diff --git a/src/vs/base/common/fuzzyScorer.ts b/src/vs/base/common/fuzzyScorer.ts
index 413a6115dd20f30f96ada59bf77fae637a904aa7..a961f2c5cf9ba22907baecda0bea61f1143c07bd 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/common/fuzzyScorer.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/common/fuzzyScorer.ts
@@ -526,15 +526,45 @@ function createMatches(offsets: number[] | undefined): IMatch[] {
 }
 
 function normalizeMatches(matches: IMatch[]): IMatch[] {
-	const positions = new Set<number>();
 
-	for (const match of matches) {
-		for (let i = match.start; i < match.end; i++) {
-			positions.add(i);
+	// sort matches by start to be able to normalize
+	const sortedMatches = matches.sort((matchA, matchB) => {
+		return matchA.start - matchB.start;
+	});
+
+	// merge matches that overlap
+	const normalizedMatches: IMatch[] = [];
+	let currentMatch: IMatch | undefined = undefined;
+	for (const match of sortedMatches) {
+
+		// if we have no current match or the matches
+		// do not overlap, we take it as is and remember
+		// it for future merging
+		if (!currentMatch || !matchOverlaps(currentMatch, match)) {
+			currentMatch = match;
+			normalizedMatches.push(match);
 		}
+
+		// otherwise we merge the matches
+		else {
+			currentMatch.start = Math.min(currentMatch.start, match.start);
+			currentMatch.end = Math.max(currentMatch.end, match.end);
+		}
+	}
+
+	return normalizedMatches;
+}
+
+function matchOverlaps(matchA: IMatch, matchB: IMatch): boolean {
+	if (matchA.end < matchB.start) {
+		return false;	// A ends before B starts
+	}
+
+	if (matchB.end < matchA.start) {
+		return false; // B ends before A starts
 	}
 
-	return createMatches(Array.from(positions.values()).sort((a, b) => a - b));
+	return true;
 }
 
 //#endregion