diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/mozilla/fenix/search/SearchController.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/mozilla/fenix/search/SearchController.kt
index 3a4e6aa5f..0a9b759a9 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/mozilla/fenix/search/SearchController.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/mozilla/fenix/search/SearchController.kt
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import mozilla.components.browser.session.Session
 import mozilla.components.support.ktx.kotlin.isUrl
 import org.mozilla.fenix.BrowserDirection
 import org.mozilla.fenix.HomeActivity
-import org.mozilla.fenix.R
 import org.mozilla.fenix.components.metrics.Event
 import org.mozilla.fenix.components.metrics.Event.PerformedSearch.SearchAccessPoint.ACTION
 import org.mozilla.fenix.components.metrics.Event.PerformedSearch.SearchAccessPoint.NONE
@@ -21,7 +20,6 @@ import org.mozilla.fenix.components.metrics.MetricsUtils
 import org.mozilla.fenix.components.searchengine.CustomSearchEngineStore
 import org.mozilla.fenix.ext.components
 import org.mozilla.fenix.ext.metrics
-import org.mozilla.fenix.ext.nav
 import org.mozilla.fenix.ext.settings
 
 /**
@@ -82,15 +80,19 @@ class DefaultSearchController(
 
     override fun handleTextChanged(text: String) {
         store.dispatch(SearchFragmentAction.UpdateQuery(text))
-        store.dispatch(SearchFragmentAction.ShowSearchShortcutEnginePicker(
-            text.isEmpty() && context.settings().shouldShowSearchShortcuts
-        ))
-        store.dispatch(SearchFragmentAction.ShowSearchSuggestionsHint(
-            text.isNotEmpty() &&
-                    (context as HomeActivity).browsingModeManager.mode.isPrivate &&
-                    !context.settings().shouldShowSearchSuggestionsInPrivate &&
-                    !context.settings().showSearchSuggestionsInPrivateOnboardingFinished
-        ))
+        store.dispatch(
+            SearchFragmentAction.ShowSearchShortcutEnginePicker(
+                text.isEmpty() && context.settings().shouldShowSearchShortcuts
+            )
+        )
+        store.dispatch(
+            SearchFragmentAction.ShowSearchSuggestionsHint(
+                text.isNotEmpty() &&
+                        (context as HomeActivity).browsingModeManager.mode.isPrivate &&
+                        !context.settings().shouldShowSearchSuggestionsInPrivate &&
+                        !context.settings().showSearchSuggestionsInPrivateOnboardingFinished
+            )
+        )
     }
 
     override fun handleUrlTapped(url: String) {
@@ -129,7 +131,8 @@ class DefaultSearchController(
 
     override fun handleSearchShortcutEngineSelected(searchEngine: SearchEngine) {
         store.dispatch(SearchFragmentAction.SearchShortcutEngineSelected(searchEngine))
-        val isCustom = CustomSearchEngineStore.isCustomSearchEngine(context, searchEngine.identifier)
+        val isCustom =
+            CustomSearchEngineStore.isCustomSearchEngine(context, searchEngine.identifier)
         context.metrics.track(Event.SearchShortcutSelected(searchEngine, isCustom))
     }
 
@@ -144,8 +147,9 @@ class DefaultSearchController(
     }
 
     override fun handleExistingSessionSelected(session: Session) {
-        val directions = SearchFragmentDirections.actionSearchFragmentToBrowserFragment(null)
-        navController.nav(R.id.searchFragment, directions)
         context.components.core.sessionManager.select(session)
+        (context as HomeActivity).openToBrowser(
+            from = BrowserDirection.FromSearch
+        )
     }
 }
diff --git a/app/src/test/java/org/mozilla/fenix/search/DefaultSearchControllerTest.kt b/app/src/test/java/org/mozilla/fenix/search/DefaultSearchControllerTest.kt
index 8bc116f72..d641259a9 100644
--- a/app/src/test/java/org/mozilla/fenix/search/DefaultSearchControllerTest.kt
+++ b/app/src/test/java/org/mozilla/fenix/search/DefaultSearchControllerTest.kt
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ import org.mozilla.fenix.components.metrics.Event
 import org.mozilla.fenix.components.metrics.MetricController
 import org.mozilla.fenix.ext.components
 import org.mozilla.fenix.ext.metrics
-import org.mozilla.fenix.ext.nav
 import org.mozilla.fenix.ext.searchEngineManager
 import org.mozilla.fenix.ext.settings
 import org.mozilla.fenix.utils.Settings
@@ -72,12 +71,14 @@ class DefaultSearchControllerTest {
 
         controller.handleUrlCommitted(url)
 
