diff --git search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchDialog.java search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchDialog.java
index fd12ea8..491421a 100644
--- search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchDialog.java
+++ search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchDialog.java
@@ -89,7 +89,12 @@ import org.eclipse.search.ui.ISearchPageScoreComputer;
 
 
 public class SearchDialog extends ExtendedDialogWindow implements ISearchPageContainer, IPageChangeProvider {
-
+	
+	/**
+	 * The id of the last search page that was opened in the search dialog
+	 */
+	public static final String PREVIOUS_SEARCH_PAGE = "org.eclipse.search.previousSearchPageId"; //$NON-NLS-1$
+	
 	private class TabFolderLayout extends Layout {
 		protected Point computeSize(Composite composite, int wHint, int hHint, boolean flushCache) {
 			if (wHint != SWT.DEFAULT && hHint != SWT.DEFAULT)
@@ -154,6 +159,14 @@ public class SearchDialog extends ExtendedDialogWindow implements ISearchPageCon
 
 		fDescriptors= filterByActivities(SearchPlugin.getDefault().getEnabledSearchPageDescriptors(pageId));
 		fInitialPageId= pageId;
+		boolean useLastUsedSearchPage= SearchPlugin.getDefault().getPreferenceStore().getBoolean(SearchPreferencePage.USE_LAST_USED_SEARCHPAGE);
+		// if fInitialPageId != null then a specific search page shall be opened directly
+		// In this case do not consider the preference at all
+		if (fInitialPageId == null && useLastUsedSearchPage) {
+			String lastPageId = SearchPlugin.getDefault().getPreferenceStore().getString(PREVIOUS_SEARCH_PAGE);
+			fInitialPageId = lastPageId;
+		}
+		
 		fPageChangeListeners= null;
 		setUseEmbeddedProgressMonitorPart(false);
 	}
@@ -774,6 +787,12 @@ public class SearchDialog extends ExtendedDialogWindow implements ISearchPageCon
 	 * @see org.eclipse.jface.dialogs.Dialog#close()
 	 */
 	public boolean close() {
+		// Store used search page id
+		if (fDescriptors.size() > 0) {
+		    SearchPageDescriptor descr = (SearchPageDescriptor)fDescriptors.get(fCurrentIndex);
+		    String pageId = descr.getId();
+		    SearchPlugin.getDefault().getPreferenceStore().setValue(PREVIOUS_SEARCH_PAGE, pageId);
+		}
 		for (int i= 0; i < fDescriptors.size(); i++) {
 			SearchPageDescriptor desc= (SearchPageDescriptor) fDescriptors.get(i);
 			desc.dispose();
diff --git search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchMessages.java search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchMessages.java
index 2478aa4..1c7e552 100644
--- search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchMessages.java
+++ search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchMessages.java
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ public final class SearchMessages extends NLS {
 	public static String SearchPreferencePage_defaultPerspective;
 	public static String SearchPreferencePage_defaultPerspective_none;
 	public static String SearchPreferencePage_ignorePotentialMatches;
+	public static String SearchPreferencePage_useLastUsedSearchPage;
 	public static String ReplaceAction_label_all;
 	public static String ReplaceAction_label_selected;
 	public static String SelectAllAction_label;
diff --git search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchMessages.properties search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchMessages.properties
index eccd2fd..df26bf5 100644
--- search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchMessages.properties
+++ search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchMessages.properties
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ SearchPreferencePage_defaultPerspective= Default &perspective for the Search vie
 SearchPreferencePage_textSearchEngine=Text Search Engine to be used:
 SearchPreferencePage_defaultPerspective_none= None
 SearchPreferencePage_ignorePotentialMatches= &Ignore potential matches
+SearchPreferencePage_useLastUsedSearchPage= &Focus on last used search page
 
 ReplaceAction_label_all= Re&place All...
 ReplaceAction_title_all=Replace Text Matches
diff --git search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchPreferencePage.java search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchPreferencePage.java
index 4062494..2123674 100644
--- search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchPreferencePage.java
+++ search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchPreferencePage.java
@@ -53,6 +53,11 @@ public class SearchPreferencePage extends FieldEditorPreferencePage implements I
     public static final String TEXT_SEARCH_ENGINE = "org.eclipse.search.textSearchEngine"; //$NON-NLS-1$
     public static final String TEXT_SEARCH_QUERY_PROVIDER = "org.eclipse.search.textSearchQueryProvider"; //$NON-NLS-1$
 	public static final String LIMIT_HISTORY= "org.eclipse.search.limitHistory"; //$NON-NLS-1$
+	/**
+	 * Preference switch. If <code>true</code> then the last used search page is opened when the search dialog is opened 
+	 * instead of the page that is calculated to fit best the current selection/editor/...
+	 */
+	public static final String USE_LAST_USED_SEARCHPAGE= "org.eclipse.search.useLastUsedSearchPage"; //$NON-NLS-1$
 
 	private ColorFieldEditor fColorEditor;
 	private BooleanFieldEditor fEmphasizedCheckbox;
@@ -91,6 +96,7 @@ public class SearchPreferencePage extends FieldEditorPreferencePage implements I
 		store.setDefault(TEXT_SEARCH_ENGINE, ""); //default search engine is empty string //$NON-NLS-1$
 		store.setDefault(TEXT_SEARCH_QUERY_PROVIDER, ""); // default query provider is empty string  //$NON-NLS-1$
 		store.setDefault(LIMIT_HISTORY, 10);
+		store.setDefault(USE_LAST_USED_SEARCHPAGE, false);
 	}
 
 
@@ -102,6 +108,7 @@ public class SearchPreferencePage extends FieldEditorPreferencePage implements I
 	protected void createFieldEditors() {
 		addField(new BooleanFieldEditor(REUSE_EDITOR, SearchMessages.SearchPreferencePage_reuseEditor, getFieldEditorParent()));
 		addField(new BooleanFieldEditor(BRING_VIEW_TO_FRONT, SearchMessages.SearchPreferencePage_bringToFront, getFieldEditorParent()));
+		addField(new BooleanFieldEditor(USE_LAST_USED_SEARCHPAGE, SearchMessages.SearchPreferencePage_useLastUsedSearchPage, getFieldEditorParent()));
 
 		fIgnorePotentialMatchesCheckbox= new BooleanFieldEditor(
 			IGNORE_POTENTIAL_MATCHES,