diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/browser/debugActions.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/browser/debugActions.ts
index 1d35bf5ea6472c245c80a3afda96f028d731255c..f9b26e2ad3286579f7e53c5adf1a890031b86f71 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/browser/debugActions.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/browser/debugActions.ts
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ export class ConfigureAction extends AbstractDebugAction {
 			configurationManager.selectConfiguration(configurationManager.getLaunches()[0]);
 		}
 
-		return configurationManager.selectedConfiguration.launch.openConfigFile(sideBySide);
+		return configurationManager.selectedConfiguration.launch.openConfigFile(sideBySide, false);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/browser/debugCommands.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/browser/debugCommands.ts
index 7c09e489c3a7cc7bf0714715d327aedca3622db4..a827a84bb219aaf61216821277cb17e5581f5f9b 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/browser/debugCommands.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/browser/debugCommands.ts
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ export function registerCommands(): void {
 			}
 			const launch = manager.getLaunches().filter(l => l.uri.toString() === launchUri).pop() || manager.selectedConfiguration.launch;
 
-			return launch.openConfigFile(false).done(({ editor, created }) => {
+			return launch.openConfigFile(false, false).done(({ editor, created }) => {
 				if (editor && !created) {
 					const codeEditor = <ICodeEditor>editor.getControl();
 					if (codeEditor) {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/common/debug.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/common/debug.ts
index d832d738ecb602e8a2d15821e090196e169a3077..0c28a3e0db4e6f85250c3c4223fcf480fdfb248e 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/common/debug.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/common/debug.ts
@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@ export interface ILaunch {
 	/**
 	 * Opens the launch.json file. Creates if it does not exist.
 	 */
-	openConfigFile(sideBySide: boolean, type?: string): TPromise<{ editor: IEditor, created: boolean }>;
+	openConfigFile(sideBySide: boolean, preserveFocus: boolean, type?: string): TPromise<{ editor: IEditor, created: boolean }>;
 }
 
 // Debug service interfaces
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/electron-browser/debugConfigurationManager.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/electron-browser/debugConfigurationManager.ts
index 2d2fd7ce3bc994d20ea94d5df6f497fd5f457b03..2640da6c03a4c764ba6ad6bc845774d31fe21726 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/electron-browser/debugConfigurationManager.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/electron-browser/debugConfigurationManager.ts
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ class Launch implements ILaunch {
 		return config.configurations.filter(config => config && config.name === name).shift();
 	}
 
-	public openConfigFile(sideBySide: boolean, type?: string): TPromise<{ editor: IEditor, created: boolean }> {
+	public openConfigFile(sideBySide: boolean, preserveFocus: boolean, type?: string): TPromise<{ editor: IEditor, created: boolean }> {
 		const resource = this.uri;
 		let created = false;
 
@@ -487,6 +487,7 @@ class Launch implements ILaunch {
 				resource,
 				options: {
 					selection,
+					preserveFocus,
 					pinned: created,
 					revealIfVisible: true
 				},
@@ -521,8 +522,11 @@ class WorkspaceLaunch extends Launch implements ILaunch {
 		return this.configurationService.inspect<IGlobalConfig>('launch').workspace;
 	}
 
-	openConfigFile(sideBySide: boolean, type?: string): TPromise<{ editor: IEditor, created: boolean }> {
-		return this.editorService.openEditor({ resource: this.contextService.getWorkspace().configuration }).then(editor => ({ editor, created: false }));
+	openConfigFile(sideBySide: boolean, preserveFocus: boolean, type?: string): TPromise<{ editor: IEditor, created: boolean }> {
+		return this.editorService.openEditor({
+			resource: this.contextService.getWorkspace().configuration,
+			options: { preserveFocus }
+		}, sideBySide ? SIDE_GROUP : ACTIVE_GROUP).then(editor => ({ editor, created: false }));
 	}
 }
 
@@ -555,7 +559,7 @@ class UserLaunch extends Launch implements ILaunch {
 		return this.configurationService.inspect<IGlobalConfig>('launch').user;
 	}
 
-	openConfigFile(sideBySide: boolean, type?: string): TPromise<{ editor: IEditor, created: boolean }> {
-		return this.preferencesService.openGlobalSettings().then(editor => ({ editor, created: false }));
+	openConfigFile(sideBySide: boolean, preserveFocus: boolean, type?: string): TPromise<{ editor: IEditor, created: boolean }> {
+		return this.preferencesService.openGlobalSettings(false, { preserveFocus }).then(editor => ({ editor, created: false }));
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/electron-browser/debugService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/electron-browser/debugService.ts
index 182570ef159906f96143bf205dd85ea54fd40e78..21e321d5ea59742b95c2623131d31e0516e38f8e 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/electron-browser/debugService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/electron-browser/debugService.ts
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@ export class DebugService implements IDebugService {
 						}
 
 						if (launch && type) {
-							return launch.openConfigFile(false, type).done(undefined, errors.onUnexpectedError);
+							return launch.openConfigFile(false, true, type).done(undefined, errors.onUnexpectedError);
 						}
 					})
 				).then(() => undefined);
@@ -628,7 +628,7 @@ export class DebugService implements IDebugService {
 					return this.showError(nls.localize('noFolderWorkspaceDebugError', "The active file can not be debugged. Make sure it is saved on disk and that you have a debug extension installed for that file type."));
 				}
 
-				return launch && launch.openConfigFile(false).then(editor => void 0);
+				return launch && launch.openConfigFile(false, true).then(editor => void 0);
 			})
 		).then(() => {
 			this.initializing = false;