diff --git a/extensions/simple-browser/src/extension.ts b/extensions/simple-browser/src/extension.ts
index 9e64566715307f24d749bcfd037028e92b3e7dd1..8079e2396eb008ea5edcc92c9aab36c9f665f4bf 100644
--- a/extensions/simple-browser/src/extension.ts
+++ b/extensions/simple-browser/src/extension.ts
@@ -3,11 +3,12 @@
  *  Licensed under the MIT License. See License.txt in the project root for license information.
  *--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
-import { URL } from 'url';
 import * as vscode from 'vscode';
 import * as nls from 'vscode-nls';
 import { SimpleBrowserManager } from './simpleBrowserManager';
 
+declare const URL: typeof import('url').URL;
+
 const localize = nls.loadMessageBundle();
 
 const openApiCommand = 'simpleBrowser.api.open';
@@ -47,11 +48,6 @@ export function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
 
 	context.subscriptions.push(vscode.window.registerExternalUriOpener(openerId, ['http', 'https'], {
 		canOpenExternalUri(uri: vscode.Uri) {
-			const configuration = vscode.workspace.getConfiguration('simpleBrowser');
-			if (!configuration.get('opener.enabled', false)) {
-				return vscode.ExternalUriOpenerPriority.None;
-			}
-
 			const originalUri = new URL(uri.toString());
 			if (enabledHosts.has(originalUri.hostname)) {
 				return isWeb()
@@ -62,7 +58,9 @@ export function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
 			return vscode.ExternalUriOpenerPriority.None;
 		},
 		openExternalUri(resolveUri: vscode.Uri) {
-			return manager.show(resolveUri.toString());
+			return manager.show(resolveUri.toString(), {
+				viewColumn: vscode.window.activeTextEditor ? vscode.ViewColumn.Beside : vscode.ViewColumn.Active
+			});
 		}
 	}, {
 		label: localize('openTitle', "Open in simple browser"),
diff --git a/extensions/simple-browser/src/simpleBrowserView.ts b/extensions/simple-browser/src/simpleBrowserView.ts
index 870abbeee87858e3aaa3978e3df00b1204b804db..104acfe9559923996c266aa507bab4309524cbc5 100644
--- a/extensions/simple-browser/src/simpleBrowserView.ts
+++ b/extensions/simple-browser/src/simpleBrowserView.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ export class SimpleBrowserView extends Disposable {
 		super();
 
 		this._webviewPanel = this._register(vscode.window.createWebviewPanel(SimpleBrowserView.viewType, SimpleBrowserView.title, {
-			viewColumn: vscode.ViewColumn.Active,
+			viewColumn: showOptions?.viewColumn ?? vscode.ViewColumn.Active,
 			preserveFocus: showOptions?.preserveFocus
 		}, {
 			enableScripts: true,