diff --git a/src/vs/platform/list/browser/listService.ts b/src/vs/platform/list/browser/listService.ts
index c885cca5e51..3847287678b 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/list/browser/listService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/list/browser/listService.ts
@@ -719,7 +719,11 @@ export class TreeResourceNavigator2<T, TFilterData> extends Disposable {
 		const isMouseEvent = e.browserEvent && e.browserEvent instanceof MouseEvent;
 
 		if (!isMouseEvent) {
-			this.open(true, false, false, e.browserEvent);
+			const preserveFocus = (e.browserEvent instanceof KeyboardEvent && typeof (<SelectionKeyboardEvent>e.browserEvent).preserveFocus === 'boolean') ?
+				!!(<SelectionKeyboardEvent>e.browserEvent).preserveFocus :
+				true;
+
+			this.open(preserveFocus, false, false, e.browserEvent);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/searchView.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/searchView.ts
index 242447cfc92..77335ea480e 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/searchView.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/searchView.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import { ITreeContextMenuEvent, ITreeElement } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/tree/tre
 import { IAction } from 'vs/base/common/actions';
 import { Delayer } from 'vs/base/common/async';
 import * as errors from 'vs/base/common/errors';
-import { Emitter, Event } from 'vs/base/common/event';
+import { Event } from 'vs/base/common/event';
 import { Iterator } from 'vs/base/common/iterator';
 import { KeyCode, KeyMod } from 'vs/base/common/keyCodes';
 import { dispose, IDisposable } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
@@ -117,7 +117,6 @@ export class SearchView extends ViewletPanel {
 
 	private currentSelectedFileMatch: FileMatch | undefined;
 
-	private readonly selectCurrentMatchEmitter: Emitter<string | undefined>;
 	private delayedRefresh: Delayer<void>;
 	private changedWhileHidden: boolean;
 
@@ -175,10 +174,6 @@ export class SearchView extends ViewletPanel {
 		this._register(this.contextService.onDidChangeWorkbenchState(() => this.onDidChangeWorkbenchState()));
 		this._register(this.searchHistoryService.onDidClearHistory(() => this.clearHistory()));
 
-		this.selectCurrentMatchEmitter = this._register(new Emitter<string>());
-		this._register(Event.debounce(this.selectCurrentMatchEmitter.event, (l, e) => e, 100, /*leading=*/true)
-			(() => this.selectCurrentMatch()));
-
 		this.delayedRefresh = this._register(new Delayer<void>(250));
 
 		this.actions = [
@@ -702,12 +697,6 @@ export class SearchView extends ViewletPanel {
 		});
 	}
 
-	selectCurrentMatch(): void {
-		const focused = this.tree.getFocus()[0];
-		const fakeKeyboardEvent = getSelectionKeyboardEvent(undefined, false);
-		this.tree.setSelection([focused], fakeKeyboardEvent);
-	}
-
 	selectNextMatch(): void {
 		const [selected] = this.tree.getSelection();
 
@@ -741,7 +730,6 @@ export class SearchView extends ViewletPanel {
 		if (next) {
 			this.tree.setFocus([next], getSelectionKeyboardEvent(undefined, false));
 			this.tree.reveal(next);
-			this.selectCurrentMatchEmitter.fire(undefined);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -781,7 +769,6 @@ export class SearchView extends ViewletPanel {
 		if (prev) {
 			this.tree.setFocus([prev], getSelectionKeyboardEvent(undefined, false));
 			this.tree.reveal(prev);
-			this.selectCurrentMatchEmitter.fire(undefined);
 		}
 	}