diff --git a/src/vs/platform/quickinput/browser/pickerQuickAccess.ts b/src/vs/platform/quickinput/browser/pickerQuickAccess.ts
index cfda01a95e5..f016726556a 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/quickinput/browser/pickerQuickAccess.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/quickinput/browser/pickerQuickAccess.ts
@@ -95,7 +95,12 @@ export abstract class PickerQuickAccessProvider<T extends IPickerQuickAccessItem
 			const picksToken = picksCts.token;
 			const res = this.getPicks(picker.value.substr(this.prefix.length).trim(), disposables.add(new DisposableStore()), picksToken);
 			if (isFastAndSlowPicksType(res)) {
-				picker.items = res.picks;
+				if (res.picks.length > 0) {
+					// Optimization: if there are no fast results
+					// we do nto simply unset all the existing items
+					// to reduce the flickering.
+					picker.items = res.picks;
+				}
 				picker.busy = true;
 				try {
 					const additionalPicks = await res.additionalPicks;
@@ -103,7 +108,9 @@ export abstract class PickerQuickAccessProvider<T extends IPickerQuickAccessItem
 						return;
 					}
 
-					if (additionalPicks.length > 0) {
+					if (res.picks.length === 0 || additionalPicks.length > 0) {
+						// Optimization: we only update the picker items if we either
+						// did not update them earlier, or we actually got new results
 						picker.items = [...res.picks, ...additionalPicks];
 					}
 				} finally {
@@ -187,5 +194,5 @@ export abstract class PickerQuickAccessProvider<T extends IPickerQuickAccessItem
 	 * through this token.
 	 * @returns the picks either directly, as promise or combined fast and slow results.
 	 */
-	protected abstract getPicks(filter: string, disposables: DisposableStore, token: CancellationToken): Array<T | IQuickPickSeparator> | Promise<Array<T | IQuickPickSeparator>> | { picks: Array<T | IQuickPickSeparator>, additionalPicks: Promise<Array<T | IQuickPickSeparator>> };
+	protected abstract getPicks(filter: string, disposables: DisposableStore, token: CancellationToken): Array<T | IQuickPickSeparator> | Promise<Array<T | IQuickPickSeparator>> | FastAndSlowPicksType<T>;
 }
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/anythingQuickAccess.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/anythingQuickAccess.ts
index d7bcac67b7d..b04f60dae01 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/anythingQuickAccess.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/search/browser/anythingQuickAccess.ts
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ export class AnythingQuickAccessProvider extends PickerQuickAccessProvider<IAnyt
 		return super.provide(picker, token);
 	}
 
-	protected getPicks(filter: string, disposables: DisposableStore, token: CancellationToken): FastAndSlowPicksType<IAnythingQuickPickItem | IQuickPickSeparator> {
+	protected getPicks(filter: string, disposables: DisposableStore, token: CancellationToken): FastAndSlowPicksType<IAnythingQuickPickItem> {
 
 		// Find a suitable range from the pattern looking for ":", "#" or ","
 		let range: IRange | undefined = undefined;
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/test/browser/quickAccess.test.ts b/src/vs/workbench/test/browser/quickAccess.test.ts
index d265406e99b..c8d507156ca 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/test/browser/quickAccess.test.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/test/browser/quickAccess.test.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { IInstantiationService } from 'vs/platform/instantiation/common/instanti
 import { TestServiceAccessor, workbenchInstantiationService } from 'vs/workbench/test/browser/workbenchTestServices';
 import { DisposableStore, toDisposable, IDisposable } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
 import { timeout } from 'vs/base/common/async';
+import { PickerQuickAccessProvider, FastAndSlowPicksType } from 'vs/platform/quickinput/browser/pickerQuickAccess';
 
