diff --git a/src/widgets/filebrowserwidget.cpp b/src/widgets/filebrowserwidget.cpp
--- a/src/widgets/filebrowserwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/widgets/filebrowserwidget.cpp
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
     m_dirOperator = new KDirOperator(QUrl(), this);
     m_dirOperator->setViewConfig(m_configGroup);
     m_dirOperator->readConfig(m_configGroup);
-    m_dirOperator->setView(KFile::Default);
+    m_dirOperator->setView(KFile::Tree);
     m_dirOperator->setMode(KFile::Files);
     setFocusProxy(m_dirOperator);