diff --git a/plugins/projectmanagerview/projecttreeview.h b/plugins/projectmanagerview/projecttreeview.h
--- a/plugins/projectmanagerview/projecttreeview.h
+++ b/plugins/projectmanagerview/projecttreeview.h
@@ -23,13 +23,17 @@
 
 #include <QTreeView>
 #include <QPointer>
+#include <QBasicTimer>
+
+#include <stack>
 
 class QAbstractProxyModel;
 
 namespace KDevelop
 {
 class IProject;
 class ProjectBaseItem;
+class ProjectFolderItem;
 class Path;
 }
 
@@ -58,6 +62,9 @@
 
     protected:
         void keyPressEvent(QKeyEvent *event) override;
+        void timerEvent(QTimerEvent *event) override;
+        void dragMoveEvent(QDragMoveEvent *event) override;
+        void dragLeaveEvent(QDragLeaveEvent *event) override;
         void dropEvent(QDropEvent* event) override;
         void drawBranches(QPainter* painter, const QRect& rect, const QModelIndex& index) const override;
 
@@ -68,6 +75,11 @@
         KDevelop::IProject* getCurrentProject();
 
         QPointer<KDevelop::IProject> m_previousSelection;
+
+        // drag'n'drop implementation
+        QBasicTimer expandTimer;
+        KDevelop::ProjectFolderItem *curExpandTarget;
+        std::stack<KDevelop::ProjectFolderItem*> expandStack;
 };
 
 #endif // KDEVPLATFORM_PLUGIN_PROJECTTREEVIEW_H
diff --git a/plugins/projectmanagerview/projecttreeview.cpp b/plugins/projectmanagerview/projecttreeview.cpp
--- a/plugins/projectmanagerview/projecttreeview.cpp
+++ b/plugins/projectmanagerview/projecttreeview.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@
 #include <QHeaderView>
 #include <QMenu>
 #include <QPainter>
+#include <QScrollBar>
+#include <QAbstractItemView>
 
 #include <KConfigGroup>
 #include <KLocalizedString>
@@ -52,6 +54,7 @@
 #include <project/projectutils.h>
 #include <widgetcolorizer.h>
 
+
 using namespace KDevelop;
 
 namespace {
@@ -123,7 +126,8 @@
     setDragEnabled(true);
     setDragDropMode(QAbstractItemView::InternalMove);
     setAutoScroll(true);
-    setAutoExpandDelay(300);
+    setAutoScrollMargin(32);
+    setAutoExpandDelay(400);
     setItemDelegate(new ProjectModelItemDelegate(this));
 
     connect( this, &ProjectTreeView::customContextMenuRequested, this, &ProjectTreeView::popupContextMenu );
@@ -146,6 +150,74 @@
     return indexAt(pos).data(ProjectModel::ProjectItemRole).value<ProjectBaseItem*>();
 }
 
+void ProjectTreeView::timerEvent(QTimerEvent *event) {
+    if (event->timerId() == expandTimer.timerId()) {
+        expandTimer.stop();
+        auto expandTargetItem = mapFromItem(curExpandTarget);
+        expand(expandTargetItem);
+
+        auto isDescendant = [](ProjectBaseItem *needle, ProjectBaseItem *haystack) {
+            while (needle) {
+                if (needle->parent() == haystack) {
+                    return true;
+                }
+                needle = needle->parent();
+            }
+            return false;
+        };
+
+        // collapse unneeded previously opened folders
+        int prevTargetPos = visualRect(expandTargetItem).top();
+        while (!expandStack.empty() && !isDescendant(curExpandTarget, expandStack.top())) {
+            collapse(mapFromItem(expandStack.top()));
+            expandStack.pop();
+        }
+
+        // try to return the expanded folder back to the mouse cursor if the folder has shifted
+        int curTargetPos = visualRect(expandTargetItem).top();
+        int targtPosChange = curTargetPos - prevTargetPos;
+        ScrollMode prevMode = verticalScrollMode();
+        setVerticalScrollMode(QAbstractItemView::ScrollPerPixel);
+        verticalScrollBar()->setValue(verticalScrollBar()->value() + targtPosChange);
+        setVerticalScrollMode(prevMode);
+
+        expandStack.push(curExpandTarget);
+        curExpandTarget = nullptr;
+    } else {
+        QTreeView::timerEvent(event);
+    }
+}
+
+void ProjectTreeView::dragMoveEvent(QDragMoveEvent *event)
+{
+    ProjectBaseItem *destItem = itemAtPos(event->pos());
+    if (destItem && dropIndicatorPosition() == OnItem) {
+        ProjectFolderItem *folder = destItem->folder();
+        bool canExpand = folder && !isExpanded(mapFromItem(folder)) && autoExpandDelay() >= 0;
+        bool expandTargetNotChanged = folder && folder == curExpandTarget;
+        if (folder != curExpandTarget && canExpand) {
+            curExpandTarget = folder;
+            expandTimer.start(autoExpandDelay(), this);
+        } else if (!expandTargetNotChanged)  {
+            expandTimer.stop();
+            curExpandTarget = nullptr;
+        }
+    } else {
+        expandTimer.stop();
+        curExpandTarget = nullptr;
+    }
+    QAbstractItemView::dragMoveEvent(event);
+}
+
+void ProjectTreeView::dragLeaveEvent(QDragLeaveEvent *event)
+{
+    while (!expandStack.empty()) {
+        collapse(mapFromItem(expandStack.top()));
+        expandStack.pop();
+    }
+    QTreeView::dragLeaveEvent(event);
+}
+
 void ProjectTreeView::dropEvent(QDropEvent* event)
 {
     ProjectItemContext* selectionCtxt =
@@ -251,6 +323,11 @@
             }
         }
     }
+
+    if (!expandStack.empty()) {
+        expandStack = std::stack<ProjectFolderItem*>();
+    }
+
     event->accept();
 }