diff --git a/ftplugin/vimwiki.vim b/ftplugin/vimwiki.vim
index 6652b22..e628756 100644
--- a/ftplugin/vimwiki.vim
+++ b/ftplugin/vimwiki.vim
@@ -221,7 +221,11 @@ if !has('nvim')
       setlocal foldmethod=expr
       setlocal foldexpr=nuwiki#folding#expr()
       setlocal foldtext=nuwiki#folding#foldtext()
-      let b:undo_ftplugin .= ' | setlocal foldmethod< foldexpr< foldtext<'
+      " Start with every heading-block fold open; the user can still close
+      " them with `zc` and that state survives because `foldlevel` only
+      " controls the initial state, not subsequent manual fold operations.
+      setlocal foldlevel=99
+      let b:undo_ftplugin .= ' | setlocal foldmethod< foldexpr< foldtext< foldlevel<'
     endif
 
     " Text objects — vimwiki parity (matches lua/nuwiki/textobjects.lua).
diff --git a/lua/nuwiki/ftplugin.lua b/lua/nuwiki/ftplugin.lua
index 26d117a..f729560 100644
--- a/lua/nuwiki/ftplugin.lua
+++ b/lua/nuwiki/ftplugin.lua
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ local function setup_folding(bufnr, folding_mode)
   -- ftplugin). Also re-apply on any future split that views this
   -- buffer, so `<C-w>v` / `:split` preserves the fold method.
   apply()
+  -- Start with every heading-block fold open. `foldlevel` is window-local
+  -- but only sets the initial state; once the user closes folds with `zc`
+  -- those stay closed, so we don't re-apply this on BufWinEnter.
+  vim.opt_local.foldlevel = 99
   vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd('BufWinEnter', {
     buffer = bufnr,
     group = vim.api.nvim_create_augroup('nuwiki_folding_' .. bufnr, { clear = true }),
diff --git a/scripts/test-keymaps-vim.vim b/scripts/test-keymaps-vim.vim
index 328f6bd..5b7c401 100644
--- a/scripts/test-keymaps-vim.vim
+++ b/scripts/test-keymaps-vim.vim
@@ -300,6 +300,12 @@ call s:record(
       \ foldlevel(2) > 0 ? 1 : 0,
       \ 'folding.body_inherits_fold',
       \ 'foldlevel(2)=' . foldlevel(2))
+" ftplugin sets `foldlevel=99` so every heading-block fold starts open
+" rather than collapsed on file open.
+call s:record(
+      \ &l:foldlevel == 99 ? 1 : 0,
+      \ 'folding.starts_with_all_folds_open',
+      \ '&l:foldlevel=' . &l:foldlevel)
 
 " ===== Wrap up =====