diff --git a/openide.explorer/apichanges.xml b/openide.explorer/apichanges.xml
--- a/openide.explorer/apichanges.xml
+++ b/openide.explorer/apichanges.xml
@@ -47,6 +47,17 @@
 <apidef name="explorer">Explorer API</apidef>
 </apidefs>
 <changes>
+    <change id="TreeView.setAutoWaitCursor">
+        <api name="explorer"/>
+        <summary><code>TreeView.setAutoWaitCursor</code> added.</summary>
+        <version major="6" minor="21"/>
+        <date day="14" month="10" year="2009"/>
+        <author login="t_h"/>
+        <compatibility binary="compatible" source="compatible" deprecation="no" deletion="no" addition="yes"/>
+        <description>Added method to control automatic setting of wait cursor when node is expanded.</description>
+        <class package="org.openide.explorer.view" name="TreeView"/>
+        <issue number="169353"/>
+    </change>
     <change id="CheckNodes">
         <api name="explorer"/>
         <summary>Support for check-boxes displayed next to node icons.</summary>
diff --git a/openide.explorer/nbproject/project.properties b/openide.explorer/nbproject/project.properties
--- a/openide.explorer/nbproject/project.properties
+++ b/openide.explorer/nbproject/project.properties
@@ -44,4 +44,4 @@
 javadoc.arch=${basedir}/arch.xml
 javadoc.apichanges=${basedir}/apichanges.xml
 
-spec.version.base=6.20.0
+spec.version.base=6.21.0
diff --git a/openide.explorer/src/org/openide/explorer/view/TreeView.java b/openide.explorer/src/org/openide/explorer/view/TreeView.java
--- a/openide.explorer/src/org/openide/explorer/view/TreeView.java
+++ b/openide.explorer/src/org/openide/explorer/view/TreeView.java
@@ -225,7 +225,10 @@
      * Defaults to false meaning prefix is used.
      */
     transient private boolean quickSearchUsingSubstring = false;
-    
+
+    /** wait cursor is shown automatically during expanding */
+    transient private boolean autoWaitCursor = true;
+
     /** Holds VisualizerChildren for all visible nodes */
     private final VisualizerHolder visHolder = new VisualizerHolder();
 
@@ -859,6 +862,15 @@
         return tree.getSelectionModel().getSelectionMode();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Controls automatic setting of wait cursor when node is expanded
+     * @param enable true if wait cursor should be shown automatically
+     * @since 6.21
+     */
+    public void setAutoWaitCursor(boolean enable) {
+        autoWaitCursor = enable;
+    }
+
     //
     // showing and removing the wait cursor
     //
@@ -901,8 +913,8 @@
 
     private void prepareWaitCursor(final Node node) {
         // check type of node
-        if (node == null) {
-            showWaitCursor(false);
+        if (node == null || !autoWaitCursor) {
+            return;
         }
 
         showWaitCursor(true);
@@ -1277,8 +1289,6 @@
         }
 
         public synchronized void treeCollapsed(final TreeExpansionEvent ev) {
-
-            showWaitCursor(false);
             class Request implements Runnable {
                 private TreePath path;