diff --git a/src/registrar/templates/application_sidebar.html b/src/registrar/templates/application_sidebar.html
index da55a623e..ea26e5662 100644
--- a/src/registrar/templates/application_sidebar.html
+++ b/src/registrar/templates/application_sidebar.html
@@ -4,27 +4,26 @@
   <nav aria-label="Form steps,">
     <ul class="usa-sidenav">
     {% for this_step in steps.all %}
+      {% if this_step in visited %}
       <li class="usa-sidenav__item sidenav__step--locked">
-      {% if this_step == steps.current %}
+        <span>
+          {% if not this_step == steps.current %}
+            {% if this_step != "review" %}
+              <svg class="usa-icon text-green" aria-hidden="true" focsuable="false" role="img" width="24" height="24">
+                <title id="checked-step__{{forloop.counter}}">Checked mark</title>
+                <use xlink:href="{%static 'img/sprite.svg'%}#check_circle"></use>
+              </svg>
+            {% endif %}
+          {% endif %}
         <a href="{% namespaced_url 'application' this_step %}" 
+           {% if this_step == steps.current %}
            class="usa-current"
-        >
+           {% else %}
+           class="link_usa-checked"
+           {% endif%}>
           {{ form_titles|get_item:this_step }}
         </a>
-      {% elif this_step in visited %}
-        <span>
-          {% if this_step != "review" %}
-            <svg class="usa-icon text-green" aria-hidden="true" focsuable="false" role="img" width="24" height="24">
-              <title id="checked-step__{{forloop.counter}}">Checked mark</title>
-              <use xlink:href="{%static 'img/sprite.svg'%}#check_circle"></use>
-            </svg>
-          {% endif %}
-          <a href="{% namespaced_url 'application' this_step %}" 
-            class="link_usa-checked"
-          >
-            {{ form_titles|get_item:this_step }}
-          </a>
-        </span>
+      </span>
       {% else %}
         <li class="usa-sidenav__item sidenav__step--locked">
           <span>
@@ -40,4 +39,4 @@
     {% endfor %}
     </ul>
   </nav>
-</div>
+</div>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/registrar/tests/test_views.py b/src/registrar/tests/test_views.py
index c12f58bbf..8c992036f 100644
--- a/src/registrar/tests/test_views.py
+++ b/src/registrar/tests/test_views.py
@@ -2387,23 +2387,7 @@ class TestWizardUnlockingSteps(TestWithUser, WebTest):
     def test_unlocked_steps_empty_application(self):
         """Test when all fields in the application are empty."""
         unlocked_steps = self.wizard.db_check_for_unlocking_steps()
-        expected_dict = {
-            "about_your_organization": False,
-            "anything_else": False,
-            "authorizing_official": False,
-            "current_sites": False,
-            "dotgov_domain": False,
-            "organization_contact": False,
-            "organization_election": False,
-            "organization_federal": False,
-            "organization_type": False,
-            "other_contacts": False,
-            "purpose": False,
-            "requirements": False,
-            "review": False,
-            "tribal_government": False,
-            "your_contact": False,
-        }
+        expected_dict = []
         self.assertEqual(unlocked_steps, expected_dict)
 
     def test_unlocked_steps_full_application(self):
diff --git a/src/registrar/views/application.py b/src/registrar/views/application.py
index 326471b29..a6b9134d4 100644
--- a/src/registrar/views/application.py
+++ b/src/registrar/views/application.py
@@ -215,6 +215,7 @@ class ApplicationWizard(ApplicationWizardPermissionView, TemplateView):
         if current_url == self.EDIT_URL_NAME and "id" in kwargs:
             del self.storage
             self.storage["application_id"] = kwargs["id"]
+            self.storage["step_history"] = self.db_check_for_unlocking_steps()
 
         # if accessing this class directly, redirect to the first step
         #     in other words, if `ApplicationWizard` is called as view
@@ -338,7 +339,7 @@ class ApplicationWizard(ApplicationWizardPermissionView, TemplateView):
         """Helper for get_context_data
 
         Queries the DB for an application and returns a dict for unlocked steps."""
-        return {
+        history_dict = {
             "organization_type": bool(self.application.organization_type),
             "tribal_government": bool(self.application.tribe_name),
             "organization_federal": bool(self.application.federal_type),
@@ -367,6 +368,7 @@ class ApplicationWizard(ApplicationWizardPermissionView, TemplateView):
             "requirements": bool(self.application.is_policy_acknowledged),
             "review": bool(self.application.is_policy_acknowledged),
         }
+        return [key for key, value in history_dict.items() if value]
 
     def get_context_data(self):
         """Define context for access on all wizard pages."""
@@ -378,25 +380,11 @@ class ApplicationWizard(ApplicationWizardPermissionView, TemplateView):
         else:
             modal_heading = "You are about to submit an incomplete request"
 
-        unlocked_steps_list = [key for key, value in self.db_check_for_unlocking_steps().items() if value]
-
-        # History captures the ephemeral activation of the current step
-        # We want to add that to our unlocked steps so that users can navigate to another
-        # step than back to the empty form step.
-        step_history_set = set(self.storage.get("step_history", []))
-        unlocked_steps_set = set(unlocked_steps_list)
-
-        # Find the elements in step_history_set that are not in unlocked_steps_set
-        new_elements = step_history_set - unlocked_steps_set
-
-        # Add the new elements to unlocked_steps_list
-        unlocked_steps_list.extend(new_elements)
-
         return {
             "form_titles": self.TITLES,
             "steps": self.steps,
             # Add information about which steps should be unlocked
-            "visited": unlocked_steps_list,
+            "visited": self.storage.get("step_history", []),
             "is_federal": self.application.is_federal(),
             "modal_button": modal_button,
             "modal_heading": modal_heading,