diff --git a/org.eclipse.search/search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchDialog.java b/org.eclipse.search/search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchDialog.java
index b998cbb..ca68ec4 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.search/search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchDialog.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.search/search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchDialog.java
@@ -12,2 +12,3 @@
  *         (see https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=45729)
+ *     Marco Descher <marco@descher.at> - http://bugs.eclipse.org/33710
  *******************************************************************************/
@@ -53,2 +54,3 @@
 import org.eclipse.jface.action.LegacyActionTools;
+import org.eclipse.jface.dialogs.DialogSettings;
 import org.eclipse.jface.dialogs.IDialogConstants;
@@ -91,2 +93,12 @@
 public class SearchDialog extends ExtendedDialogWindow implements ISearchPageContainer, IPageChangeProvider {
+
+	/**
+	 * The id of the last search page that was opened in the search dialog, used as key in
+	 * {@link DialogSettings}
+	 */
+	public static final String PREVIOUS_SEARCH_PAGE= "PreviousSearchPageId_SearchDialog"; //$NON-NLS-1$
+
+	public static final String SEARCH_TAB_SELECTION_MODE_KEY = "SearchTabSelectionMode_SearchDialog"; //$NON-NLS-1$
+	public static final int SEARCH_TAB_OPENS_BEST_TAB = 0;
+	public static final int SEARCH_TAB_OPENS_LAST_TAB = 1;
 
@@ -147,2 +159,3 @@
 
+	private final IDialogSettings defaultDialogSettings= SearchPlugin.getDefault().getDialogSettings();
 
@@ -156,2 +169,14 @@
 		fInitialPageId= pageId;
+
+		if (fInitialPageId == null) {
+			try {
+				if (defaultDialogSettings.getInt(SEARCH_TAB_SELECTION_MODE_KEY) == SEARCH_TAB_OPENS_LAST_TAB) {
+					fInitialPageId= defaultDialogSettings.get(PREVIOUS_SEARCH_PAGE);
+				}
+			} catch (NumberFormatException nfe) {
+				// will only happen once, set default behavior
+				defaultDialogSettings.put(SEARCH_TAB_SELECTION_MODE_KEY, SEARCH_TAB_OPENS_BEST_TAB);
+			}
+		}
+
 		fPageChangeListeners= null;
@@ -330,2 +355,29 @@
 				this.getButton(IDialogConstants.DESELECT_ALL_ID).addSelectionListener(listener);
+			}
+
+			protected Control createDialogArea(Composite parent) {
+				Composite ret= (Composite)super.createDialogArea(parent);
+				
+				Label l = new Label(ret, SWT.None);
+				l.setText("'Search...' opens");
+				
+				Button b= new Button(ret, SWT.RADIO);
+//				b.setText(SearchMessages.RememberSelectedSearchTab_message);
+				b.setText("Last used tab");
+				b.setSelection((defaultDialogSettings.getInt(SEARCH_TAB_SELECTION_MODE_KEY)==SEARCH_TAB_OPENS_LAST_TAB));
+				b.addSelectionListener(new SelectionAdapter() {
+					public void widgetSelected(SelectionEvent e) {
+						defaultDialogSettings.put(SEARCH_TAB_SELECTION_MODE_KEY, SEARCH_TAB_OPENS_LAST_TAB);
+					}
+				});
+				
+				b= new Button(ret, SWT.RADIO);
+				b.setSelection((defaultDialogSettings.getInt(SEARCH_TAB_SELECTION_MODE_KEY)==SEARCH_TAB_OPENS_BEST_TAB));
+				b.setText("Best tab for selection");
+				b.addSelectionListener(new SelectionAdapter() {
+					public void widgetSelected(SelectionEvent e) {
+						defaultDialogSettings.put(SEARCH_TAB_SELECTION_MODE_KEY, SEARCH_TAB_OPENS_BEST_TAB);
+					}
+				});
+				return ret;
 			}
@@ -524,2 +576,4 @@
 
+		defaultDialogSettings.put(PREVIOUS_SEARCH_PAGE, descriptor.getId());
+
 		if (item.getControl() == null) {
diff --git a/org.eclipse.search/search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchMessages.java b/org.eclipse.search/search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchMessages.java
index 2478aa4..24e1b62 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.search/search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchMessages.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.search/search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchMessages.java
@@ -56,3 +56,4 @@
 	public static String ReplaceRefactoring_result_update_name;
-
+	public static String RememberSelectedSearchTab_message;
+	
 	public static String SearchDialog_title;
diff --git a/org.eclipse.search/search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchMessages.properties b/org.eclipse.search/search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchMessages.properties
index 2eac4b5..e6e80a1 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.search/search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchMessages.properties
+++ b/org.eclipse.search/search/org/eclipse/search/internal/ui/SearchMessages.properties
@@ -202,2 +202,4 @@
 
+RememberSelectedSearchTab_message=Remember selected search tab
+
 ReplaceAction_label_all= Re&place All...