diff --git a/extensions/ql-vscode/CHANGELOG.md b/extensions/ql-vscode/CHANGELOG.md
index 6bc70f480d6..c18c41c0893 100644
--- a/extensions/ql-vscode/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/extensions/ql-vscode/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 ## [UNRELEASED]
 
+- Editors opened by navigating from the results view are no longer opened in _preview mode_. Now they are opened as a persistent editor. [#630](https://github.com/github/vscode-codeql/pull/630)
+
 ## 1.3.6 - 4 November 2020
 
 - Fix URI encoding for databases that were created with special characters in their paths. [#648](https://github.com/github/vscode-codeql/pull/648)
diff --git a/extensions/ql-vscode/src/interface-utils.ts b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/interface-utils.ts
index 03efee5ad3c..ff170f01ff7 100644
--- a/extensions/ql-vscode/src/interface-utils.ts
+++ b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/interface-utils.ts
@@ -167,7 +167,13 @@ export async function showLocation(location?: Location) {
   const editor =
     editorsWithDoc.length > 0
       ? editorsWithDoc[0]
-      : await Window.showTextDocument(doc, ViewColumn.One);
+      : await Window.showTextDocument(
+        doc, {
+        // avoid preview mode so editor is sticky and will be added to navigation and search histories.
+        preview: false,
+        viewColumn: ViewColumn.One,
+      });
+
   const range = location.range;
   // When highlighting the range, vscode's occurrence-match and bracket-match highlighting will
   // trigger based on where we place the cursor/selection, and will compete for the user's attention.