diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index e6fef950c522..458c40d55d87 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ instead of just string ([#516](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/516))
- New icons for `logoGithub` and `logoSketch` ([#494](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/494))
- `EuiCard` now has an `href` and `isClickable` prop for better handling hover animations. ([#494](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/494))
- Added `calculateContrast` and `rgbToHex` to services ([#494](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/494))
+- Add ability to force `EuiSideNav` items open by setting `item.forceOpen`. ([#497](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/515))
**Bug fixes**
diff --git a/src-docs/src/views/side_nav/side_nav_example.js b/src-docs/src/views/side_nav/side_nav_example.js
index 0496fb5949ac..bbf1e3599a1d 100644
--- a/src-docs/src/views/side_nav/side_nav_example.js
+++ b/src-docs/src/views/side_nav/side_nav_example.js
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ import SideNavComplex from './side_nav_complex';
const sideNavComplexSource = require('!!raw-loader!./side_nav_complex');
const sideNavComplexHtml = renderToHtml(SideNavComplex);
+import SideNavForceOpen from './side_nav_force_open';
+const sideNavForceOpenSource = require('!!raw-loader!./side_nav_force_open');
+const sideNavForceOpenHtml = renderToHtml(SideNavForceOpen);
+
export const SideNavExample = {
title: 'Side Nav',
sections: [{
@@ -34,12 +38,12 @@ export const SideNavExample = {
SideNav is a responsive menu system that usually sits on the left side of a page layout.
It will exapand to the width of its container. This is the menu that is used on the left side of the
- page you are looking at.
+ page you are currently looking at.
Configure the content of a SideNav by passing in an items prop.
- Referring to the source code for an example of this data structure’s anatomy.
+ Refer to the source code for an example of this data structure’s anatomy.