-        verify { context.openToBrowserAndLoad(
-            searchTermOrURL = url,
-            newTab = session == null,
-            from = BrowserDirection.FromSearch,
-            engine = searchEngine
-        ) }
+        verify {
+            context.openToBrowserAndLoad(
+                searchTermOrURL = url,
+                newTab = session == null,
+                from = BrowserDirection.FromSearch,
+                engine = searchEngine
+            )
+        }
         verify { metrics.track(Event.EnteredUrl(false)) }
     }
 
@@ -162,11 +163,13 @@ class DefaultSearchControllerTest {
 
         controller.handleUrlTapped(url)
 
-        verify { context.openToBrowserAndLoad(
-            searchTermOrURL = url,
-            newTab = session == null,
-            from = BrowserDirection.FromSearch
-        ) }
+        verify {
+            context.openToBrowserAndLoad(
+                searchTermOrURL = url,
+                newTab = session == null,
+                from = BrowserDirection.FromSearch
+            )
+        }
         verify { metrics.track(Event.EnteredUrl(false)) }
     }
 
@@ -176,13 +179,15 @@ class DefaultSearchControllerTest {
 
         controller.handleSearchTermsTapped(searchTerms)
 
-        verify { context.openToBrowserAndLoad(
-            searchTermOrURL = searchTerms,
-            newTab = session == null,
-            from = BrowserDirection.FromSearch,
-            engine = searchEngine,
-            forceSearch = true
-        ) }
+        verify {
+            context.openToBrowserAndLoad(
+                searchTermOrURL = searchTerms,
+                newTab = session == null,
+                from = BrowserDirection.FromSearch,
+                engine = searchEngine,
+                forceSearch = true
+            )
+        }
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -197,7 +202,8 @@ class DefaultSearchControllerTest {
 
     @Test
     fun handleClickSearchEngineSettings() {
-        val directions: NavDirections = SearchFragmentDirections.actionSearchFragmentToSearchEngineFragment()
+        val directions: NavDirections =
+            SearchFragmentDirections.actionSearchFragmentToSearchEngineFragment()
 
         controller.handleClickSearchEngineSettings()
 
@@ -225,11 +231,10 @@ class DefaultSearchControllerTest {
     @Test
     fun handleExistingSessionSelected() {
         val session: Session = mockk(relaxed = true)
-        val directions = SearchFragmentDirections.actionSearchFragmentToBrowserFragment(null)
 
         controller.handleExistingSessionSelected(session)
 
-        verify { navController.nav(R.id.searchFragment, directions) }
         verify { sessionManager.select(session) }
+        verify { context.openToBrowser(from = BrowserDirection.FromSearch) }
     }
 }
diff --git a/app/src/test/java/org/mozilla/fenix/search/SearchInteractorTest.kt b/app/src/test/java/org/mozilla/fenix/search/SearchInteractorTest.kt
index a2b98bde1..2507c91c5 100644
--- a/app/src/test/java/org/mozilla/fenix/search/SearchInteractorTest.kt
+++ b/app/src/test/java/org/mozilla/fenix/search/SearchInteractorTest.kt
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ package org.mozilla.fenix.search
 
 import android.content.Context
 import androidx.navigation.NavController
-import androidx.navigation.NavDestination
 import androidx.navigation.NavDirections
 import androidx.test.ext.junit.runners.AndroidJUnit4
 import io.mockk.Runs
@@ -24,7 +23,6 @@ import org.junit.runner.RunWith
 import org.mozilla.fenix.BrowserDirection
 import org.mozilla.fenix.FenixApplication
 import org.mozilla.fenix.HomeActivity
-import org.mozilla.fenix.R
 import org.mozilla.fenix.TestApplication
 import org.mozilla.fenix.components.metrics.Event
 import org.mozilla.fenix.components.searchengine.CustomSearchEngineStore.PREF_FILE_SEARCH_ENGINES
@@ -272,13 +270,12 @@ class SearchInteractorTest {
     @Test
     fun onExistingSessionSelected() {
         val navController: NavController = mockk(relaxed = true)
-        every { navController.currentDestination } returns NavDestination("").apply {
-            id = R.id.searchFragment
-        }
-        val context: Context = mockk(relaxed = true)
+        val context: HomeActivity = mockk(relaxed = true)
         val applicationContext: FenixApplication = mockk(relaxed = true)
         every { context.applicationContext } returns applicationContext
         val store: SearchFragmentStore = mockk()
+        every { context.openToBrowser(any(), any()) } just Runs
+
         every { store.state } returns mockk(relaxed = true)
 
         val searchController: SearchController = DefaultSearchController(
@@ -292,12 +289,7 @@ class SearchInteractorTest {
         interactor.onExistingSessionSelected(session)
 
         verify {
-            navController.navigate(
-                SearchFragmentDirections.actionSearchFragmentToBrowserFragment(
-                    activeSessionId = null
-                ),
-                null
-            )
+            context.openToBrowser(BrowserDirection.FromSearch)
         }
     }
 }