diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/search.contribution.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/search.contribution.ts
index f5606437005cc5715e374a27691fff6de581d477..933a9af7c49eb289c5b41786139c99dd8cbd5eba 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/search.contribution.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/search.contribution.ts
@@ -854,8 +854,8 @@ configurationRegistry.registerConfiguration({
 		},
 		'search.searchEditor.defaultNumberOfContextLines': {
 			type: ['number', 'null'],
-			default: null,
-			markdownDescription: nls.localize('search.searchEditor.defaultNumberOfContextLines', "The default number of surrounding context lines to use when creating new Search Editors with `Search Editor: Open new Search Editor` and `Search Editor: Open new Search Editor to the Side`. If defined, this overrides `#search.searchEditor.reusePriorSearchConfiguration#`.")
+			default: 1,
+			markdownDescription: nls.localize('search.searchEditor.defaultNumberOfContextLines', "The default number of surrounding context lines to use when creating new Search Editors. If using `#search.searchEditor.reusePriorSearchConfiguration#`, this can be set to `null` (empty) to use the prior Search Editor's configuration.")
 		},
 		'search.sortOrder': {
 			'type': 'string',
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/searchWidget.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/searchWidget.ts
index 65eaa29d0857df63e10d9e4449c456fe7b6a2923..61b1666716c550ba6a180b8b73049bfa6483df0f 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/searchWidget.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/searchWidget.ts
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ export class SearchWidget extends Widget {
 		if (options.showContextToggle) {
 			this.contextLinesInput = new InputBox(searchInputContainer, this.contextViewService, { type: 'number' });
 			dom.addClass(this.contextLinesInput.element, 'context-lines-input');
-			this.contextLinesInput.value = '2';
+			this.contextLinesInput.value = '' + (this.configurationService.getValue<ISearchConfigurationProperties>('search').searchEditor.defaultNumberOfContextLines ?? 1);
 			this._register(this.contextLinesInput.onDidChange(() => this.onContextLinesChanged()));
 			this._register(attachInputBoxStyler(this.contextLinesInput, this.themeService));
 			dom.append(searchInputContainer, this.showContextCheckbox.domNode);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/searchEditor/browser/searchEditorActions.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/searchEditor/browser/searchEditorActions.ts
index 9eb6ccf25e81ec4b94999ce009d164cd1e7ec38e..0b202a5b0622c525797be668c424046019bb5cb7 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/searchEditor/browser/searchEditorActions.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/searchEditor/browser/searchEditorActions.ts
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ export const createEditorFromSearchResult =
 		const telemetryService = accessor.get(ITelemetryService);
 		const instantiationService = accessor.get(IInstantiationService);
 		const labelService = accessor.get(ILabelService);
+		const configurationService = accessor.get(IConfigurationService);
 
 
 		telemetryService.publicLog2('searchEditor/createEditorFromSearchResult');
@@ -171,8 +172,15 @@ export const createEditorFromSearchResult =
 		const labelFormatter = (uri: URI): string => labelService.getUriLabel(uri, { relative: true });
 
 		const { text, matchRanges, config } = serializeSearchResultForEditor(searchResult, rawIncludePattern, rawExcludePattern, 0, labelFormatter);
+		const contextLines = configurationService.getValue<ISearchConfigurationProperties>('search').searchEditor.defaultNumberOfContextLines;
 
-		const input = instantiationService.invokeFunction(getOrMakeSearchEditorInput, { text, config });
-		await editorService.openEditor(input, { pinned: true });
-		input.setMatchRanges(matchRanges);
+		if (searchResult.isDirty || contextLines === 0 || contextLines === null) {
+			const input = instantiationService.invokeFunction(getOrMakeSearchEditorInput, { text, config });
+			await editorService.openEditor(input, { pinned: true });
+			input.setMatchRanges(matchRanges);
+		} else {
+			const input = instantiationService.invokeFunction(getOrMakeSearchEditorInput, { text: '', config: { ...config, contextLines } });
+			const editor = await editorService.openEditor(input, { pinned: true }) as SearchEditor;
+			editor.triggerSearch({ focusResults: true });
+		}
 	};