diff --git a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/selectBox/selectBoxCustom.ts b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/selectBox/selectBoxCustom.ts
index 472557cea13a1459d8feabbf0604c972232b59c3..75a2275600c729258612fc2ad16c0b1d14d30ea3 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/selectBox/selectBoxCustom.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/selectBox/selectBoxCustom.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import 'vs/css!./selectBoxCustom';
 import * as nls from 'vs/nls';
 import { IDisposable, dispose } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
 import Event, { Emitter, chain } from 'vs/base/common/event';
-import { KeyCode } from 'vs/base/common/keyCodes';
+import { KeyCode, KeyCodeUtils } from 'vs/base/common/keyCodes';
 import { StandardKeyboardEvent } from 'vs/base/browser/keyboardEvent';
 import * as dom from 'vs/base/browser/dom';
 import * as arrays from 'vs/base/common/arrays';
@@ -161,20 +161,12 @@ export class SelectBoxList implements ISelectBoxDelegate, IDelegate<ISelectOptio
 			}
 		}));
 
-		this.toDispose.push(dom.addDisposableListener(this.selectElement, dom.EventType.MOUSE_UP, (e) => {
-			dom.EventHelper.stop(e);
-		}));
-
 		this.toDispose.push(dom.addDisposableListener(this.selectElement, dom.EventType.MOUSE_DOWN, (e) => {
 			dom.EventHelper.stop(e);
 		}));
 
 		// Intercept keyboard handling
 
-		this.toDispose.push(dom.addDisposableListener(this.selectElement, dom.EventType.KEY_UP, (e: KeyboardEvent) => {
-			dom.EventHelper.stop(e);
-		}));
-
 		this.toDispose.push(dom.addDisposableListener(this.selectElement, dom.EventType.KEY_DOWN, (e: KeyboardEvent) => {
 			const event = new StandardKeyboardEvent(e);
 			let showDropDown = false;
@@ -195,10 +187,6 @@ export class SelectBoxList implements ISelectBoxDelegate, IDelegate<ISelectOptio
 				dom.EventHelper.stop(e);
 			}
 		}));
-
-		this.toDispose.push(dom.addDisposableListener(this.selectElement, dom.EventType.KEY_PRESS, (e: KeyboardEvent) => {
-			dom.EventHelper.stop(e);
-		}));
 	}
 
 	public get onDidSelect(): Event<ISelectData> {
@@ -490,6 +478,7 @@ export class SelectBoxList implements ISelectBoxDelegate, IDelegate<ISelectOptio
 		onSelectDropDownKeyDown.filter(e => e.keyCode === KeyCode.Escape).on(e => this.onEscape(e), this, this.toDispose);
 		onSelectDropDownKeyDown.filter(e => e.keyCode === KeyCode.UpArrow).on(this.onUpArrow, this, this.toDispose);
 		onSelectDropDownKeyDown.filter(e => e.keyCode === KeyCode.DownArrow).on(this.onDownArrow, this, this.toDispose);
+		onSelectDropDownKeyDown.filter(e => (e.keyCode >= KeyCode.KEY_0 && e.keyCode <= KeyCode.KEY_Z) || (e.keyCode >= KeyCode.US_SEMICOLON && e.keyCode <= KeyCode.NUMPAD_DIVIDE)).on(this.onCharacter, this, this.toDispose);
 
 		// SetUp list mouse controller - control navigation, disabled items, focus
 
@@ -596,6 +585,23 @@ export class SelectBoxList implements ISelectBoxDelegate, IDelegate<ISelectOptio
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Mimic option first character navigation of native select
+	private onCharacter(e: StandardKeyboardEvent): void {
+		const ch = KeyCodeUtils.toString(e.keyCode);
+		let optionIndex = -1;
+
+		for (let i = 0; i < this.options.length - 1; i++) {
+			optionIndex = (i + this.selected + 1) % this.options.length;
+			if (this.options[optionIndex].charAt(0).toUpperCase() === ch) {
+				this.select(optionIndex);
+				this.selectList.setFocus([optionIndex]);
+				this.selectList.reveal(this.selectList.getFocus()[0]);
+				dom.EventHelper.stop(e);
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	public dispose(): void {
 		this.toDispose = dispose(this.toDispose);
 	}