageLink := .page.RelPermalink -}}
+  {{- range .tree -}}
+    {{- $active := eq $pageLink .link -}}
+    {{- $shouldOpen := or (.open) (hasPrefix $pageLink .link) $active | default true }}
+    <li class="{{ if $shouldOpen }}open{{ end }}">
+      {{- partial "sidebar/link" (dict "context" . "active" $active "title" .title "link" .link) -}}
+      {{- if .section -}}
+        {{- partial "sidebar/render-tree-branch" (dict "context" $context "entry" .section "page" $page) -}}
+      {{- end -}}
+    </li>
+  {{ end }}
 {{- end -}}
 
-{{- define "sidebar-tree" -}}
-  {{- if ge .level 4 -}}
-    {{- return -}}
-  {{- end -}}
-
+{{- define "partials/sidebar/render-tree-branch" -}}
   {{- $context := .context -}}
-  {{- $page := .page }}
-  {{- $pageURL := .page.RelPermalink -}}
-  {{- $level := .level -}}
-  {{- $toc := .toc | default false -}}
+  {{- $page := .page -}}
+  {{- $entry := .entry -}}
+  {{- $pageLink := .page.RelPermalink -}}
 
-  {{- with $items := union .context.RegularPages .context.Sections -}}
-    {{- if eq $level 0 -}}
-      {{- range $items.ByWeight }}
-        {{- $active := eq $pageURL .RelPermalink -}}
-        {{- $shouldOpen := or (.Params.sidebar.open) (.IsAncestor $page) $active | default true }}
-        <li class="{{ if $shouldOpen }}open{{ end }}">
-          {{- template "sidebar-item-link" dict "context" . "active" $active "title" .LinkTitle "link" .RelPermalink -}}
-          {{- if and $toc $active -}}
-            {{- partial "sidebar/toc" . -}}
+  <div class="pt-1 ltr:pr-0 overflow-hidden transition-all ease-in-out duration-200">
+    <ul class='relative flex flex-col gap-1 before:absolute before:inset-y-1 before:w-px before:bg-gray-200 before:content-[""] ltr:ml-3 ltr:pl-3 ltr:before:left-0 rtl:mr-3 rtl:pr-3 rtl:before:right-0 dark:before:bg-neutral-800'>
+      {{- range $entry }}
+        {{- $active := eq $pageLink .link -}}
+        {{- $shouldOpen := or (.open) (hasPrefix $pageLink .link) $active | default true }}
+        <li class="flex flex-col gap-1 {{ if $shouldOpen }}open{{ end }}">
+          {{- partial "sidebar/link" (dict "context" . "active" $active "title" .title "link" .link) -}}
+          {{- if .section -}}
+            {{- partial "sidebar/render-tree-branch" (dict "context" $context "entry" .section "page" $page) -}}
           {{- end -}}
-          {{- template "sidebar-tree" dict "context" . "page" $page "pageURL" $pageURL "level" (add $level 1) "toc" $toc -}}
         </li>
       {{- end -}}
-    {{- else -}}
-      <div class="pt-1 ltr:pr-0 overflow-hidden transition-all ease-in-out duration-200">
-        <ul class='relative flex flex-col gap-1 before:absolute before:inset-y-1 before:w-px before:bg-gray-200 before:content-[""] ltr:ml-3 ltr:pl-3 ltr:before:left-0 rtl:mr-3 rtl:pr-3 rtl:before:right-0 dark:before:bg-neutral-800'>
-          {{- range $items.ByWeight }}
-            {{- $active := eq $pageURL .RelPermalink -}}
-            {{- $shouldOpen := or (.Params.sidebar.open) (.IsAncestor $page) $active | default true }}
-            {{- $title := .LinkTitle | default .File.BaseFileName -}}
-            <li class="flex flex-col gap-1 {{ if $shouldOpen }}open{{ end }}">
-              {{- template "sidebar-item-link" dict "context" . "active" $active "title" $title "link" .RelPermalink -}}
-              {{- if and $toc $active -}}
-                {{ partial "sidebar/toc" . }}
-              {{- end }}
-              {{ template "sidebar-tree" dict "context" . "page" $page "pageURL" $pageURL "level" (add $level 1) "toc" $toc }}
-            </li>
-          {{- end -}}
-        </ul>
-      </div>
-    {{- end -}}
-  {{- end }}
+    </ul>
+  </div>
 {{- end -}}
 
-{{- define "sidebar-item-link" -}}
+{{- define "partials/sidebar/mobile-search" -}}
+  <div class="px-4 pt-4 md:hidden">
+    {{- partialCached "search.html" . -}}
+  </div>
+{{- end -}}
+
+{{- define "partials/sidebar/link" -}}
   {{- $external := strings.HasPrefix .link "http" -}}
-  {{- $open := .open | default true -}}
   <a
     class="flex items-center justify-between gap-2 cursor-pointer rounded px-2 py-1.5 text-sm transition-colors [-webkit-tap-highlight-color:transparent] [-webkit-touch-callout:none] [word-break:break-word]
     {{- if .active }}
@@ -100,7 +89,7 @@
   >
     {{- .title -}}
     {{- with .context }}
-      {{- if or .RegularPages .Sections }}{{ partialCached "sidebar/collapsible-button" . }}{{ end -}}
+      {{- if or .RegularPages .Sections .section }}{{ partialCached "sidebar/collapsible-button" . }}{{ end -}}
     {{ end -}}
   </a>
 {{- end -}}
diff --git a/layouts/partials/sidebar/footer.html b/layouts/partials/sidebar/extra.html
similarity index 100%
rename from layouts/partials/sidebar/footer.html
rename to layouts/partials/sidebar/extra.html
diff --git a/layouts/partials/sidebar/section-tree.html b/layouts/partials/sidebar/section-tree.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..efc7fa1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/layouts/partials/sidebar/section-tree.html
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+{{ $context := . -}}
+
+{{- $pages := union .RegularPages .Sections -}}
+{{- $pages = where $pages "Params.sidebar.exclude" "!=" true -}}
+
+{{- $data := slice -}}
+
+{{- range $pages.ByWeight -}}
+  {{ $structure := (partial "sidebar/section-walk" .) | unmarshal -}}
+  {{ $data = $data | append $structure -}}
+{{ end -}}
+
+{{- define "partials/sidebar/section-walk" -}}
+  {{- with . -}}
+  {
+    "title": "{{ .LinkTitle | default .File.BaseFileName }}",
+    "link": "{{ .RelPermalink }}",
+    "open": {{ .Params.sidebar.open | default false }}
+    {{- if .IsSection }},
+    "section": [
+      {{ $pages := union .RegularPages .Sections -}}
+      {{ $pages = where $pages "Params.sidebar.exclude" "!=" true -}}
+      {{ range $index, $page := $pages.ByWeight -}}
+        {{ partial "sidebar/section-walk" . }}{{ if not (ge $index (sub (len $pages) 1)) }},{{ end -}}
+      {{ end -}}
+    ]
+    {{ end -}}
+  }
+  {{- end }}
+{{- end -}}
+
+{{ return ($data | jsonify) }}