diff --git a/src/vs/base/common/labels.ts b/src/vs/base/common/labels.ts
index 7730a5dbf80e51b98237685c92e985a8615dce56..12244546332f476ce00e2935f77b88a1221b84d2 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/common/labels.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/common/labels.ts
@@ -106,6 +106,14 @@ export function tildify(path: string, userHome: string): string {
 	return path;
 }
 
+export function untildify(path: string, userHome: string): string {
+	if (platform.isMacintosh || platform.isLinux) {
+		path = path.replace(/^~($|\/|\\)/, `${userHome}$1`);
+	}
+
+	return path;
+}
+
 /**
  * Shortens the paths but keeps them easy to distinguish.
  * Replaces not important parts with ellipsis.
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/search/browser/openFileHandler.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/search/browser/openFileHandler.ts
index 4e2a304219957366d6f07cb0e9bd14a01d969540..3a85e381b07cecd46d26408d9f7ff304641901a4 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/search/browser/openFileHandler.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/search/browser/openFileHandler.ts
@@ -142,6 +142,9 @@ export class OpenFileHandler extends QuickOpenHandler {
 			return TPromise.as(new FileQuickOpenModel([]));
 		}
 
+		// Untildify file pattern
+		searchValue = labels.untildify(searchValue, this.environmentService.userHome);
+
 		// Do find results
 		return this.doFindResults(searchValue, this.cacheState.cacheKey, maxSortedResults);
 	}