diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/mainThreadExplorerView.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/mainThreadExplorerView.ts
index 4ffaa3977c2..8028c7069ec 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/mainThreadExplorerView.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/mainThreadExplorerView.ts
@@ -73,9 +73,11 @@ class TreeExplorerNodeProvider implements IExplorerViewDataProvider<ITreeNode> {
 		return node.contextKey;
 	}
 
-	executeCommand(node: ITreeNode): TPromise<any> {
-		return this._proxy.$getInternalCommand(this.id, node).then(command => {
-			return this.commandService.executeCommand(command.id, ...command.arguments);
+	select(node: ITreeNode): void {
+		this._proxy.$getInternalCommand(this.id, node).then(command => {
+			if (command) {
+				this.commandService.executeCommand(command.id, ...command.arguments);
+			}
 		});
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/explorers/browser/explorerView.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/explorers/browser/explorerView.ts
index 7e11e5fca63..7b7d6f375d2 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/explorers/browser/explorerView.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/explorers/browser/explorerView.ts
@@ -135,7 +135,12 @@ class TreeExplorerView extends CollapsibleViewletView {
 
 		this.toDispose.push(attachListStyler(tree, this.themeService));
 		this.toDispose.push(this.listService.register(tree, [this.viewFocusContext]));
-
+		tree.addListener('selection', (event: any) => {
+			const selection = tree.getSelection()[0];
+			if (selection) {
+				this.dataProvider.select(selection);
+			}
+		});
 		return tree;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/explorers/common/explorer.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/explorers/common/explorer.ts
index b6a1731fb9b..338b63463de 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/explorers/common/explorer.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/explorers/common/explorer.ts
@@ -33,4 +33,5 @@ export interface IExplorerViewDataProvider<T> {
 	getLabel(element: T): string;
 	getContextKey(element: T): string;
 	hasChildren(element: T): boolean;
+	select(element: T): void;
 }