diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/view/renderers/cellRenderer.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/view/renderers/cellRenderer.ts
index c0134b1e68e09f6d6c05bfc22626a96a691b70c5..f7fb3c3e820d87a6160207a41bc3e6e7c705d934 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/view/renderers/cellRenderer.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/view/renderers/cellRenderer.ts
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ import { BaseCellRenderTemplate, CellEditState, CellRunState, CodeCellRenderTemp
 import { CellMenus } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/view/renderers/cellMenus';
 import { CodeCell } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/view/renderers/codeCell';
 import { StatefullMarkdownCell } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/view/renderers/markdownCell';
-import { BaseCellViewModel } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/viewModel/baseCellViewModel';
 import { CodeCellViewModel } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/viewModel/codeCellViewModel';
 import { MarkdownCellViewModel } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/viewModel/markdownCellViewModel';
 import { CellViewModel } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/viewModel/notebookViewModel';
@@ -321,7 +320,11 @@ abstract class AbstractCellRenderer {
 		}));
 	}
 
-	protected commonRenderElement(element: BaseCellViewModel, index: number, templateData: BaseCellRenderTemplate): void {
+	protected commonRenderElement(element: ICellViewModel, index: number, templateData: BaseCellRenderTemplate): void {
+		templateData.disposables.add(DOM.addDisposableListener(templateData.container, DOM.EventType.FOCUS, () => {
+			this.notebookEditor.selectElement(element);
+		}, true));
+
 		if (element.dragging) {
 			templateData.container.classList.add(DRAGGING_CLASS);
 		} else {