diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/search/node/textSearch.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/search/node/textSearch.ts
index f6e2109a392..65ef0a1121b 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/search/node/textSearch.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/search/node/textSearch.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import { IProgress } from 'vs/platform/search/common/search';
 import { FileWalker } from 'vs/workbench/services/search/node/fileSearch';
 
 import { ISerializedFileMatch, ISerializedSearchComplete, IRawSearch, ISearchEngine } from './search';
-import { ISearchWorker, ISearchWorkerConfig } from './worker/searchWorkerIpc';
+import { ISearchWorker } from './worker/searchWorkerIpc';
 import { ITextSearchWorkerProvider } from './textSearchWorkerProvider';
 
 export class Engine implements ISearchEngine<ISerializedFileMatch> {
@@ -55,8 +55,7 @@ export class Engine implements ISearchEngine<ISerializedFileMatch> {
 
 	initializeWorkers(): void {
 		this.workers.forEach(w => {
-			const config: ISearchWorkerConfig = { pattern: this.config.contentPattern, fileEncoding: this.config.fileEncoding };
-			w.initialize(config)
+			w.initialize()
 				.then(null, onUnexpectedError);
 		});
 	}
@@ -94,7 +93,8 @@ export class Engine implements ISearchEngine<ISerializedFileMatch> {
 			this.nextWorker = (this.nextWorker + 1) % this.workers.length;
 
 			const maxResults = this.config.maxResults && (this.config.maxResults - this.numResults);
-			worker.search({ absolutePaths: batch, maxResults }).then(result => {
+			const searchArgs = { absolutePaths: batch, maxResults, pattern: this.config.contentPattern, fileEncoding: this.config.fileEncoding };
+			worker.search(searchArgs).then(result => {
 				if (!result || this.limitReached || this.isCanceled) {
 					return unwind(batchBytes);
 				}
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/search/node/worker/searchWorker.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/search/node/worker/searchWorker.ts
index 122048e44c8..257899996ff 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/search/node/worker/searchWorker.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/search/node/worker/searchWorker.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import { ILineMatch } from 'vs/platform/search/common/search';
 import { UTF16le, UTF16be, UTF8, UTF8_with_bom, encodingExists, decode } from 'vs/base/node/encoding';
 import { detectMimeAndEncodingFromBuffer } from 'vs/base/node/mime';
 
-import { ISearchWorker, ISearchWorkerConfig, ISearchWorkerSearchArgs, ISearchWorkerSearchResult } from './searchWorkerIpc';
+import { ISearchWorker, ISearchWorkerSearchArgs, ISearchWorkerSearchResult } from './searchWorkerIpc';
 
 interface ReadLinesOptions {
 	bufferLength: number;
@@ -36,20 +36,24 @@ function onError(error: any): void {
 export class SearchWorkerManager implements ISearchWorker {
 	private currentSearchEngine: SearchWorkerEngine;
 
-	initialize(config: ISearchWorkerConfig): TPromise<void> {
-		this.currentSearchEngine = new SearchWorkerEngine(config);
+	initialize(): TPromise<void> {
+		this.currentSearchEngine = new SearchWorkerEngine();
 		return TPromise.wrap<void>(undefined);
 	}
 
 	cancel(): TPromise<void> {
 		// Cancel the current search. It will stop searching and close its open files.
-		this.currentSearchEngine.cancel();
+		if (this.currentSearchEngine) {
+			this.currentSearchEngine.cancel();
+		}
+
 		return TPromise.wrap<void>(null);
 	}
 
 	search(args: ISearchWorkerSearchArgs): TPromise<ISearchWorkerSearchResult> {
 		if (!this.currentSearchEngine) {
-			return TPromise.wrapError(new Error('SearchWorker is not initialized'));
+			// Worker timed out during search
+			this.initialize();
 		}
 
 		return this.currentSearchEngine.searchBatch(args);
@@ -63,27 +67,21 @@ interface IFileSearchResult {
 }
 
 export class SearchWorkerEngine {
-	private contentPattern: RegExp;
-	private fileEncoding: string;
 	private nextSearch = TPromise.wrap(null);
-
 	private isCanceled = false;
 
