diff --git a/src/vs/base/parts/quickopen/browser/quickOpenWidget.ts b/src/vs/base/parts/quickopen/browser/quickOpenWidget.ts
index 540ee7ddccb1bbf2afc8ff5256c79166c1d94c14..f4a91d4cc90e6a19315ab9bbaccda2094f418a4f 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/parts/quickopen/browser/quickOpenWidget.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/parts/quickopen/browser/quickOpenWidget.ts
@@ -244,7 +244,8 @@ export class QuickOpenWidget implements IModelProvider {
 						alwaysFocused: true,
 						verticalScrollMode: ScrollbarVisibility.Visible,
 						ariaLabel: nls.localize('treeAriaLabel', "Quick Picker"),
-						keyboardSupport: this.options.keyboardSupport
+						keyboardSupport: this.options.keyboardSupport,
+						preventRootFocus: true
 					});
 
 				this.treeElement = this.tree.getHTMLElement();
diff --git a/src/vs/base/parts/tree/browser/tree.ts b/src/vs/base/parts/tree/browser/tree.ts
index ab01546278c3decd63a123d4a335a70c01f3c428..090c09e3d6075c14059e561c450e49c0ad2a9ca9 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/parts/tree/browser/tree.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/parts/tree/browser/tree.ts
@@ -670,6 +670,7 @@ export interface ITreeOptions extends ITreeStyles {
 	paddingOnRow?: boolean;
 	ariaLabel?: string;
 	keyboardSupport?: boolean;
+	preventRootFocus?: boolean;
 }
 
 export interface ITreeStyles {
diff --git a/src/vs/base/parts/tree/browser/treeView.ts b/src/vs/base/parts/tree/browser/treeView.ts
index afa1d0bbb3916ed43f3223aa01eb53733431e02f..f28d93108af461f0d45abeaa58202982bc1759fb 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/parts/tree/browser/treeView.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/parts/tree/browser/treeView.ts
@@ -444,7 +444,9 @@ export class TreeView extends HeightMap {
 
 		this.domNode = document.createElement('div');
 		this.domNode.className = `monaco-tree no-focused-item monaco-tree-instance-${this.instance}`;
-		this.domNode.tabIndex = container.className === 'quick-open-tree' ? -1 : 0;
+		if (!context.options.preventRootFocus) {
+			this.domNode.tabIndex = 0;
+		}
 
 		this.styleElement = DOM.createStyleSheet(this.domNode);