diff --git a/packages/plugin-ext/src/common/plugin-api-rpc.ts b/packages/plugin-ext/src/common/plugin-api-rpc.ts
index 8a549b7e4f840..026ad4d5e05d3 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-ext/src/common/plugin-api-rpc.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-ext/src/common/plugin-api-rpc.ts
@@ -822,7 +822,7 @@ export interface TreeViewsMain {
     $registerTreeDataProvider(treeViewId: string, options?: RegisterTreeDataProviderOptions): void;
     $readDroppedFile(contentId: string): Promise<BinaryBuffer>;
     $unregisterTreeDataProvider(treeViewId: string): void;
-    $refresh(treeViewId: string): Promise<void>;
+    $refresh(treeViewId: string, itemIds: string[]): Promise<void>;
     $reveal(treeViewId: string, elementParentChain: string[], options: TreeViewRevealOptions): Promise<any>;
     $setMessage(treeViewId: string, message: string): void;
     $setTitle(treeViewId: string, title: string): void;
diff --git a/packages/plugin-ext/src/main/browser/view/tree-view-widget.tsx b/packages/plugin-ext/src/main/browser/view/tree-view-widget.tsx
index ad09bf104ba6f..6593bc9711c87 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-ext/src/main/browser/view/tree-view-widget.tsx
+++ b/packages/plugin-ext/src/main/browser/view/tree-view-widget.tsx
@@ -428,6 +428,18 @@ export class PluginTreeModel extends TreeModelImpl {
 
 @injectable()
 export class TreeViewWidget extends TreeViewWelcomeWidget {
+    async refresh(items: string[] | undefined): Promise<void> {
+        if (items) {
+            for (const id of items) {
+                const node = this.model.getNode(id);
+                if (CompositeTreeNode.is(node)) {
+                    await this.model.refresh(node);
+                }
+            };
+        } else {
+            this.model.refresh();
+        }
+    }
 
     protected _contextSelection = false;
 
diff --git a/packages/plugin-ext/src/main/browser/view/tree-views-main.ts b/packages/plugin-ext/src/main/browser/view/tree-views-main.ts
index 4d875798d5c09..74993d2c14cfe 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-ext/src/main/browser/view/tree-views-main.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-ext/src/main/browser/view/tree-views-main.ts
@@ -110,11 +110,11 @@ export class TreeViewsMainImpl implements TreeViewsMain, Disposable {
         return BinaryBuffer.wrap(new Uint8Array(buffer));
     }
 
-    async $refresh(treeViewId: string): Promise<void> {
+    async $refresh(treeViewId: string, items: string[]): Promise<void> {
         const viewPanel = await this.viewRegistry.getView(treeViewId);
         const widget = viewPanel && viewPanel.widgets[0];
         if (widget instanceof TreeViewWidget) {
-            await widget.model.refresh();
+            await widget.refresh(items);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/plugin-ext/src/plugin/tree/tree-views.ts b/packages/plugin-ext/src/plugin/tree/tree-views.ts
index 5dec3ca816fdd..3213cf1c47504 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-ext/src/plugin/tree/tree-views.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-ext/src/plugin/tree/tree-views.ts
@@ -252,8 +252,20 @@ class TreeViewExtImpl<T> implements Disposable {
             dragMimeTypes, dropMimeTypes
         });
         this.toDispose.push(Disposable.create(() => this.proxy.$unregisterTreeDataProvider(treeViewId)));
-        options.treeDataProvider.onDidChangeTreeData?.(() => {
-            this.pendingRefresh = proxy.$refresh(treeViewId);
+        options.treeDataProvider.onDidChangeTreeData?.(elements => {
+            const ids = [];
+            elements = elements || [];
+            if (!Array.isArray(elements)) {
+                elements = [elements];
+            }
+            for (const element of elements) {
+                for (const node of this.nodes.values()) {
+                    if (node.value === element) {
+                        ids.push(node.id);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            this.pendingRefresh = proxy.$refresh(treeViewId, ids);
         });
     }
 
@@ -378,7 +390,7 @@ class TreeViewExtImpl<T> implements Disposable {
         let counter = 0;
         do {
             id = `${prefix}/${counter}:${elementId}`;
-            if (!mustReturnNew || !this.nodes.has(id) || this.nodes.get(id) === item) {
+            if (!mustReturnNew || !this.nodes.has(id) || this.nodes.get(id)?.pluginTreeItem === item) {
                 // Return first if asked for or
                 // Return if handle does not exist or
                 // Return if handle is being reused