Workaround: private void RadForm1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e) { this.categoriesTableAdapter.Fill(this.nwindDataSet.Categories); this.productsTableAdapter.Fill(this.nwindDataSet.Products); radGridView1.AutoGenerateHierarchy = true; radGridView1.DataSource = this.nwindDataSet; radGridView1.DataMember = "Categories"; radGridView1.Rows[0].IsExpanded = !radGridView1.Rows[0].IsExpanded; radGridView1.Rows[0].IsExpanded = !radGridView1.Rows[0].IsExpanded; } Image expandedSign; Image collapsedSign; private void radGridView1_ViewCellFormatting(object sender, CellFormattingEventArgs e) { GridGroupExpanderCellElement expanderCell = e.CellElement as GridGroupExpanderCellElement; if (expanderCell != null) { if (expandedSign == null && expanderCell.Expander.SignImage != null && e.Row.IsExpanded == false) { expandedSign = expanderCell.Expander.SignImage.Clone() as Image; } if (collapsedSign == null && expanderCell.Expander.SignImage != null && e.Row.IsExpanded == true) { collapsedSign = expanderCell.Expander.SignImage.Clone() as Image; } if (expandedSign != null && collapsedSign != null) { expanderCell.Expander.SignImage = null; } if (e.Row.IsExpanded) { expanderCell.Expander.Image = collapsedSign; } else { expanderCell.Expander.Image = expandedSign; } expanderCell.Expander.ImageLayout = ImageLayout.None; expanderCell.Expander.DrawImage = true; expanderCell.Expander.ImageAlignment = ContentAlignment.TopLeft; } }