diff --git a/src/pydata_sphinx_theme/theme/pydata_sphinx_theme/sections/sidebar-primary.html b/src/pydata_sphinx_theme/theme/pydata_sphinx_theme/sections/sidebar-primary.html
index af21e502d..378643bc4 100644
--- a/src/pydata_sphinx_theme/theme/pydata_sphinx_theme/sections/sidebar-primary.html
+++ b/src/pydata_sphinx_theme/theme/pydata_sphinx_theme/sections/sidebar-primary.html
@@ -6,7 +6,12 @@
     {% if theme_navbar_center %}
       <div class="sidebar-header-items__center">
         {% for navbar_item in theme_navbar_center %}
-          <div class="navbar-item">{% include navbar_item %}</div>
+          {#
+            In the mobile sidebar we do not want a dropdown, so set a large cutoff (999).
+          #}
+          {% with theme_header_links_before_dropdown=999 %}
+            <div class="navbar-item">{% include navbar_item %}</div>
+          {% endwith %}
         {% endfor %}
       </div>
     {% endif %}
diff --git a/src/pydata_sphinx_theme/toctree.py b/src/pydata_sphinx_theme/toctree.py
index c023d6cd7..a566f2e6b 100644
--- a/src/pydata_sphinx_theme/toctree.py
+++ b/src/pydata_sphinx_theme/toctree.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 from functools import cache
 from itertools import count
-from typing import Iterator, List, Union
+from typing import Iterator, List, Tuple, Union
 from urllib.parse import urlparse
 
 import sphinx
@@ -101,8 +101,22 @@ def unique_html_id(base_id: str):
         return next(get_or_create_id_generator(base_id))
 
     @cache
-    def generate_header_nav_before_dropdown(n_links_before_dropdown):
-        """The cacheable part."""
+    def _generate_header_nav_before_dropdown(
+        n_links_before_dropdown,
+    ) -> Tuple[str, List[str]]:
+        """Return html for navbar and dropdown.
+
+        .. warning::
+
+            Private helper function, do not call this directly.
+
+        Given the number of links before the dropdown, return the html for the navbar,
+        as well as the list of links to put in a dropdown.
+
+        Returns:
+            - HTML str for the navbar
+            - list of HTML str for the dropdown
+        """
         try:
             n_links_before_dropdown = int(n_links_before_dropdown)
         except Exception:
@@ -226,7 +240,7 @@ def generate_header_nav_html(
             n_links_before_dropdown:The number of links to show before nesting the remaining links in a Dropdown element.
             dropdown_text:Text of the dropdown element button.
         """
-        out, links_dropdown = generate_header_nav_before_dropdown(
+        out, links_dropdown = _generate_header_nav_before_dropdown(
             n_links_before_dropdown
         )
 
diff --git a/tests/test_build.py b/tests/test_build.py
index b71736037..3971531ea 100644
--- a/tests/test_build.py
+++ b/tests/test_build.py
@@ -349,6 +349,8 @@ def test_navbar_header_dropdown(sphinx_build_factory, n_links) -> None:
     }
     sphinx_build = sphinx_build_factory("base", confoverrides=confoverrides).build()
     index_html = sphinx_build.html_tree("index.html")
+
+    # classic navbar:
     navbar = index_html.select("ul.bd-navbar-elements")[0]
     dropdowns = navbar.select("li.dropdown")
     standalone_links = navbar.select(".navbar-nav > li.nav-item:not(.dropdown)")
@@ -362,6 +364,13 @@ def test_navbar_header_dropdown(sphinx_build_factory, n_links) -> None:
         # There should be no dropdown and only standalone links
         assert standalone_links and not dropdowns
 
+    # sidebar nav should never have dropdown
+    navbar = index_html.select("ul.bd-navbar-elements")[1]
+    dropdowns = navbar.select("li.dropdown")
+    standalone_links = navbar.select(".navbar-nav > li.nav-item:not(.dropdown)")
+    assert len(standalone_links) == 7
+    assert len(dropdowns) == 0
+
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("dropdown_text", (None, "Other"))  # None -> default "More"
 def test_navbar_header_dropdown_button(sphinx_build_factory, dropdown_text) -> None: