diff --git a/apps/webapp/app/components/primitives/Switch.tsx b/apps/webapp/app/components/primitives/Switch.tsx
index 26d355c76b..2c3121676f 100644
--- a/apps/webapp/app/components/primitives/Switch.tsx
+++ b/apps/webapp/app/components/primitives/Switch.tsx
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ const variations = {
       "flex items-center h-[1.5rem] gap-x-1.5 rounded hover:bg-tertiary disabled:hover:bg-transparent pr-1 py-[0.1rem] pl-1.5 transition focus-custom disabled:hover:text-charcoal-400 disabled:opacity-50 text-charcoal-400 hover:text-charcoal-200 disabled:hover:cursor-not-allowed hover:cursor-pointer",
     root: "h-3 w-6",
     thumb: "h-2.5 w-2.5 data-[state=checked]:translate-x-2.5 data-[state=unchecked]:translate-x-0",
-    text: "text-xs transition",
+    text: "text-xs",
   },
 };
 
diff --git a/apps/webapp/app/components/runs/v3/RunFilters.tsx b/apps/webapp/app/components/runs/v3/RunFilters.tsx
index 357ed4d319..582141ce80 100644
--- a/apps/webapp/app/components/runs/v3/RunFilters.tsx
+++ b/apps/webapp/app/components/runs/v3/RunFilters.tsx
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ export const TaskRunListSearchFilters = z.object({
   bulkId: z.string().optional(),
   from: z.coerce.number().optional(),
   to: z.coerce.number().optional(),
-  showChildTasks: z.coerce.boolean().optional(),
+  rootOnly: z.coerce.boolean().optional(),
   batchId: z.string().optional(),
   runId: z.string().optional(),
   scheduleId: z.string().optional(),
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ type RunFiltersProps = {
     type: BulkActionType;
     createdAt: Date;
   }[];
+  rootOnlyDefault: boolean;
   hasFilters: boolean;
 };
 
@@ -141,16 +142,12 @@ export function RunsFilters(props: RunFiltersProps) {
   return (
     <div className="flex flex-row flex-wrap items-center gap-1">
       <FilterMenu {...props} />
-      <ShowChildTasksToggle />
+      <RootOnlyToggle defaultValue={props.rootOnlyDefault} />
       <AppliedFilters {...props} />
       {hasFilters && (
         <Form className="h-6">
-          {searchParams.has("showChildTasks") && (
-            <input
-              type="hidden"
-              name="showChildTasks"
-              value={searchParams.get("showChildTasks") as string}
-            />
+          {searchParams.has("rootOnly") && (
+            <input type="hidden" name="rootOnly" value={searchParams.get("rootOnly") as string} />
           )}
           <Button variant="minimal/small" LeadingIcon={TrashIcon}>
             Clear all
@@ -707,26 +704,27 @@ function AppliedTagsFilter() {
   );
 }
 
-function ShowChildTasksToggle() {
-  const { value, replace } = useSearchParams();
-
-  const showChildTasks = value("showChildTasks") === "true";
+function RootOnlyToggle({ defaultValue }: { defaultValue: boolean }) {
+  const { value, values, replace } = useSearchParams();
+  const searchValue = value("rootOnly");
+  const rootOnly = searchValue !== undefined ? searchValue === "true" : defaultValue;
 
   const batchId = value("batchId");
   const runId = value("runId");
   const scheduleId = value("scheduleId");
+  const tasks = values("tasks");
 
-  const disabled = !!batchId || !!runId || !!scheduleId;
+  const disabled = !!batchId || !!runId || !!scheduleId || tasks.length > 0;
 
   return (
     <Switch
       disabled={disabled}
       variant="small"
-      label="Show child runs"
-      checked={disabled ? true : showChildTasks}
+      label="Root only"
+      checked={disabled ? false : rootOnly}
       onCheckedChange={(checked) => {
         replace({
-          showChildTasks: checked ? "true" : undefined,
+          rootOnly: checked ? "true" : "false",
         });
       }}
     />
diff --git a/apps/webapp/app/presenters/v3/RunListPresenter.server.ts b/apps/webapp/app/presenters/v3/RunListPresenter.server.ts
index dfbd861f09..566a08703b 100644
--- a/apps/webapp/app/presenters/v3/RunListPresenter.server.ts
+++ b/apps/webapp/app/presenters/v3/RunListPresenter.server.ts
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ export class RunListPresenter extends BasePresenter {
     }
 
     //show all runs if we are filtering by batchId or runId
-    if (batchId || runId || scheduleId) {
+    if (batchId || runId || scheduleId || tasks?.length) {
       rootOnly = false;
     }
 
diff --git a/apps/webapp/app/routes/_app.orgs.$organizationSlug.projects.v3.$projectParam.runs._index/route.tsx b/apps/webapp/app/routes/_app.orgs.$organizationSlug.projects.v3.$projectParam.runs._index/route.tsx
index 1904084526..5b2bebefbd 100644
--- a/apps/webapp/app/routes/_app.orgs.$organizationSlug.projects.v3.$projectParam.runs._index/route.tsx
+++ b/apps/webapp/app/routes/_app.orgs.$organizationSlug.projects.v3.$projectParam.runs._index/route.tsx
@@ -35,9 +35,13 @@ import { TaskRunsTable } from "~/components/runs/v3/TaskRunsTable";
 import { BULK_ACTION_RUN_LIMIT } from "~/consts";
 import { useOrganization } from "~/hooks/useOrganizations";
 import { useProject } from "~/hooks/useProject";
-import { useUser } from "~/hooks/useUser";
 import { findProjectBySlug } from "~/models/project.server";
 import { RunListPresenter } from "~/presenters/v3/RunListPresenter.server";
+import {
+  getRootOnlyFilterPreference,
+  setRootOnlyFilterPreference,
+  uiPreferencesStorage,
+} from "~/services/preferences/uiPreferences.server";
 import { requireUserId } from "~/services/session.server";
 import { cn } from "~/utils/cn";
 import {
@@ -54,6 +58,14 @@ export const loader = async ({ request, params }: LoaderFunctionArgs) => {
   const { projectParam, organizationSlug } = ProjectParamSchema.parse(params);
 
   const url = new URL(request.url);
+
+  let rootOnlyValue = false;
+  if (url.searchParams.has("rootOnly")) {
+    rootOnlyValue = url.searchParams.get("rootOnly") === "true";
+  } else {
+    rootOnlyValue = await getRootOnlyFilterPreference(request);
+  }
+
   const s = {
     cursor: url.searchParams.get("cursor") ?? undefined,
     direction: url.searchParams.get("direction") ?? undefined,
@@ -65,7 +77,7 @@ export const loader = async ({ request, params }: LoaderFunctionArgs) => {
     tags: url.searchParams.getAll("tags").map((t) => decodeURIComponent(t)),
     from: url.searchParams.get("from") ?? undefined,
     to: url.searchParams.get("to") ?? undefined,
-    showChildTasks: url.searchParams.get("showChildTasks") === "true",
+    rootOnly: rootOnlyValue,
     runId: url.searchParams.get("runId") ?? undefined,
     batchId: url.searchParams.get("batchId") ?? undefined,
     scheduleId: url.searchParams.get("scheduleId") ?? undefined,
@@ -82,7 +94,7 @@ export const loader = async ({ request, params }: LoaderFunctionArgs) => {
     to,
     cursor,
     direction,
-    showChildTasks,
+    rootOnly,
     runId,
     batchId,
     scheduleId,
@@ -110,22 +122,32 @@ export const loader = async ({ request, params }: LoaderFunctionArgs) => {
     batchId,
     runId,
     scheduleId,
-    rootOnly: !showChildTasks,
+    rootOnly,
     direction: direction,
     cursor: cursor,
   });
 
-  return typeddefer({
-    data: list,
-  });
+  const session = await setRootOnlyFilterPreference(rootOnlyValue, request);
+  const cookieValue = await uiPreferencesStorage.commitSession(session);
+
+  return typeddefer(
+    {
+      data: list,
+      rootOnlyDefault: rootOnlyValue,
+    },
+    {
+      headers: {
+        "Set-Cookie": cookieValue,
+      },
+    }
+  );
 };
 
 export default function Page() {
-  const { data } = useTypedLoaderData<typeof loader>();
+  const { data, rootOnlyDefault } = useTypedLoaderData<typeof loader>();
   const navigation = useNavigation();
   const isLoading = navigation.state !== "idle";
   const project = useProject();
-  const user = useUser();
 
   return (
     <>
@@ -184,6 +206,7 @@ export default function Page() {
                               possibleTasks={list.possibleTasks}
                               bulkActions={list.bulkActions}
                               hasFilters={list.hasFilters}
+                              rootOnlyDefault={rootOnlyDefault}
                             />
                             <div className="flex items-center justify-end gap-x-2">
                               <ListPagination list={list} />
diff --git a/apps/webapp/app/services/preferences/uiPreferences.server.ts b/apps/webapp/app/services/preferences/uiPreferences.server.ts
index 5389c5d5fd..0d23a546c2 100644
--- a/apps/webapp/app/services/preferences/uiPreferences.server.ts
+++ b/apps/webapp/app/services/preferences/uiPreferences.server.ts
@@ -27,3 +27,18 @@ export async function setUsefulLinksPreference(show: boolean, request: Request)
   session.set("showUsefulLinks", show);
   return session;
 }
+
+export async function getRootOnlyFilterPreference(request: Request): Promise<boolean> {
+  const session = await getUiPreferencesSession(request);
+  const rootOnly = session.get("rootOnly");
+  if (rootOnly === undefined) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  return rootOnly;
+}
+
+export async function setRootOnlyFilterPreference(rootOnly: boolean, request: Request) {
+  const session = await getUiPreferencesSession(request);
+  session.set("rootOnly", rootOnly);
+  return session;
+}