diff --git a/src/murfey/server/api/session_shared.py b/src/murfey/server/api/session_shared.py
index 644b9b35..3a9955fa 100644
--- a/src/murfey/server/api/session_shared.py
+++ b/src/murfey/server/api/session_shared.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import logging
+import os
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Dict, List
 
@@ -136,11 +137,48 @@ def get_foil_hole(session_id: int, fh_name: int, db) -> Dict[str, int]:
     return {f[1].tag: f[0].id for f in foil_holes}
 
 
-def find_upstream_visits(session_id: int, db: SQLModelSession):
+def find_upstream_visits(session_id: int, db: SQLModelSession, max_depth: int = 2):
     """
     Returns a nested dictionary, in which visits and the full paths to their directories
     are further grouped by instrument name.
     """
+
+    def _recursive_search(
+        dirpath: str | Path,
+        search_string: str,
+        partial_match: bool = True,
+        max_depth: int = 1,
+        result: dict[str, Path] | None = None,
+    ):
+        # If no dictionary was passed in, create a new dictionary
+        if result is None:
+            result = {}
+        # Stop recursing for this route once max depth hits 0
+        if max_depth == 0:
+            return result
+
+        # Walk through the directories
+        for entry in os.scandir(dirpath):
+            if entry.is_dir():
+                # Update dictionary with match and stop recursing for this route
+                if (
+                    search_string in entry.name
+                    if partial_match
+                    else search_string == entry.name
+                ):
+                    if result is not None:  # MyPy needs this 'is not None' check
+                        result[entry.name] = Path(entry.path)
+                else:
+                    # Continue searching down this route until max depth is reached
+                    result = _recursive_search(
+                        dirpath=entry.path,
+                        search_string=search_string,
+                        partial_match=partial_match,
+                        max_depth=max_depth - 1,
+                        result=result,
+                    )
+        return result
+
     murfey_session = db.exec(
         select(MurfeySession).where(MurfeySession.id == session_id)
     ).one()
@@ -155,12 +193,13 @@ def find_upstream_visits(session_id: int, db: SQLModelSession):
         upstream_instrument,
         upstream_data_dir,
     ) in machine_config.upstream_data_directories.items():
-        # Looks for visit name in file path
-        current_upstream_visits = {}
-        for visit_path in Path(upstream_data_dir).glob(f"{visit_name.split('-')[0]}-*"):
-            if visit_path.is_dir():
-                current_upstream_visits[visit_path.name] = visit_path
-        upstream_visits[upstream_instrument] = current_upstream_visits
+        # Recursively look for matching visit names under current directory
+        upstream_visits[upstream_instrument] = _recursive_search(
+            dirpath=upstream_data_dir,
+            search_string=f"{visit_name.split('-')[0]}-",
+            partial_match=True,
+            max_depth=max_depth,
+        )
     return upstream_visits
 
 
diff --git a/tests/server/api/test_session_shared.py b/tests/server/api/test_session_shared.py
index c0f4c109..67db321d 100644
--- a/tests/server/api/test_session_shared.py
+++ b/tests/server/api/test_session_shared.py
@@ -9,10 +9,11 @@
 from tests.conftest import ExampleVisit
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("recurse", (True, False))
 def test_find_upstream_visits(
     mocker: MockerFixture,
     tmp_path: Path,
-    # murfey_db_session,
+    recurse: bool,
 ):
     # Get the visit, instrument name, and session ID
     visit_name_root = f"{ExampleVisit.proposal_code}{ExampleVisit.proposal_number}"
@@ -40,7 +41,10 @@ def test_find_upstream_visits(
             # Only directories should be picked up
             upstream_visit.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
             upstream_visits[upstream_instrument] = {upstream_visit.stem: upstream_visit}
-            upstream_data_dirs[upstream_instrument] = upstream_visit.parent
+            # Check that the function can cope with recursive searching
+            upstream_data_dirs[upstream_instrument] = (
+                upstream_visit.parent.parent if recurse else upstream_visit.parent
+            )
         else:
             upstream_visit.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
             upstream_visit.touch(exist_ok=True)