diff --git a/apps/remix-ide-e2e/src/commands/openFile.ts b/apps/remix-ide-e2e/src/commands/openFile.ts
index 28d09a009d..fa674e22a9 100644
--- a/apps/remix-ide-e2e/src/commands/openFile.ts
+++ b/apps/remix-ide-e2e/src/commands/openFile.ts
@@ -16,19 +16,25 @@ class OpenFile extends EventEmitter {
 // click on fileExplorer can toggle it. We go through settings to be sure FE is open
 function openFile (browser: NightwatchBrowser, name: string, done: VoidFunction) {
   browser.perform((done) => {
-    browser.element('css selector', '[data-id="verticalIconsKindfilePanel"] img[data-id="selected"]', (result) => {
-            console.log(result)
-            if (result.status === 0) {
-                browser.clickLaunchIcon('filePanel').perform(done)
-            } else done()
+    browser.isVisible('[data-id="remixIdeSidePanel"]', (result) => {
+      console.log(result)
+      if (result.value) {
+        // if side panel is shown, check this is the file panel
+        browser.element('css selector', '[data-id="verticalIconsKindfilePanel"] img[data-id="selected"]', (result) => {
+          console.log(result)
+          if (result.status === 0) {
+              done()
+          } else browser.clickLaunchIcon('filePanel').perform(done)
         })
-    })  
-    .waitForElementVisible('li[data-id="treeViewLitreeViewItem' + name + '"', 60000)
-    .click('li[data-id="treeViewLitreeViewItem' + name + '"')
-    .pause(2000)
-    .perform(() => {
-      done()
-    })
+      } else browser.clickLaunchIcon('filePanel').perform(done)
+    })    
+  })
+  .waitForElementVisible('li[data-id="treeViewLitreeViewItem' + name + '"', 60000)
+  .click('li[data-id="treeViewLitreeViewItem' + name + '"')
+  .pause(2000)
+  .perform(() => {
+    done()
+  })
 }
 
 module.exports = OpenFile