diff --git a/editor/debugger/editor_debugger_node.cpp b/editor/debugger/editor_debugger_node.cpp
index 150257a95c9..1ec94aeae44 100644
--- a/editor/debugger/editor_debugger_node.cpp
+++ b/editor/debugger/editor_debugger_node.cpp
@@ -207,9 +207,32 @@ String EditorDebuggerNode::get_server_uri() const {
 	return server->get_uri();
 }
 
+void EditorDebuggerNode::set_keep_open(bool p_keep_open) {
+	keep_open = p_keep_open;
+	if (keep_open) {
+		if (server.is_null() || !server->is_active()) {
+			start();
+		}
+	} else {
+		bool found = false;
+		_for_all(tabs, [&](ScriptEditorDebugger *p_debugger) {
+			if (p_debugger->is_session_active()) {
+				found = true;
+			}
+		});
+		if (!found) {
+			stop();
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 Error EditorDebuggerNode::start(const String &p_uri) {
-	stop();
 	ERR_FAIL_COND_V(p_uri.find("://") < 0, ERR_INVALID_PARAMETER);
+	if (keep_open && current_uri == p_uri && server.is_valid()) {
+		return OK;
+	}
+	stop(true);
+	current_uri = p_uri;
 	if (EDITOR_GET("run/output/always_open_output_on_play")) {
 		EditorNode::get_singleton()->make_bottom_panel_item_visible(EditorNode::get_log());
 	} else {
@@ -225,7 +248,11 @@ Error EditorDebuggerNode::start(const String &p_uri) {
 	return OK;
 }
 
-void EditorDebuggerNode::stop() {
+void EditorDebuggerNode::stop(bool p_force) {
+	if (keep_open && !p_force) {
+		return;
+	}
+	current_uri.clear();
 	if (server.is_valid()) {
 		server->stop();
 		EditorNode::get_log()->add_message("--- Debugging process stopped ---", EditorLog::MSG_TYPE_EDITOR);
@@ -244,11 +271,6 @@ void EditorDebuggerNode::stop() {
 		}
 	});
 	_break_state_changed();
-	if (hide_on_stop) {
-		if (is_visible_in_tree()) {
-			EditorNode::get_singleton()->hide_bottom_panel();
-		}
-	}
 	breakpoints.clear();
 	set_process(false);
 }
@@ -428,7 +450,6 @@ void EditorDebuggerNode::set_script_debug_button(MenuButton *p_button) {
 	p->add_shortcut(ED_GET_SHORTCUT("debugger/break"), DEBUG_BREAK);
 	p->add_shortcut(ED_GET_SHORTCUT("debugger/continue"), DEBUG_CONTINUE);
 	p->add_separator();
-	p->add_check_shortcut(ED_GET_SHORTCUT("debugger/keep_debugger_open"), DEBUG_KEEP_DEBUGGER_OPEN);
 	p->add_check_shortcut(ED_GET_SHORTCUT("debugger/debug_with_external_editor"), DEBUG_WITH_EXTERNAL_EDITOR);
 	p->connect("id_pressed", callable_mp(this, &EditorDebuggerNode::_menu_option));
 
@@ -468,12 +489,6 @@ void EditorDebuggerNode::_menu_option(int p_id) {
 		case DEBUG_CONTINUE: {
 			debug_continue();
 		} break;
-		case DEBUG_KEEP_DEBUGGER_OPEN: {
-			bool ischecked = script_menu->get_popup()->is_item_checked(script_menu->get_popup()->get_item_index(DEBUG_KEEP_DEBUGGER_OPEN));
-			hide_on_stop = ischecked;
-			script_menu->get_popup()->set_item_checked(script_menu->get_popup()->get_item_index(DEBUG_KEEP_DEBUGGER_OPEN), !ischecked);
-			EditorSettings::get_singleton()->set_project_metadata("debug_options", "keep_debugger_open", !ischecked);
-		} break;
 		case DEBUG_WITH_EXTERNAL_EDITOR: {
 			bool ischecked = script_menu->get_popup()->is_item_checked(script_menu->get_popup()->get_item_index(DEBUG_WITH_EXTERNAL_EDITOR));
 			debug_with_external_editor = !ischecked;
@@ -484,9 +499,6 @@ void EditorDebuggerNode::_menu_option(int p_id) {
 }
 
 void EditorDebuggerNode::_update_debug_options() {
-	if (EditorSettings::get_singleton()->get_project_metadata("debug_options", "keep_debugger_open", false).operator bool()) {
-		_menu_option(DEBUG_KEEP_DEBUGGER_OPEN);
-	}
 	if (EditorSettings::get_singleton()->get_project_metadata("debug_options", "debug_with_external_editor", false).operator bool()) {
 		_menu_option(DEBUG_WITH_EXTERNAL_EDITOR);
 	}
diff --git a/editor/debugger/editor_debugger_node.h b/editor/debugger/editor_debugger_node.h
index 7f7279ae74c..030f4c7d129 100644
--- a/editor/debugger/editor_debugger_node.h
+++ b/editor/debugger/editor_debugger_node.h
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@ private:
 		DEBUG_STEP,
 		DEBUG_BREAK,
 		DEBUG_CONTINUE,
-		DEBUG_KEEP_DEBUGGER_OPEN,
 		DEBUG_WITH_EXTERNAL_EDITOR,
 	};
 
@@ -110,7 +109,9 @@ private:
 	float remote_scene_tree_timeout = 0.0;
 	bool auto_switch_remote_scene_tree = false;
 	bool debug_with_external_editor = false;
-	bool hide_on_stop = true;
+	bool keep_open = false;
+	String current_uri;
+
 	CameraOverride camera_override = OVERRIDE_NONE;
 	HashMap<Breakpoint, bool, Breakpoint> breakpoints;
 
