diff --git a/devtools/client/inspector/markup/test/browser_markup_toggle_01.js b/devtools/client/inspector/markup/test/browser_markup_toggle_01.js
index 85246f7e773f..5e30ebe856cd 100644
--- a/devtools/client/inspector/markup/test/browser_markup_toggle_01.js
+++ b/devtools/client/inspector/markup/test/browser_markup_toggle_01.js
@@ -21,9 +21,11 @@ add_task(async function() {
   ok(!container.mustExpand, "UL element !mustExpand");
   ok(container.canExpand, "UL element canExpand");
   is(container.expander.style.visibility, "visible", "HTML twisty is visible");
+  ok(!container.selected, "UL container is not selected");
 
   info("Clicking on the UL parent expander, and waiting for children");
-  await expandContainerByClick(inspector, container);
+  await toggleContainerByClick(inspector, container);
+  ok(!container.selected, "UL container is still not selected after expand");
 
   info("Checking that child LI elements have been created");
   let numLi = await testActor.getNumberOfElementMatches("li");
@@ -37,7 +39,8 @@ add_task(async function() {
   ok(container.expanded, "Parent UL container is expanded");
 
   info("Clicking again on the UL expander");
-  collapseContainerByClick(inspector, container);
+  await toggleContainerByClick(inspector, container);
+  ok(!container.selected, "UL container is still not selected after collapse");
 
   info("Checking that child LI elements have been hidden");
   numLi = await testActor.getNumberOfElementMatches("li");
diff --git a/devtools/client/inspector/markup/test/browser_markup_toggle_03.js b/devtools/client/inspector/markup/test/browser_markup_toggle_03.js
index 3cc7ea53a30b..1b53efb817bd 100644
--- a/devtools/client/inspector/markup/test/browser_markup_toggle_03.js
+++ b/devtools/client/inspector/markup/test/browser_markup_toggle_03.js
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ add_task(async function() {
   const container = await getContainerForSelector("ul", inspector);
 
   info("Alt-clicking on collapsed expander should expand all children");
-  await expandContainerByClick(inspector, container, { altKey: true });
+  await toggleContainerByClick(inspector, container, { altKey: true });
 
   info("Checking that all nodes exist and are expanded");
   let nodeFronts = await getNodeFronts(inspector);
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ add_task(async function() {
   }
 
   info("Alt-clicking on expanded expander should collapse all children");
-  await collapseContainerByClick(inspector, container, { altKey: true });
+  await toggleContainerByClick(inspector, container, { altKey: true });
 
   info("Checking that all nodes are collapsed");
   nodeFronts = await getNodeFronts(inspector);
diff --git a/devtools/client/inspector/markup/test/browser_markup_toggle_closing_tag_line.js b/devtools/client/inspector/markup/test/browser_markup_toggle_closing_tag_line.js
index c9cc21e20d01..945cb92d562c 100644
--- a/devtools/client/inspector/markup/test/browser_markup_toggle_closing_tag_line.js
+++ b/devtools/client/inspector/markup/test/browser_markup_toggle_closing_tag_line.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ add_task(async function() {
 
   info("Getting the container for .outer-div parent element");
   let container = await getContainerForSelector(".outer-div", inspector);
-  await expandContainerByClick(inspector, container);
+  await toggleContainerByClick(inspector, container);
 
   let closeTagLine = container.closeTagLine;
   ok(
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ add_task(async function() {
 
   info("Expand the iframe element");
   container = await getContainerForSelector("iframe", inspector);
-  await expandContainerByClick(inspector, container);
+  await toggleContainerByClick(inspector, container);
   ok(container.expanded, "iframe is expanded");
   closeTagLine = container.closeTagLine;
   ok(
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ add_task(async function() {
 
   info("Expand the iframe's #document node element");
   container = getContainerForNodeFront(documentFront, inspector);
-  await expandContainerByClick(inspector, container);
+  await toggleContainerByClick(inspector, container);
   ok(container.expanded, "#document is expanded");
   ok(
     !container.closeTagLine,
diff --git a/devtools/client/inspector/markup/views/markup-container.js b/devtools/client/inspector/markup/views/markup-container.js
index 3b32e58d4efa..446cd0d05e91 100644
--- a/devtools/client/inspector/markup/views/markup-container.js
+++ b/devtools/client/inspector/markup/views/markup-container.js
@@ -545,6 +545,11 @@ MarkupContainer.prototype = {
       return;
     }
 
+    // Bail out when clicking on arrow expanders to avoid selecting the row.
+    if (target.classList.contains("expander")) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     // target is the MarkupContainer itself.
     this.hovered = false;
     this.markup.navigate(this);
@@ -808,8 +813,6 @@ MarkupContainer.prototype = {
    *         Whether all descendants should also be expanded/collapsed
    */
   expandContainer: function(applyToDescendants) {
-    this.markup.navigate(this);
-
     if (this.hasChildren) {
       this.markup.setNodeExpanded(
         this.node,
diff --git a/devtools/client/inspector/test/head.js b/devtools/client/inspector/test/head.js
index 0615a3d085a1..2c7adc8ed607 100644
--- a/devtools/client/inspector/test/head.js
+++ b/devtools/client/inspector/test/head.js
@@ -1171,8 +1171,8 @@ async function expandContainer(inspector, container) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Expand the provided markup container by clicking on the expand arrow and waiting for
- * inspector and children to update. Similar to expandContainer helper, but this method
+ * Toggle the provided markup container by clicking on the expand arrow and waiting for
+ * children to update. Similar to expandContainer helper, but this method
  * uses a click rather than programatically calling expandNode().
  *
  * @param {InspectorPanel} inspector
@@ -1183,37 +1183,11 @@ async function expandContainer(inspector, container) {
  *        options.altKey {Boolean} Use the altKey modifier, to recursively apply
  *        the action to all the children of the container.
  */
-async function expandContainerByClick(
+async function toggleContainerByClick(
   inspector,
   container,
   { altKey = false } = {}
 ) {
-  const onUpdated = inspector.once("inspector-updated");
-  EventUtils.synthesizeMouseAtCenter(
-    container.expander,
-    {
-      altKey,
-    },
-    inspector.markup.doc.defaultView
-  );
-
-  // Wait for any pending children updates
-  await waitForMultipleChildrenUpdates(inspector);
-
-  // Wait for inspector-updated triggered by selecting the node.
-  await onUpdated;
-}
-
-/**
- * Collapse the provided markup container. See expandContainerByClick.
- */
-async function collapseContainerByClick(
-  inspector,
-  container,
-  { altKey = false } = {}
-) {
-  // No need to wait, this is a local, synchronous operation where nodes are
-  // only hidden from the view, not destroyed
   EventUtils.synthesizeMouseAtCenter(
     container.expander,
     {