diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectexplorer.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectexplorer.cpp
index c5f185ab356..1f7e655f17c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectexplorer.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectexplorer.cpp
@@ -1886,7 +1886,7 @@ void ProjectExplorerPlugin::setCurrent(Project *project, QString filePath, Node
     if (node)
         filePath = pathFor(node);
     else
-        node = SessionManager::nodeForFile(filePath, project);
+        node = ProjectTreeWidget::nodeForFile(filePath, project);
 
     bool projectChanged = false;
     if (d->m_currentProject != project) {
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projecttreewidget.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projecttreewidget.cpp
index ba32273f3a4..ee10347456f 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projecttreewidget.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projecttreewidget.cpp
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 #include <coreplugin/find/treeviewfind.h>
 
 #include <utils/navigationtreeview.h>
+#include <utils/algorithm.h>
 
 #include <QDebug>
 #include <QSettings>
@@ -57,6 +58,8 @@ using namespace Core;
 using namespace ProjectExplorer;
 using namespace ProjectExplorer::Internal;
 
+QList<ProjectTreeWidget *> ProjectTreeWidget::m_projectTreeWidgets;
+
 namespace {
 
 class ProjectTreeItemDelegate : public QStyledItemDelegate
@@ -178,6 +181,59 @@ ProjectTreeWidget::ProjectTreeWidget(QWidget *parent)
     connect(m_toggleSync, SIGNAL(clicked(bool)), this, SLOT(toggleAutoSynchronization()));
 
     setAutoSynchronization(true);
+
+    m_projectTreeWidgets << this;
+}
+
+ProjectTreeWidget::~ProjectTreeWidget()
+{
+    m_projectTreeWidgets.removeOne(this);
+}
+
+// returns how many nodes need to be expanded to make node visible
+int ProjectTreeWidget::expandedCount(Node *node)
+{
+    if (m_projectTreeWidgets.isEmpty())
+        return 0;
+    FlatModel *model = m_projectTreeWidgets.first()->m_model;
+    QModelIndex index = model->indexForNode(node);
+    if (!index.isValid())
+        return 0;
+
+    int count = 0;
+    foreach (ProjectTreeWidget *tree, m_projectTreeWidgets) {
+        QModelIndex idx = index;
+        while (idx.isValid() && idx != tree->m_view->rootIndex()) {
+            if (!tree->m_view->isExpanded(idx))
+                ++count;
+            idx = model->parent(idx);
+        }
+    }
+    return count;
+}
+
+Node *ProjectTreeWidget::nodeForFile(const QString &fileName, Project *project)
+{
+    Node *bestNode = 0;
+    int bestNodeExpandCount = INT_MAX;
+
+    foreach (Node *node, SessionManager::nodesForFile(fileName, project)) {
+        if (!bestNode) {
+            bestNode = node;
+            bestNodeExpandCount = ProjectTreeWidget::expandedCount(node->parentFolderNode());
+        } else if (node->nodeType() < bestNode->nodeType()) {
+            bestNode = node;
+            bestNodeExpandCount = ProjectTreeWidget::expandedCount(node->parentFolderNode());
+        } else if (node->nodeType() == bestNode->nodeType()) {
+            int nodeExpandCount = ProjectTreeWidget::expandedCount(node->parentFolderNode());
+            if (nodeExpandCount < bestNodeExpandCount) {
+                bestNode = node;
+                bestNodeExpandCount = ProjectTreeWidget::expandedCount(node->parentFolderNode());
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return bestNode;
 }
 
 void ProjectTreeWidget::disableAutoExpand()
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projecttreewidget.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projecttreewidget.h
index c78131e2de8..70c9d12cd26 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projecttreewidget.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projecttreewidget.h
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ class ProjectTreeWidget : public QWidget
     Q_OBJECT
 public:
     explicit ProjectTreeWidget(QWidget *parent = 0);
+    ~ProjectTreeWidget();
 
     bool autoSynchronization() const;
     void setAutoSynchronization(bool sync, bool syncNow = true);
@@ -61,6 +62,8 @@ public:
     bool generatedFilesFilter();
     QToolButton *toggleSync();
 
+    static Node *nodeForFile(const QString &fileName, Project *project);
+
 public slots:
     void toggleAutoSynchronization();
     void editCurrentItem();
@@ -88,6 +91,7 @@ private slots:
 private:
     void recursiveLoadExpandData(const QModelIndex &index, const QSet<QString> &data);
     void recursiveSaveExpandData(const QModelIndex &index, QStringList *data);
+    static int expandedCount(Node *node);
     ProjectExplorerPlugin *m_explorer;
     QTreeView *m_view;
     FlatModel *m_model;
@@ -99,6 +103,8 @@ private:
     QString m_modelId;
     bool m_autoSync;
     bool m_autoExpand;
+
+    static QList<ProjectTreeWidget *> m_projectTreeWidgets;
     friend class ProjectTreeWidgetFactory;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/session.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/session.cpp
index b882f1779cb..9ca7f20d84a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/session.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/session.cpp
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 #include <texteditor/itexteditor.h>
 
 #include <utils/stylehelper.h>
+#include <utils/algorithm.h>
 
 #include <QDebug>
 #include <QDir>
@@ -518,23 +519,30 @@ Project *SessionManager::projectForNode(Node *node)
     return 0;
 }
 
-Node *SessionManager::nodeForFile(const QString &fileName, Project *project)
+QList<Node *> SessionManager::nodesForFile(const QString &fileName, Project *project)
 {
-    Node *node = 0;
     if (!project)
         project = projectForFile(fileName);
 
     if (project) {
         FindNodesForFileVisitor findNodes(fileName);
         project->rootProjectNode()->accept(&findNodes);
-
-        foreach (Node *n, findNodes.nodes()) {
-            // prefer file nodes
-            if (!node || (node->nodeType() != FileNodeType && n->nodeType() == FileNodeType))
-                node = n;
-        }
+        return findNodes.nodes();
     }
 
+    return QList<Node *>();
+}
+
+// node for file returns a randomly selected node if there are multiple
+// prefer to use nodesForFile and figure out which node you want
+Node *SessionManager::nodeForFile(const QString &fileName, Project *project)
+{
+    Node *node = 0;
+    foreach (Node *n, nodesForFile(fileName, project)) {
+        // prefer file nodes
+        if (!node || (node->nodeType() != FileNodeType && n->nodeType() == FileNodeType))
+            node = n;
+    }
     return node;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/session.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/session.h
index 08a770d9cfe..cca7e65df11 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/session.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/session.h
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ public:
     static SessionNode *sessionNode();
 
     static Project *projectForNode(ProjectExplorer::Node *node);
+    static QList<Node *> nodesForFile(const QString &fileName, Project *project = 0);
     static Node *nodeForFile(const QString &fileName, Project *project = 0);
     static Project *projectForFile(const QString &fileName);