diff --git a/test/e2e/codeServer.test.ts b/test/e2e/codeServer.test.ts
index 06eaaea0..38a6fbaf 100644
--- a/test/e2e/codeServer.test.ts
+++ b/test/e2e/codeServer.test.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import * as path from "path"
+import { promises as fs } from "fs"
 import { describe, test, expect } from "./baseFixture"
 
 describe("CodeServer", true, [], () => {
@@ -24,4 +26,11 @@ describe("CodeServer", true, [], () => {
     await codeServerPage.focusTerminal()
     expect(await codeServerPage.page.isVisible("#terminal")).toBe(true)
   })
+
+  test("should open a file", async ({ codeServerPage }) => {
+    const dir = await codeServerPage.dir()
+    const file = path.join(dir, "foo")
+    await fs.writeFile(file, "bar")
+    await codeServerPage.openFile(file)
+  })
 })
diff --git a/test/e2e/models/CodeServer.ts b/test/e2e/models/CodeServer.ts
index 6c32a37f..25d36c85 100644
--- a/test/e2e/models/CodeServer.ts
+++ b/test/e2e/models/CodeServer.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ export class CodeServer {
   private process: Promise<CodeServerProcess> | undefined
   public readonly logger: Logger
   private closed = false
+  private workspaceDir: Promise<string> | undefined
 
   constructor(name: string, private readonly codeServerArgs: string[]) {
     this.logger = logger.named(name)
@@ -54,11 +55,18 @@ export class CodeServer {
     return address
   }
 
+  async dir(): Promise<string> {
+    if (!this.workspaceDir) {
+      this.workspaceDir = tmpdir(workspaceDir)
+    }
+    return this.workspaceDir
+  }
+
   /**
    * Create a random workspace and seed it with settings.
    */
   private async createWorkspace(): Promise<string> {
-    const dir = await tmpdir(workspaceDir)
+    const dir = await this.dir()
     await fs.mkdir(path.join(dir, "User"))
     await fs.writeFile(
       path.join(dir, "User/settings.json"),
@@ -190,6 +198,10 @@ export class CodeServerPage {
     return this.codeServer.address()
   }
 
+  dir() {
+    return this.codeServer.dir()
+  }
+
   /**
    * Navigate to code-server.
    */
@@ -280,6 +292,22 @@ export class CodeServerPage {
     await this.page.waitForSelector("textarea.xterm-helper-textarea")
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Open a file by using menus.
+   */
+  async openFile(file: string) {
+    await this.navigateMenus(["File", "Open File"])
+    await this.navigatePicker([path.basename(file)])
+    await this.waitForTab(file)
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Wait for a tab to open for the specified file.
+   */
+  async waitForTab(file: string): Promise<void> {
+    return this.page.waitForSelector(`.tab :text("${path.basename(file)}")`)
+  }
+
   /**
    * Navigate to the command palette via menus then execute a command by typing
    * it then clicking the match from the results.