 suite('QuickAccess', () => {
 
@@ -192,4 +193,122 @@ suite('QuickAccess', () => {
 
 		restore();
 	});
+
+	let fastProviderCalled = false;
+	let slowProviderCalled = false;
+	let fastAndSlowProviderCalled = false;
+
+	let slowProviderCanceled = false;
+	let fastAndSlowProviderCanceled = false;
+
+	class FastTestQuickPickProvider extends PickerQuickAccessProvider<IQuickPickItem> {
+
+		constructor() {
+			super('fast');
+		}
+
+		protected getPicks(filter: string, disposables: DisposableStore, token: CancellationToken): Array<IQuickPickItem> {
+			fastProviderCalled = true;
+
+			return [{ label: 'Fast Pick' }];
+		}
+	}
+
+	class SlowTestQuickPickProvider extends PickerQuickAccessProvider<IQuickPickItem> {
+
+		constructor() {
+			super('slow');
+		}
+
+		protected async getPicks(filter: string, disposables: DisposableStore, token: CancellationToken): Promise<Array<IQuickPickItem>> {
+			slowProviderCalled = true;
+
+			await timeout(1);
+
+			if (token.isCancellationRequested) {
+				slowProviderCanceled = true;
+			}
+
+			return [{ label: 'Slow Pick' }];
+		}
+	}
+
+	class FastAndSlowTestQuickPickProvider extends PickerQuickAccessProvider<IQuickPickItem> {
+
+		constructor() {
+			super('bothFastAndSlow');
+		}
+
+		protected getPicks(filter: string, disposables: DisposableStore, token: CancellationToken): FastAndSlowPicksType<IQuickPickItem> {
+			fastAndSlowProviderCalled = true;
+
+			return {
+				picks: [{ label: 'Fast Pick' }],
+				additionalPicks: (async () => {
+					await timeout(1);
+
+					if (token.isCancellationRequested) {
+						fastAndSlowProviderCanceled = true;
+					}
+
+					return [{ label: 'Slow Pick' }];
+				})()
+			};
+		}
+	}
+
+	const fastProviderDescriptor = { ctor: FastTestQuickPickProvider, prefix: 'fast', helpEntries: [] };
+	const slowProviderDescriptor = { ctor: SlowTestQuickPickProvider, prefix: 'slow', helpEntries: [] };
+	const fastAndSlowProviderDescriptor = { ctor: FastAndSlowTestQuickPickProvider, prefix: 'bothFastAndSlow', helpEntries: [] };
+
+	test('quick pick access', async () => {
+		const registry = (Registry.as<IQuickAccessRegistry>(Extensions.Quickaccess));
+		const restore = (registry as QuickAccessRegistry).clear();
+
+		const disposables = new DisposableStore();
+
+		disposables.add(registry.registerQuickAccessProvider(fastProviderDescriptor));
+		disposables.add(registry.registerQuickAccessProvider(slowProviderDescriptor));
+		disposables.add(registry.registerQuickAccessProvider(fastAndSlowProviderDescriptor));
+
+		accessor.quickInputService.quickAccess.show('fast');
+		assert.equal(fastProviderCalled, true);
+		assert.equal(slowProviderCalled, false);
+		assert.equal(fastAndSlowProviderCalled, false);
+		fastProviderCalled = false;
+
+		accessor.quickInputService.quickAccess.show('slow');
+		await timeout(2);
+
+		assert.equal(fastProviderCalled, false);
+		assert.equal(slowProviderCalled, true);
+		assert.equal(slowProviderCanceled, false);
+		assert.equal(fastAndSlowProviderCalled, false);
+		slowProviderCalled = false;
+
+		accessor.quickInputService.quickAccess.show('bothFastAndSlow');
+		await timeout(2);
+
+		assert.equal(fastProviderCalled, false);
+		assert.equal(slowProviderCalled, false);
+		assert.equal(fastAndSlowProviderCalled, true);
+		assert.equal(fastAndSlowProviderCanceled, false);
+		fastAndSlowProviderCalled = false;
+
+		accessor.quickInputService.quickAccess.show('slow');
+		accessor.quickInputService.quickAccess.show('bothFastAndSlow');
+		accessor.quickInputService.quickAccess.show('fast');
+
+		assert.equal(fastProviderCalled, true);
+		assert.equal(slowProviderCalled, true);
+		assert.equal(fastAndSlowProviderCalled, true);
+
+		await timeout(2);
+		assert.equal(slowProviderCanceled, true);
+		assert.equal(fastAndSlowProviderCanceled, true);
+
+		disposables.dispose();
+
+		restore();
+	});
 });