diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/searchView.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/searchView.ts
index baa12121c5d..61e407deeaa 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/searchView.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/searchView.ts
@@ -1543,7 +1543,7 @@ export class SearchView extends ViewPane {
 
 			if (this.searchConfig.enableSearchEditorPreview) {
 				dom.append(messageEl, $('span', undefined, resultMsg + ' - '));
-				const span = dom.append(messageEl, $('span', undefined));
+				const span = dom.append(messageEl, $('span'));
 				const openInEditorLink = dom.append(span, $('a.pointer.prominent', undefined, nls.localize('openInEditor.message', "Open in editor")));
 
 				openInEditorLink.title = appendKeyBindingLabel(
@@ -1556,7 +1556,7 @@ export class SearchView extends ViewPane {
 				}));
 
 			} else {
-				dom.append(messageEl, $('p', undefined, resultMsg));
+				dom.append(messageEl, $('span', undefined, resultMsg));
 			}
 			this.reLayout();
 		} else if (!msgWasHidden) {
diff --git a/test/automation/src/search.ts b/test/automation/src/search.ts
index 8f7767802f5..91b986038d5 100644
--- a/test/automation/src/search.ts
+++ b/test/automation/src/search.ts
@@ -109,11 +109,12 @@ export class Search extends Viewlet {
 	}
 
 	async waitForResultText(text: string): Promise<void> {
-		await this.code.waitForTextContent(`${VIEWLET} .messages .message>p`, text);
+		// The label can end with " - " depending on whether the search editor is enabled
+		await this.code.waitForTextContent(`${VIEWLET} .messages .message>span`, undefined, result => result.startsWith(text));
 	}
 
 	async waitForNoResultText(): Promise<void> {
-		await this.code.waitForElement(`${VIEWLET} .messages[aria-hidden="true"] .message>p`);
+		await this.code.waitForElement(`${VIEWLET} .messages[aria-hidden="true"] .message>span`);
 	}
 
 	private async waitForInputFocus(selector: string): Promise<void> {