diff --git a/public/app/core/components/AppChrome/DockedMegaMenu/MegaMenuItem.tsx b/public/app/core/components/AppChrome/DockedMegaMenu/MegaMenuItem.tsx
index 26ee801d35c..11fbe24bbc7 100644
--- a/public/app/core/components/AppChrome/DockedMegaMenu/MegaMenuItem.tsx
+++ b/public/app/core/components/AppChrome/DockedMegaMenu/MegaMenuItem.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { css, cx } from '@emotion/css';
-import React from 'react';
+import React, { useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
 import { useLocalStorage } from 'react-use';
 
 import { GrafanaTheme2, NavModelItem, toIconName } from '@grafana/data';
@@ -24,18 +24,37 @@ export function MegaMenuItem({ link, activeItem, level = 0, onClick }: Props) {
   const FeatureHighlightWrapper = link.highlightText ? FeatureHighlight : React.Fragment;
   const hasActiveChild = hasChildMatch(link, activeItem);
   const isActive = link === activeItem || (level === MAX_DEPTH && hasActiveChild);
-  const [sectionExpanded, setSectionExpanded] =
-    useLocalStorage(`grafana.navigation.expanded[${link.text}]`, false) ?? Boolean(hasActiveChild);
+  const [sectionExpanded, setSectionExpanded] = useLocalStorage(
+    `grafana.navigation.expanded[${link.text}]`,
+    Boolean(hasActiveChild)
+  );
   const showExpandButton = level < MAX_DEPTH && Boolean(linkHasChildren(link) || link.emptyMessage);
+  const item = useRef<HTMLLIElement>(null);
 
   const styles = useStyles2(getStyles);
 
+  // expand parent sections if child is active
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (hasActiveChild) {
+      setSectionExpanded(true);
+    }
+  }, [hasActiveChild, setSectionExpanded]);
+
+  // scroll active element into center if it's offscreen
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (isActive && item.current && isElementOffscreen(item.current)) {
+      item.current.scrollIntoView({
+        block: 'center',
+      });
+    }
+  }, [isActive]);
+
   if (!link.url) {
     return null;
   }
 
   return (
-    <li className={styles.listItem}>
+    <li ref={item} className={styles.listItem}>
       <div
         className={cx(styles.menuItem, {
           [styles.hasIcon]: Boolean(level === 0 && link.icon),
@@ -175,3 +194,8 @@ const getStyles = (theme: GrafanaTheme2) => ({
 function linkHasChildren(link: NavModelItem): link is NavModelItem & { children: NavModelItem[] } {
   return Boolean(link.children && link.children.length > 0);
 }
+
+function isElementOffscreen(element: HTMLElement) {
+  const rect = element.getBoundingClientRect();
+  return rect.bottom < 0 || rect.top >= window.innerHeight;
+}