diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/files/browser/views/explorerView.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/files/browser/views/explorerView.ts
index 334a3cd7f900a418b747fffa9445c29e900a0f7f..3818224642c77bb64bb1e39a054c27eac3519a05 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/files/browser/views/explorerView.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/files/browser/views/explorerView.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 import * as nls from 'vs/nls';
 import { URI } from 'vs/base/common/uri';
 import * as perf from 'vs/base/common/performance';
-import { sequence } from 'vs/base/common/async';
 import { Action, IAction } from 'vs/base/common/actions';
 import { memoize } from 'vs/base/common/decorators';
 import { IFilesConfiguration, ExplorerFolderContext, FilesExplorerFocusedContext, ExplorerFocusedContext, ExplorerRootContext, ExplorerResourceReadonlyContext, IExplorerService, ExplorerResourceCut } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/files/common/files';
@@ -49,6 +48,7 @@ import { IClipboardService } from 'vs/platform/clipboard/common/clipboardService
 import { isMacintosh } from 'vs/base/common/platform';
 import { KeyCode } from 'vs/base/common/keyCodes';
 import { StandardKeyboardEvent } from 'vs/base/browser/keyboardEvent';
+import { isEqualOrParent } from 'vs/base/common/resources';
 
 export class ExplorerView extends ViewletPanel {
 	static readonly ID: string = 'workbench.explorer.fileView';
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ export class ExplorerView extends ViewletPanel {
 				this.tree.domFocus();
 			}
 		}));
-		this.disposables.push(this.explorerService.onDidSelectItem(e => this.onSelectItem(e.item, e.reveal)));
+		this.disposables.push(this.explorerService.onDidSelectResource(e => this.onSelectResource(e.resource, e.reveal)));
 		this.disposables.push(this.explorerService.onDidCopyItems(e => this.onCopyItems(e.items, e.cut, e.previouslyCutItems)));
 
 		// Update configuration
@@ -507,27 +507,35 @@ export class ExplorerView extends ViewletPanel {
 		return toResource(input, { supportSideBySide: true });
 	}
 
-	private onSelectItem(fileStat: ExplorerItem, reveal = this.autoReveal): Promise<void> {
-		if (!fileStat || !this.isBodyVisible() || this.tree.getInput() === fileStat) {
-			return Promise.resolve(undefined);
+	private onSelectResource(resource: URI, reveal = this.autoReveal): void {
+		if (!resource || !this.isBodyVisible()) {
+			return;
 		}
 
 		// Expand all stats in the parent chain
-		const toExpand: ExplorerItem[] = [];
-		let parent = fileStat.parent;
-		while (parent) {
-			toExpand.push(parent);
-			parent = parent.parent;
-		}
-
-		return sequence(toExpand.reverse().map(s => () => this.tree.expand(s))).then(() => {
-			if (reveal) {
-				this.tree.reveal(fileStat, 0.5);
-			}
+		const root = this.explorerService.roots.filter(r => isEqualOrParent(resource, r.resource)).pop();
+		if (root) {
+			const traverse = async (item: ExplorerItem) => {
+				if (item.resource.toString() === resource.toString()) {
+					if (reveal) {
+						this.tree.reveal(item, 0.5);
+					}
 
-			this.tree.setFocus([fileStat]);
-			this.tree.setSelection([fileStat]);
-		});
+					this.tree.setFocus([item]);
+					this.tree.setSelection([item]);
+				} else {
+					await this.tree.expand(item);
+					let found = false;
+					item.children.forEach(async child => {
+						if (!found && isEqualOrParent(resource, child.resource)) {
+							found = true;
+							await traverse(child);
+						}
+					});
+				}
+			};
+			traverse(root);
+		}
 	}
 
 	private onCopyItems(stats: ExplorerItem[], cut: boolean, previousCut: ExplorerItem[]): void {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/files/common/explorerService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/files/common/explorerService.ts
index 7ce193360b2e3c08ede284ea14759b3e4741d83b..4e0a0394c8e1c934050f44c5a4a33c67e2805f0f 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/files/common/explorerService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/files/common/explorerService.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ export class ExplorerService implements IExplorerService {
 	private _onDidChangeRoots = new Emitter<void>();
 	private _onDidChangeItem = new Emitter<ExplorerItem | undefined>();
 	private _onDidChangeEditable = new Emitter<ExplorerItem>();
-	private _onDidSelectItem = new Emitter<{ item?: ExplorerItem, reveal?: boolean }>();
+	private _onDidSelectResource = new Emitter<{ resource?: URI, reveal?: boolean }>();
 	private _onDidCopyItems = new Emitter<{ items: ExplorerItem[], cut: boolean, previouslyCutItems: ExplorerItem[] | undefined }>();
 	private disposables: IDisposable[] = [];
 	private editable: { stat: ExplorerItem, data: IEditableData } | undefined;
@@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ export class ExplorerService implements IExplorerService {
 		return this._onDidChangeEditable.event;
 	}
 
-	get onDidSelectItem(): Event<{ item?: ExplorerItem, reveal?: boolean }> {
-		return this._onDidSelectItem.event;
+	get onDidSelectResource(): Event<{ resource?: URI, reveal?: boolean }> {
+		return this._onDidSelectResource.event;
 	}
 
 	get onDidCopyItems(): Event<{ items: ExplorerItem[], cut: boolean, previouslyCutItems: ExplorerItem[] | undefined }> {
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ export class ExplorerService implements IExplorerService {
 	select(resource: URI, reveal?: boolean): Promise<void> {
 		const fileStat = this.findClosest(resource);
 		if (fileStat) {
-			this._onDidSelectItem.fire({ item: fileStat, reveal });
+			this._onDidSelectResource.fire({ resource: fileStat.resource, reveal });
 			return Promise.resolve(undefined);
 		}
 
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ export class ExplorerService implements IExplorerService {
 			this._onDidChangeItem.fire(item ? item.parent : undefined);
 
 			// Select and Reveal
-			this._onDidSelectItem.fire({ item: item || undefined, reveal });
+			this._onDidSelectResource.fire({ resource: item ? item.resource : undefined, reveal });
 		}, () => {
 			root.isError = true;
 			this._onDidChangeItem.fire(root);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/files/common/files.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/files/common/files.ts
index fd9d942093e490bcbf925ebe15731d62b91296b9..e666d56871ebdbfeed2f675ac1b1442bb220716c 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/files/common/files.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/files/common/files.ts
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ export interface IExplorerService {
 	readonly onDidChangeRoots: Event<void>;
 	readonly onDidChangeItem: Event<ExplorerItem | undefined>;
 	readonly onDidChangeEditable: Event<ExplorerItem>;
-	readonly onDidSelectItem: Event<{ item?: ExplorerItem, reveal?: boolean }>;
+	readonly onDidSelectResource: Event<{ resource?: URI, reveal?: boolean }>;
 	readonly onDidCopyItems: Event<{ items: ExplorerItem[], cut: boolean, previouslyCutItems: ExplorerItem[] | undefined }>;
 
 	setEditable(stat: ExplorerItem, data: IEditableData | null): void;