diff --git a/src/vs/base/common/filters.ts b/src/vs/base/common/filters.ts
index d01c32668caf65d0dbe3f4ac92852acfd4a0238b..fe233f874bf84d4b23ddfa612c20ffd23ec33d6c 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/common/filters.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/common/filters.ts
@@ -549,7 +549,7 @@ export function fuzzyScore(pattern: string, patternLow: string, patternPos: numb
 	const patternStartPos = patternPos;
 	const wordStartPos = wordPos;
 
-	// There will be a mach, fill in tables
+	// There will be a match, fill in tables
 	for (patternPos = patternStartPos + 1; patternPos <= patternLen; patternPos++) {
 
 		for (wordPos = 1; wordPos <= wordLen; wordPos++) {
@@ -573,6 +573,11 @@ export function fuzzyScore(pattern: string, patternLow: string, patternPos: numb
 					} else {
 						score = 5;
 					}
+				} else if (isSeparatorAtPos(wordLow, wordPos - 1) && (wordPos === 1 || !isSeparatorAtPos(wordLow, wordPos - 2))) {
+					// hitting a separator: `. <-> foo.bar`
+					//                                ^
+					score = 5;
+
 				} else if (isSeparatorAtPos(wordLow, wordPos - 2) || isWhitespaceAtPos(wordLow, wordPos - 2)) {
 					// post separator: `foo <-> bar_foo`
 					//                              ^^^
diff --git a/src/vs/base/test/common/filters.test.ts b/src/vs/base/test/common/filters.test.ts
index 25cc50d57804338d34cc45f895b6ea54b28c8f94..42b741436610bc857a7d86bacea9d6ebbb249ebd 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/test/common/filters.test.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/test/common/filters.test.ts
@@ -366,6 +366,10 @@ suite('Filters', () => {
 		assertMatches('f', ':foo', ':^foo', fuzzyScore);
 	});
 
+	test('Separator only match should not be weak #79558', function () {
+		assertMatches('.', 'foo.bar', 'foo^.bar', fuzzyScore);
+	});
+
 	test('Cannot set property \'1\' of undefined, #26511', function () {
 		let word = new Array<void>(123).join('a');
 		let pattern = new Array<void>(120).join('a');