diff --git a/linopy/expressions.py b/linopy/expressions.py
index 827a319a..083e673f 100644
--- a/linopy/expressions.py
+++ b/linopy/expressions.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 from typing import (
     TYPE_CHECKING,
     Any,
+    Literal,
     Self,
     TypeAlias,
     TypeVar,
@@ -2496,6 +2497,17 @@ def const(self) -> DataArray:
     def const(self, value: DataArray) -> None:
         self._data = assign_multiindex_safe(self.data, const=value)
 
+    @property
+    def has_terms(self) -> DataArray:
+        """Check live variable terms directly from sparse rows."""
+        csr = self._csr
+        if csr is None:
+            return super().has_terms
+        present = ~np.isnan(csr.const)
+        return csr.grid.dataarray(
+            present & (np.diff(csr.csr.indptr) > 0), name="has_terms"
+        )
+
     def _combined_with_constant(
         self,
         self_const: DataArray,
@@ -2986,6 +2998,23 @@ def rename(
             return type(self)._from_csr(csr.renamed(relabel), self._model)
         return super().rename(name_dict)
 
+    def drop_vars(
+        self,
+        names: str | Iterable[Hashable] | Callable[[Dataset], str | Iterable[Hashable]],
+        *,
+        errors: Literal["raise", "ignore"] = "raise",
+    ) -> Self:
+        """Drop auxiliary coordinates without materializing sparse terms."""
+        csr = self._csr
+        if csr is None or callable(names):
+            return super().drop_vars(names, errors=errors)
+        names = [names] if isinstance(names, str) else list(names)
+        if set(names) & (set(csr.grid.dims) | {"coeffs", "vars", "const"}):
+            return super().drop_vars(names, errors=errors)
+        coords = csr.grid.to_dataset().drop_vars(names, errors=errors)
+        grid = Grid.from_dataset(coords, csr.grid.dims)
+        return type(self)._from_csr(replace(csr, grid=grid), self._model)
+
     def to_quadexpr(self) -> QuadraticExpression:
         """Convert LinearExpression to QuadraticExpression."""
         vars = self.data.vars.expand_dims(FACTOR_DIM)
diff --git a/test/test_csr.py b/test/test_csr.py
index a3349105..ff66cb4c 100644
--- a/test/test_csr.py
+++ b/test/test_csr.py
@@ -1559,6 +1559,7 @@ def dense_build(build: str) -> LinearExpression:
     "coords": lambda e: xr.Dataset(coords=e.coords),
     "indexes": lambda e: {k: list(v) for k, v in e.indexes.items()},
     "isnull": lambda e: e.isnull(),
+    "has_terms": lambda e: e.has_terms,
     "repr": lambda e: repr(e).splitlines()[2:],
 }
 
@@ -1588,6 +1589,44 @@ def test_is_sparse_tracks_backing_and_repr_marks_it() -> None:
     assert not (1.0 * c.gen_p).is_sparse
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("build", list(SPARSE_BUILDS))
+def test_drop_aux_coordinates_preserves_sparse_backing(build: str) -> None:
+    """
+    Dropping auxiliary coordinates must preserve terms and sparse storage.
+
+    Failures: auxiliary coordinates survive, missing ignored names densify,
+    the source is mutated, or dropping coordinates changes expression values.
+    """
+    require_v1()
+    sparse, dense = sparse_and_dense(build)
+    names = [str(n) for n in sparse.coords if n not in sparse.coord_dims]
+    names.append("missing-coordinate")
+    result = sparse.drop_vars(names, errors="ignore")
+    expected = dense.drop_vars(names, errors="ignore")
+    assert result.is_sparse
+    assert sparse.is_sparse
+    assert not set(names) & set(result.coords)
+    assert_linequal(result, expected)
+
+
+def test_drop_missing_coordinate_raises_without_densifying() -> None:
+    """A missing coordinate must raise the xarray error without materializing terms."""
+    require_v1()
+    sparse, _ = sparse_and_dense("grouped")
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="cannot be found"):
+        sparse.drop_vars("missing-coordinate")
+    assert sparse.is_sparse
+
+
+def test_has_terms_counts_explicit_zero_coefficients() -> None:
+    """Zero coefficients still reference variables and must count as terms."""
+    require_v1()
+    c = base_model(sparse=True)
+    expression = (0.0 * c.gen_p).groupby(c.gbus).sum()
+    assert expression.has_terms.all().item()
+    assert expression.is_sparse
+
+
 def add_chunked(e: LinearExpression, c: Case) -> Any:
     chunked = base_model()
     chunked.m.chunk = {"bus": 2}