diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/main.contribution.ts b/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/main.contribution.ts
index 8ff4d6a55bf2ea9dd4d10471a97dd96c8f577bd7..b5b9b6e9ba168e79074ee4abc946645cce382c62 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/main.contribution.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/main.contribution.ts
@@ -306,6 +306,12 @@ configurationRegistry.registerConfiguration({
 			'type': 'boolean',
 			'description': nls.localize('enableNaturalLanguageSettingsSearch', "Controls whether to enable the natural language search mode for settings."),
 			'default': true
+		},
+		'workbench.settings.settingsSearchTocBehavior': {
+			'type': 'string',
+			'enum': ['hide', 'filter', 'show'],
+			'description': nls.localize('settingsSearchTocBehavior', "Controls the behavior of the settings editor TOC while searching."),
+			'default': 'hide'
 		}
 	}
 });
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/media/settingsEditor2.css b/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/media/settingsEditor2.css
index 856c4773c472cb7e550747bb6533435a2ea8bd75..67068eb9e6c64f244e6a8ab9ef9d5d66e78a01ab 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/media/settingsEditor2.css
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/media/settingsEditor2.css
@@ -101,7 +101,6 @@
 .settings-editor > .settings-body {
 	display: flex;
 	margin: auto;
-	margin-top: 5px;
 	max-width: 1000px;
 }
 
@@ -115,7 +114,7 @@
 }
 
 .search-mode .settings-toc-container {
-	/* display: none; */
+	display: none;
 }
 
 .settings-editor > .settings-body .settings-toc-container .monaco-tree-row .settings-toc-entry {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/settingsEditor2.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/settingsEditor2.ts
index 4b47bd0ae70f080142234198f5af0cf866879ad6..826394a18ef8c3ae1973a51fe571912ef391adb4 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/settingsEditor2.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/settingsEditor2.ts
@@ -468,7 +468,10 @@ export class SettingsEditor2 extends BaseEditor {
 	}
 
 	private toggleSearchMode(): void {
-		DOM.toggleClass(this.rootElement, 'search-mode', !!this.searchResultModel);
+		DOM.removeClass(this.rootElement, 'search-mode');
+		if (this.configurationService.getValue('workbench.settings.settingsSearchTocBehavior') === 'hide') {
+			DOM.toggleClass(this.rootElement, 'search-mode', !!this.searchResultModel);
+		}
 	}
 
 	private onConfigUpdate(): TPromise<void> {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/tocTree.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/tocTree.ts
index 02148d1f2138577eeeb39b21aee14472890072f9..4892f4de1efc97e6d7055475b69df363e8c3093c 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/tocTree.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/tocTree.ts
@@ -8,10 +8,12 @@ import { TPromise } from 'vs/base/common/winjs.base';
 import { IDataSource, IRenderer, ITree } from 'vs/base/parts/tree/browser/tree';
 import { SearchResultModel, SettingsTreeElement, SettingsTreeGroupElement, SettingsTreeSettingElement } from 'vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/settingsTree';
 import { ISetting } from 'vs/workbench/services/preferences/common/preferences';
+import { IConfigurationService } from 'vs/platform/configuration/common/configuration';
 
 const $ = DOM.$;
 
 export class TOCTreeModel {
+
 	private _currentSearchModel: SearchResultModel;
 	private _settingsTreeRoot: SettingsTreeGroupElement;
 
@@ -67,6 +69,11 @@ export class TOCTreeModel {
 export type TOCTreeElement = SettingsTreeGroupElement | TOCTreeModel;
 
 export class TOCDataSource implements IDataSource {
+	constructor(
+		@IConfigurationService private configService: IConfigurationService
+	) {
+	}
+
 	getId(tree: ITree, element: SettingsTreeGroupElement): string {
 		return element.id;
 	}
@@ -77,7 +84,18 @@ export class TOCDataSource implements IDataSource {
 	}
 
 	getChildren(tree: ITree, element: TOCTreeElement): TPromise<SettingsTreeElement[], any> {
-		return TPromise.as(<SettingsTreeElement[]>element.children);
+		return TPromise.as(this._getChildren(element));
+	}
+
+	private _getChildren(element: TOCTreeElement): SettingsTreeElement[] {
+		if (this.configService.getValue('workbench.settings.settingsSearchTocBehavior') === 'filter') {
+			const children = element.children as SettingsTreeElement[]; // ????
+			return children.filter(group => {
+				return (<any>group).count !== 0;
+			});
+		}
+
+		return element.children;
 	}
 
 	getParent(tree: ITree, element: TOCTreeElement): TPromise<any, any> {
@@ -96,6 +114,11 @@ interface ITOCEntryTemplate {
 }
 
 export class TOCRenderer implements IRenderer {
+	constructor(
+		@IConfigurationService private configService: IConfigurationService
+	) {
+	}
+
 	getHeight(tree: ITree, element: SettingsTreeElement): number {
 		return 22;
 	}
@@ -115,7 +138,10 @@ export class TOCRenderer implements IRenderer {
 			`${element.label} (${(<any>element).count})` :
 			element.label;
 
-		DOM.toggleClass(template.element, 'no-results', (<any>element).count === 0);
+		if (this.configService.getValue('workbench.settings.settingsSearchTocBehavior') === 'show') {
+			DOM.toggleClass(template.element, 'no-results', (<any>element).count === 0);
+		}
+
 		template.element.textContent = label;
 	}