diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/electron-browser/mainThreadWorkspace.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/electron-browser/mainThreadWorkspace.ts
index 852ed36a15c9c057e776871c3c8a918ecfec3c88..861859a7f4f38c4bc20e75f430808bb07ffd2c69 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/electron-browser/mainThreadWorkspace.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/electron-browser/mainThreadWorkspace.ts
@@ -214,8 +214,13 @@ export class MainThreadWorkspace implements MainThreadWorkspaceShape {
 		return search;
 	}
 
-	$checkExists(query: ISearchQuery, requestId: number): Thenable<boolean> {
-		query.exists = true;
+	$checkExists(includes: string[], requestId: number): Thenable<boolean> {
+		const queryBuilder = this._instantiationService.createInstance(QueryBuilder);
+		const folders = this._contextService.getWorkspace().folders.map(folder => folder.uri);
+		const query = queryBuilder.file(folders, {
+			includePattern: includes.join(', '),
+			exists: true
+		});
 
 		const tokenSource = new CancellationTokenSource();
 		const search = this._searchService.search(query, tokenSource.token).then(
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHost.protocol.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHost.protocol.ts
index 780d6691841088339fbcef6266ed599335d47aae..3262559aae574a0efa244f17ea6540205a74ef07 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHost.protocol.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHost.protocol.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ import { LabelRules } from 'vs/platform/label/common/label';
 import { LogLevel } from 'vs/platform/log/common/log';
 import { IMarkerData } from 'vs/platform/markers/common/markers';
 import { IPickOptions, IQuickInputButton, IQuickPickItem } from 'vs/platform/quickinput/common/quickInput';
-import { IPatternInfo, IQueryOptions, IRawFileMatch2, IRawSearchQuery, ISearchCompleteStats, ISearchQuery } from 'vs/platform/search/common/search';
+import { IPatternInfo, IQueryOptions, IRawFileMatch2, IRawSearchQuery, ISearchCompleteStats } from 'vs/platform/search/common/search';
 import { StatusbarAlignment as MainThreadStatusBarAlignment } from 'vs/platform/statusbar/common/statusbar';
 import { ITelemetryInfo } from 'vs/platform/telemetry/common/telemetry';
 import { ThemeColor } from 'vs/platform/theme/common/themeService';
@@ -472,7 +472,7 @@ export interface ExtHostUrlsShape {
 export interface MainThreadWorkspaceShape extends IDisposable {
 	$startFileSearch(includePattern: string, includeFolder: string, excludePatternOrDisregardExcludes: string | false, maxResults: number, requestId: number): Thenable<UriComponents[]>;
 	$startTextSearch(query: IPatternInfo, options: IQueryOptions, requestId: number): Thenable<void>;
-	$checkExists(query: ISearchQuery, requestId: number): Thenable<boolean>;
+	$checkExists(includes: string[], requestId: number): Thenable<boolean>;
 	$cancelSearch(requestId: number): Thenable<boolean>;
 	$saveAll(includeUntitled?: boolean): Thenable<boolean>;
 	$updateWorkspaceFolders(extensionName: string, index: number, deleteCount: number, workspaceFoldersToAdd: { uri: UriComponents, name?: string }[]): Thenable<void>;
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/node/extensionHostMain.ts b/src/vs/workbench/node/extensionHostMain.ts
index 13e3a073a452326a5e71cb7a7ca148ae9f168328..36d33d6057177f1e46f4b0c90cdeb04ca9d02b3f 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/node/extensionHostMain.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/node/extensionHostMain.ts
@@ -13,11 +13,9 @@ import { ExtHostExtensionService } from 'vs/workbench/api/node/extHostExtensionS
 import { ExtHostConfiguration } from 'vs/workbench/api/node/extHostConfiguration';
 import { ExtHostWorkspace } from 'vs/workbench/api/node/extHostWorkspace';
 import { IExtensionDescription } from 'vs/workbench/services/extensions/common/extensions';
-import { QueryType, ISearchQuery } from 'vs/platform/search/common/search';
 import { DiskSearch } from 'vs/workbench/services/search/node/searchService';
 import { IInitData, IEnvironment, IWorkspaceData, MainContext, MainThreadWorkspaceShape } from 'vs/workbench/api/node/extHost.protocol';
 import * as errors from 'vs/base/common/errors';
-import * as glob from 'vs/base/common/glob';
 import { ExtensionActivatedByEvent } from 'vs/workbench/api/node/extHostExtensionActivator';
 import { IDisposable, dispose } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
 import { IMessagePassingProtocol } from 'vs/base/parts/ipc/node/ipc';
@@ -273,27 +271,8 @@ export class ExtensionHostMain {
 			this._diskSearch = new DiskSearch(false, 1000);
 		}
 
-		const includes: glob.IExpression = {};
-		globPatterns.forEach((globPattern) => {
-			includes[globPattern] = true;
-		});
-
-		const folderQueries = this._workspace.folders.map(folder => ({ folder: URI.revive(folder.uri) }));
-		const config = this._extHostConfiguration.getConfiguration('search');
-		const useRipgrep = config.get('useRipgrep', true);
-		const followSymlinks = config.get('followSymlinks', true);
-
-		const query: ISearchQuery = {
-			folderQueries,
-			type: QueryType.File,
-			exists: true,
-			includePattern: includes,
-			useRipgrep,
-			ignoreSymlinks: !followSymlinks
-		};
-
 		const requestId = this._searchRequestIdProvider.getNext();
-		const searchP = this._mainThreadWorkspace.$checkExists(query, requestId);;
+		const searchP = this._mainThreadWorkspace.$checkExists(globPatterns, requestId);
 
 		const timer = setTimeout(async () => {
 			await this._mainThreadWorkspace.$cancelSearch(requestId);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/search/common/queryBuilder.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/search/common/queryBuilder.ts
index 6bf03131c0af6e4faf9e6692e9c25ab37142b137..861ad5bcd12796878e98f002d8e4e36b22de6933 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/search/common/queryBuilder.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/search/common/queryBuilder.ts
@@ -96,7 +96,8 @@ export class QueryBuilder {
 			disregardIgnoreFiles: options.disregardIgnoreFiles || !useIgnoreFiles,
 			disregardExcludeSettings: options.disregardExcludeSettings,
 			ignoreSymlinks,
-			previewOptions: options.previewOptions
+			previewOptions: options.previewOptions,
+			exists: options.exists
 		};
 
 		// Filter extraFileResources against global include/exclude patterns - they are already expected to not belong to a workspace