@@ -203,8 +204,9 @@ public:
 
 	String get_server_uri() const;
 
+	void set_keep_open(bool p_keep_open);
 	Error start(const String &p_uri = "tcp://");
-	void stop();
+	void stop(bool p_force = false);
 
 	bool plugins_capture(ScriptEditorDebugger *p_debugger, const String &p_message, const Array &p_data);
 	void add_debugger_plugin(const Ref<EditorDebuggerPlugin> &p_plugin);
diff --git a/editor/plugins/debugger_editor_plugin.cpp b/editor/plugins/debugger_editor_plugin.cpp
index dd6187c2649..7d04880fb7b 100644
--- a/editor/plugins/debugger_editor_plugin.cpp
+++ b/editor/plugins/debugger_editor_plugin.cpp
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ DebuggerEditorPlugin::DebuggerEditorPlugin(PopupMenu *p_debug_menu) {
 	ED_SHORTCUT("debugger/step_over", TTR("Step Over"), Key::F10);
 	ED_SHORTCUT("debugger/break", TTR("Break"));
 	ED_SHORTCUT("debugger/continue", TTR("Continue"), Key::F12);
-	ED_SHORTCUT("debugger/keep_debugger_open", TTR("Keep Debugger Open"));
 	ED_SHORTCUT("debugger/debug_with_external_editor", TTR("Debug with External Editor"));
 
 	// File Server for deploy with remote filesystem.
@@ -85,6 +84,9 @@ DebuggerEditorPlugin::DebuggerEditorPlugin(PopupMenu *p_debug_menu) {
 	debug_menu->add_check_shortcut(ED_SHORTCUT("editor/sync_script_changes", TTR("Synchronize Script Changes")), RUN_RELOAD_SCRIPTS);
 	debug_menu->set_item_tooltip(-1,
 			TTR("When this option is enabled, any script that is saved will be reloaded in the running project.\nWhen used remotely on a device, this is more efficient when the network filesystem option is enabled."));
+	debug_menu->add_check_shortcut(ED_SHORTCUT("editor/keep_server_open", TTR("Keep Debug Server Open")), SERVER_KEEP_OPEN);
+	debug_menu->set_item_tooltip(-1,
+			TTR("When this option is enabled, the editor debug server will stay open and listen for new sessions started outside of the editor itself."));
 
 	// Multi-instance, start/stop
 	instances_menu = memnew(PopupMenu);
@@ -176,6 +178,14 @@ void DebuggerEditorPlugin::_menu_option(int p_option) {
 			EditorSettings::get_singleton()->set_project_metadata("debug_options", "run_reload_scripts", !ischecked);
 
 		} break;
+		case SERVER_KEEP_OPEN: {
+			bool ischecked = debug_menu->is_item_checked(debug_menu->get_item_index(SERVER_KEEP_OPEN));
+			debug_menu->set_item_checked(debug_menu->get_item_index(SERVER_KEEP_OPEN), !ischecked);
+
+			EditorDebuggerNode::get_singleton()->set_keep_open(!ischecked);
+			EditorSettings::get_singleton()->set_project_metadata("debug_options", "server_keep_open", !ischecked);
+
+		} break;
 	}
 }
 
@@ -195,6 +205,7 @@ void DebuggerEditorPlugin::_update_debug_options() {
 	bool check_debug_navigation = EditorSettings::get_singleton()->get_project_metadata("debug_options", "run_debug_navigation", false);
 	bool check_live_debug = EditorSettings::get_singleton()->get_project_metadata("debug_options", "run_live_debug", true);
 	bool check_reload_scripts = EditorSettings::get_singleton()->get_project_metadata("debug_options", "run_reload_scripts", true);
+	bool check_server_keep_open = EditorSettings::get_singleton()->get_project_metadata("debug_options", "server_keep_open", false);
 	int instances = EditorSettings::get_singleton()->get_project_metadata("debug_options", "run_debug_instances", 1);
 
 	if (check_deploy_remote) {
@@ -218,6 +229,9 @@ void DebuggerEditorPlugin::_update_debug_options() {
 	if (check_reload_scripts) {
 		_menu_option(RUN_RELOAD_SCRIPTS);
 	}
+	if (check_server_keep_open) {
+		_menu_option(SERVER_KEEP_OPEN);
+	}
 
 	int len = instances_menu->get_item_count();
 	for (int idx = 0; idx < len; idx++) {
diff --git a/editor/plugins/debugger_editor_plugin.h b/editor/plugins/debugger_editor_plugin.h
index c706acdb5c0..5f682ed5e07 100644
--- a/editor/plugins/debugger_editor_plugin.h
+++ b/editor/plugins/debugger_editor_plugin.h
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ private:
 		RUN_DEBUG_NAVIGATION,
 		RUN_DEPLOY_REMOTE_DEBUG,
 		RUN_RELOAD_SCRIPTS,
+		SERVER_KEEP_OPEN,
 	};
 
 	void _update_debug_options();
diff --git a/main/main.cpp b/main/main.cpp
index 55f71772586..6ab7ca6a505 100644
--- a/main/main.cpp
+++ b/main/main.cpp
@@ -2952,6 +2952,7 @@ bool Main::start() {
 				DisplayServer::get_singleton()->set_context(DisplayServer::CONTEXT_EDITOR);
 				if (!debug_server_uri.is_empty()) {
 					EditorDebuggerNode::get_singleton()->start(debug_server_uri);
+					EditorDebuggerNode::get_singleton()->set_keep_open(true);
 				}
 			}
 #endif