diff --git a/src/vs/base/parts/tree/browser/treeDefaults.ts b/src/vs/base/parts/tree/browser/treeDefaults.ts
index 845ec66aa4cdf..116c4c017e2b7 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/parts/tree/browser/treeDefaults.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/parts/tree/browser/treeDefaults.ts
@@ -159,13 +159,14 @@ export class DefaultController implements _.IController {
 
 	protected onLeftClick(tree: _.ITree, element: any, eventish: ICancelableEvent, origin: string = 'mouse'): boolean {
 		const payload = { origin: origin, originalEvent: eventish };
-		const isDoubleClick = (origin === 'mouse' && (<mouse.IMouseEvent>eventish).detail === 2);
+		const event = <mouse.IMouseEvent>eventish;
+		const isDoubleClick = (origin === 'mouse' && event.detail === 2);
 
 		if (tree.getInput() === element) {
 			tree.clearFocus(payload);
 			tree.clearSelection(payload);
 		} else {
-			const isMouseDown = eventish && (<mouse.IMouseEvent>eventish).browserEvent && (<mouse.IMouseEvent>eventish).browserEvent.type === 'mousedown';
+			const isMouseDown = eventish && event.browserEvent && event.browserEvent.type === 'mousedown';
 			if (!isMouseDown) {
 				eventish.preventDefault(); // we cannot preventDefault onMouseDown because this would break DND otherwise
 			}
@@ -175,7 +176,7 @@ export class DefaultController implements _.IController {
 			tree.setSelection([element], payload);
 			tree.setFocus(element, payload);
 
-			if (this.openOnSingleClick || isDoubleClick) {
+			if (this.openOnSingleClick || isDoubleClick || this.isClickOnTwistie(event)) {
 				if (tree.isExpanded(element)) {
 					tree.collapse(element).done(null, errors.onUnexpectedError);
 				} else {
@@ -195,6 +196,16 @@ export class DefaultController implements _.IController {
 		return this.options.openMode === OpenMode.SINGLE_CLICK;
 	}
 
+	protected isClickOnTwistie(event: mouse.IMouseEvent): boolean {
+		const target = event.target as HTMLElement;
+
+		// There is no way to find out if the ::before element is clicked where
+		// the twistie is drawn, but the <div class="content"> element in the
+		// tree item is the only thing we get back as target when the user clicks
+		// on the twistie.
+		return target && target.className === 'content' && dom.hasClass(target.parentElement, 'monaco-tree-row');
+	}
+
 	public onContextMenu(tree: _.ITree, element: any, event: _.ContextMenuEvent): boolean {
 		if (event.target && event.target.tagName && event.target.tagName.toLowerCase() === 'input') {
 			return false; // allow context menu on input fields
diff --git a/src/vs/editor/contrib/referenceSearch/referencesWidget.ts b/src/vs/editor/contrib/referenceSearch/referencesWidget.ts
index 47ea71b6a66cb..c91628d3b0b36 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/contrib/referenceSearch/referencesWidget.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/contrib/referenceSearch/referencesWidget.ts
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ class Controller extends WorkbenchTreeController {
 		var isDoubleClick = event.detail === 2;
 		if (event.leftButton) {
 			if (element instanceof FileReferences) {
-				if (this.openOnSingleClick || isDoubleClick) {
+				if (this.openOnSingleClick || isDoubleClick || this.isClickOnTwistie(event)) {
 					event.preventDefault();
 					event.stopPropagation();
 					return this._expandCollapse(tree, element);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/files/electron-browser/views/explorerViewer.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/files/electron-browser/views/explorerViewer.ts
index eaf035bc91e3a..9d2271aa8ca04 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/files/electron-browser/views/explorerViewer.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/files/electron-browser/views/explorerViewer.ts
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ export class FileController extends WorkbenchTreeController implements IDisposab
 		else {
 
 			// Expand / Collapse
-			if (isDoubleClick || this.openOnSingleClick) {
+			if (isDoubleClick || this.openOnSingleClick || this.isClickOnTwistie(event)) {
 				tree.toggleExpansion(stat, event.altKey);
 				this.previousSelectionRangeStop = undefined;
 			}
@@ -715,6 +715,7 @@ export class FileDragAndDrop extends SimpleFileResourceDragAndDrop {
 	public onDragStart(tree: ITree, data: IDragAndDropData, originalEvent: DragMouseEvent): void {
 		const sources: FileStat[] = data.getData();
 		if (sources && sources.length) {
+
 			// When dragging folders, make sure to collapse them to free up some space
 			sources.forEach(s => {
 				if (s.isDirectory && tree.isExpanded(s)) {