diff --git a/src/vs/editor/contrib/documentSymbols/outlineModel.ts b/src/vs/editor/contrib/documentSymbols/outlineModel.ts
index 46fae4393356068931af69e98df0785360e6e62e..b904bd37ecc52dd5d9c3f489d725ab259f1e230a 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/contrib/documentSymbols/outlineModel.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/contrib/documentSymbols/outlineModel.ts
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ export class OutlineModel extends TreeElement {
 		}
 	}
 
-	asListOfDocumentSymbols(): DocumentSymbol[] {
+	getTopLevelSymbols(): DocumentSymbol[] {
 		const roots: DocumentSymbol[] = [];
 		for (const child of this.children.values()) {
 			if (child instanceof OutlineElement) {
@@ -452,9 +452,14 @@ export class OutlineModel extends TreeElement {
 				roots.push(...Iterable.map(child.children.values(), child => child.symbol));
 			}
 		}
+		return roots.sort((a, b) => Range.compareRangesUsingStarts(a.range, b.range));
+	}
+
+	asListOfDocumentSymbols(): DocumentSymbol[] {
+		const roots = this.getTopLevelSymbols();
 		const bucket: DocumentSymbol[] = [];
 		OutlineModel._flattenDocumentSymbols(bucket, roots, '');
-		return bucket;
+		return bucket.sort((a, b) => Range.compareRangesUsingStarts(a.range, b.range));
 	}
 
 	private static _flattenDocumentSymbols(bucket: DocumentSymbol[], entries: DocumentSymbol[], overrideContainerLabel: string): void {
diff --git a/src/vs/editor/contrib/gotoSymbol/documentSymbols.ts b/src/vs/editor/contrib/gotoSymbol/documentSymbols.ts
index 4d9a68f5ccfae7537201c3df4eeae57f6b5d6cbf..64f5fa0dea1def88e2b54c8a54192e4d38eb99c3 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/contrib/gotoSymbol/documentSymbols.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/contrib/gotoSymbol/documentSymbols.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,9 @@ import { assertType } from 'vs/base/common/types';
 
 export async function getDocumentSymbols(document: ITextModel, flat: boolean, token: CancellationToken): Promise<DocumentSymbol[]> {
 	const model = await OutlineModel.create(document, token);
-	return model.asListOfDocumentSymbols();
+	return flat
+		? model.asListOfDocumentSymbols()
+		: model.getTopLevelSymbols();
 }
 
 CommandsRegistry.registerCommand('_executeDocumentSymbolProvider', async function (accessor, ...args) {