-	constructor(config: ISearchWorkerConfig) {
-		this.contentPattern = strings.createRegExp(config.pattern.pattern, config.pattern.isRegExp, { matchCase: config.pattern.isCaseSensitive, wholeWord: config.pattern.isWordMatch, multiline: false, global: true });
-		this.fileEncoding = encodingExists(config.fileEncoding) ? config.fileEncoding : UTF8;
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Searches some number of the given paths concurrently, and starts searches in other paths when those complete.
 	 */
 	searchBatch(args: ISearchWorkerSearchArgs): TPromise<ISearchWorkerSearchResult> {
+		const contentPattern = strings.createRegExp(args.pattern.pattern, args.pattern.isRegExp, { matchCase: args.pattern.isCaseSensitive, wholeWord: args.pattern.isWordMatch, multiline: false, global: true });
+		const fileEncoding = encodingExists(args.fileEncoding) ? args.fileEncoding : UTF8;
 		return this.nextSearch =
-			this.nextSearch.then(() => this._searchBatch(args));
+			this.nextSearch.then(() => this._searchBatch(args, contentPattern, fileEncoding));
 	}
 
 
-	private _searchBatch(args: ISearchWorkerSearchArgs): TPromise<ISearchWorkerSearchResult> {
+	private _searchBatch(args: ISearchWorkerSearchArgs, contentPattern: RegExp, fileEncoding: string): TPromise<ISearchWorkerSearchResult> {
 		if (this.isCanceled) {
 			return TPromise.wrap(null);
 		}
@@ -97,7 +95,7 @@ export class SearchWorkerEngine {
 
 			// Search in the given path, and when it's finished, search in the next path in absolutePaths
 			const startSearchInFile = (absolutePath: string): TPromise<void> => {
-				return this.searchInFile(absolutePath, this.contentPattern, this.fileEncoding, args.maxResults && (args.maxResults - result.numMatches)).then(fileResult => {
+				return this.searchInFile(absolutePath, contentPattern, fileEncoding, args.maxResults && (args.maxResults - result.numMatches)).then(fileResult => {
 					// Finish early if search is canceled
 					if (this.isCanceled) {
 						return;
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/search/node/worker/searchWorkerIpc.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/search/node/worker/searchWorkerIpc.ts
index 6347aecc73c..72c70babb15 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/search/node/worker/searchWorkerIpc.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/search/node/worker/searchWorkerIpc.ts
@@ -11,12 +11,9 @@ import { ISerializedFileMatch } from '../search';
 import { IPatternInfo } from 'vs/platform/search/common/search';
 import { SearchWorkerManager } from './searchWorker';
 
-export interface ISearchWorkerConfig {
+export interface ISearchWorkerSearchArgs {
 	pattern: IPatternInfo;
 	fileEncoding: string;
-}
-
-export interface ISearchWorkerSearchArgs {
 	absolutePaths: string[];
 	maxResults?: number;
 }
@@ -28,13 +25,13 @@ export interface ISearchWorkerSearchResult {
 }
 
 export interface ISearchWorker {
-	initialize(config: ISearchWorkerConfig): TPromise<void>;
+	initialize(): TPromise<void>;
 	search(args: ISearchWorkerSearchArgs): TPromise<ISearchWorkerSearchResult>;
 	cancel(): TPromise<void>;
 }
 
 export interface ISearchWorkerChannel extends IChannel {
-	call(command: 'initialize', config: ISearchWorkerConfig): TPromise<void>;
+	call(command: 'initialize'): TPromise<void>;
 	call(command: 'search', args: ISearchWorkerSearchArgs): TPromise<ISearchWorkerSearchResult>;
 	call(command: 'cancel'): TPromise<void>;
 	call(command: string, arg?: any): TPromise<any>;
@@ -46,7 +43,7 @@ export class SearchWorkerChannel implements ISearchWorkerChannel {
 
 	call(command: string, arg?: any): TPromise<any> {
 		switch (command) {
-			case 'initialize': return this.worker.initialize(arg);
+			case 'initialize': return this.worker.initialize();
 			case 'search': return this.worker.search(arg);
 			case 'cancel': return this.worker.cancel();
 		}
@@ -56,8 +53,8 @@ export class SearchWorkerChannel implements ISearchWorkerChannel {
 export class SearchWorkerChannelClient implements ISearchWorker {
 	constructor(private channel: ISearchWorkerChannel) { }
 
-	initialize(config: ISearchWorkerConfig): TPromise<void> {
-		return this.channel.call('initialize', config);
+	initialize(): TPromise<void> {
+		return this.channel.call('initialize');
 	}
 
 	search(args: ISearchWorkerSearchArgs): TPromise<ISearchWorkerSearchResult> {