diff --git a/src/packages/tree-view/lib/tree-view.coffee b/src/packages/tree-view/lib/tree-view.coffee
index c48400895..d0360e3c1 100644
--- a/src/packages/tree-view/lib/tree-view.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/tree-view/lib/tree-view.coffee
@@ -10,33 +10,17 @@ _ = require 'underscore'
 
 module.exports =
 class TreeView extends ScrollView
-  @activate: (state) ->
-    if state
-      TreeView.deserialize(state)
-    else
-      new TreeView
-
   @content: (rootView) ->
     @div class: 'tree-view-wrapper', =>
       @ol class: 'tree-view tool-panel', tabindex: -1, outlet: 'treeViewList'
       @div class: 'tree-view-resizer', outlet: 'resizer'
 
-  @deserialize: (state) ->
-    treeView = new TreeView
-    treeView.root.deserializeEntryExpansionStates(state.directoryExpansionStates)
-    treeView.selectEntryForPath(state.selectedPath)
-    treeView.focusAfterAttach = state.hasFocus
-    treeView.scrollTopAfterAttach = state.scrollTop
-    treeView.width(state.width)
-    treeView.attach() if state.attached
-    treeView
-
   root: null
   focusAfterAttach: false
   scrollTopAfterAttach: -1
   selectedPath: null
 
-  initialize: ->
+  initialize: (state) ->
     super
     @on 'click', '.entry', (e) => @entryClicked(e)
     @on 'mousedown', '.tree-view-resizer', (e) => @resizeStarted(e)
@@ -60,7 +44,14 @@ class TreeView extends ScrollView
     rootView.project.on 'path-changed', => @updateRoot()
     @observeConfig 'core.hideGitIgnoredFiles', => @updateRoot()
 
-    @selectEntry(@root) if @root
+    if @root
+      @selectEntry(@root)
+      @root.deserializeEntryExpansionStates(state.directoryExpansionStates)
+    @selectEntryForPath(state.selectedPath) if state.selectedPath
+    @focusAfterAttach = state.hasFocus
+    @scrollTopAfterAttach = state.scrollTop if state.scrollTop
+    @width(state.width) if state.width
+    @attach() if state.attached
 
   afterAttach: (onDom) ->
     @focus() if @focusAfterAttach
diff --git a/src/packages/tree-view/lib/tree.coffee b/src/packages/tree-view/lib/tree.coffee
index 86b4f8fb4..5a2371ef7 100644
--- a/src/packages/tree-view/lib/tree.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/tree-view/lib/tree.coffee
@@ -1,12 +1,8 @@
 module.exports =
   treeView: null
 
-  activate: (@state) ->
-    if state
-      @createView().attach() if state.attached
-    else if rootView.project.getPath() and not rootView.pathToOpenIsFile
-      @createView().attach()
-
+  activate: (@state={}) ->
+    @createView() if @state.attached
     rootView.command 'tree-view:toggle', => @createView().toggle()
     rootView.command 'tree-view:reveal-active-file', => @createView().revealActiveFile()
 
@@ -23,5 +19,5 @@ module.exports =
   createView: ->
     unless @treeView?
       TreeView = require 'tree-view/lib/tree-view'
-      @treeView = TreeView.activate(@state)
+      @treeView = new TreeView(@state)
     @treeView
diff --git a/src/packages/tree-view/spec/tree-view-spec.coffee b/src/packages/tree-view/spec/tree-view-spec.coffee
index 8459a06ae..bfa544bfc 100644
--- a/src/packages/tree-view/spec/tree-view-spec.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/tree-view/spec/tree-view-spec.coffee
@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@ describe "TreeView", ->
     new RootView(require.resolve('fixtures/tree-view'))
     project = rootView.project
 
-    treeView = atom.loadPackage("tree-view").packageMain.createView()
+    atom.loadPackage("tree-view")
+    rootView.trigger 'tree-view:toggle'
+    treeView = rootView.find(".tree-view").view()
     treeView.root = treeView.find('ol > li:first').view()
     sampleJs = treeView.find('.file:contains(tree-view.js)')
     sampleTxt = treeView.find('.file:contains(tree-view.txt)')
@@ -47,8 +49,7 @@ describe "TreeView", ->
     describe "when the project has no path", ->
       beforeEach ->
         rootView.deactivate()
-
-        new RootView
+        new RootView()
         treeView = atom.loadPackage("tree-view").packageMain.createView()
 
       it "does not attach to the root view or create a root node when initialized", ->
@@ -71,51 +72,41 @@ describe "TreeView", ->
           expect(treeView.root.parent()).toMatchSelector(".tree-view")
 
     describe "when the root view is opened to a file path", ->
-      beforeEach ->
+      it "does not attach to the root view but does create a root node when initialized", ->
         rootView.deactivate()
-
         new RootView(require.resolve('fixtures/tree-view/tree-view.js'))
         treeView = atom.loadPackage("tree-view").packageMain.createView()
-
-      it "does not attach to the root view but does create a root node when initialized", ->
         expect(treeView.hasParent()).toBeFalsy()
         expect(treeView.root).toExist()
 
   describe "serialization", ->
-    [newRootView, newTreeView] = []
-
-    afterEach ->
-      newRootView?.deactivate()
-
     it "restores expanded directories and selected file when deserialized", ->
       treeView.find('.directory:contains(dir1)').click()
       sampleJs.click()
-      oldRootView = rootView
-      newRootView = RootView.deserialize(rootView.serialize())
-      oldRootView.deactivate() # Deactivates previous TreeView
 
-      atom.loadPackage('tree-view')
+      rootViewState = rootView.serialize()
+      rootView.deactivate()
+      RootView.deserialize(rootViewState)
+      atom.loadPackage("tree-view")
+      treeView = rootView.find(".tree-view").view()
 
-      newTreeView = newRootView.find(".tree-view").view()
-
-      expect(newTreeView).toExist()
-      expect(newTreeView.selectedEntry()).toMatchSelector(".file:contains(tree-view.js)")
-      expect(newTreeView.find(".directory:contains(dir1)")).toHaveClass("expanded")
+      expect(treeView).toExist()
+      expect(treeView.selectedEntry()).toMatchSelector(".file:contains(tree-view.js)")
+      expect(treeView.find(".directory:contains(dir1)")).toHaveClass("expanded")
 
     it "restores the focus state of the tree view", ->
       rootView.attachToDom()
       treeView.focus()
       expect(treeView.find(".tree-view")).toMatchSelector ':focus'
 
-      oldRootView = rootView
-      newRootView = RootView.deserialize(rootView.serialize())
-      oldRootView.deactivate() # Deactivates previous TreeView
+      rootViewState = rootView.serialize()
+      rootView.deactivate()
+      RootView.deserialize(rootViewState)
 
-      newRootView.attachToDom()
-      atom.loadPackage('tree-view')
-
-      newTreeView = newRootView.find(".tree-view").view()
-      expect(newTreeView.find(".tree-view")).toMatchSelector ':focus'
+      rootView.attachToDom()
+      atom.loadPackage("tree-view")
+      treeView = rootView.find(".tree-view").view()
+      expect(treeView.find(".tree-view")).toMatchSelector ':focus'
 
     it "restores the scroll top when toggled", ->
       rootView.height(5)
@@ -609,6 +600,7 @@ describe "TreeView", ->
       new RootView(rootDirPath)
       project = rootView.project
       atom.loadPackage('tree-view')
+      rootView.trigger 'tree-view:toggle'
       treeView = rootView.find(".tree-view").view()
       dirView = treeView.root.entries.find('.directory:contains(test-dir)').view()
       dirView.expand()