diff --git a/src/vs/code/electron-browser/sharedProcess/contrib/contributions.ts b/src/vs/code/electron-browser/sharedProcess/contrib/contributions.ts
index 1231824cff5..6784a68ebd9 100644
--- a/src/vs/code/electron-browser/sharedProcess/contrib/contributions.ts
+++ b/src/vs/code/electron-browser/sharedProcess/contrib/contributions.ts
@@ -7,10 +7,12 @@ import { NodeCachedDataCleaner } from 'vs/code/electron-browser/sharedProcess/co
 import { LanguagePackCachedDataCleaner } from 'vs/code/electron-browser/sharedProcess/contrib/languagePackCachedDataCleaner';
 import { IInstantiationService } from 'vs/platform/instantiation/common/instantiation';
 import { IDisposable, combinedDisposable } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
+import { StorageDataCleaner } from 'vs/code/electron-browser/sharedProcess/contrib/storageDataCleaner';
 
 export function createSharedProcessContributions(service: IInstantiationService): IDisposable {
 	return combinedDisposable([
 		service.createInstance(NodeCachedDataCleaner),
-		service.createInstance(LanguagePackCachedDataCleaner)
+		service.createInstance(LanguagePackCachedDataCleaner),
+		service.createInstance(StorageDataCleaner)
 	]);
 }
diff --git a/src/vs/code/electron-browser/sharedProcess/contrib/storageDataCleaner.ts b/src/vs/code/electron-browser/sharedProcess/contrib/storageDataCleaner.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..40112aa81d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/vs/code/electron-browser/sharedProcess/contrib/storageDataCleaner.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+/*---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ *  Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
+ *  Licensed under the MIT License. See License.txt in the project root for license information.
+ *--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+
+import { IEnvironmentService } from 'vs/platform/environment/common/environment';
+import { join } from 'path';
+import { readdir, readFile, rimraf } from 'vs/base/node/pfs';
+import { onUnexpectedError } from 'vs/base/common/errors';
+import { Disposable, toDisposable } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
+import { IBackupWorkspacesFormat } from 'vs/platform/backup/common/backup';
+
+export class StorageDataCleaner extends Disposable {
+
+	// Workspace/Folder storage names are MD5 hashes (128bits / 4 due to hex presentation)
+	private static NON_EMPTY_WORKSPACE_ID_LENGTH = 128 / 4;
+
+	constructor(
+		@IEnvironmentService private environmentService: IEnvironmentService
+	) {
+		super();
+
+		this.cleanUpStorageSoon();
+	}
+
+	private cleanUpStorageSoon(): void {
+		let handle = setTimeout(() => {
+			handle = void 0;
+
+			// Leverage the backup workspace file to find out which empty workspace is currently in use to
+			// determine which empty workspace storage can safely be deleted
+			readFile(this.environmentService.backupWorkspacesPath, 'utf8').then(contents => {
+				const workspaces = JSON.parse(contents) as IBackupWorkspacesFormat;
+				const emptyWorkspaces = workspaces.emptyWorkspaceInfos.map(info => info.backupFolder);
+
+				// Read all workspace storage folders that exist
+				return readdir(this.environmentService.workspaceStorageHome).then(storageFolders => {
+					const deletes: Promise<void>[] = [];
+
+					storageFolders.forEach(storageFolder => {
+						if (storageFolder.length === StorageDataCleaner.NON_EMPTY_WORKSPACE_ID_LENGTH) {
+							return;
+						}
+
+						if (emptyWorkspaces.indexOf(storageFolder) === -1) {
+							deletes.push(rimraf(join(this.environmentService.workspaceStorageHome, storageFolder)));
+						}
+					});
+
+					return Promise.all(deletes);
+				});
+			}).then(null, onUnexpectedError);
+		}, 30 * 1000);
+
+		this._register(toDisposable(() => clearTimeout(handle)));
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/vs/code/electron-main/windows.ts b/src/vs/code/electron-main/windows.ts
index 3e313bfa1ef..82677e20985 100644
--- a/src/vs/code/electron-main/windows.ts
+++ b/src/vs/code/electron-main/windows.ts
@@ -471,9 +471,9 @@ export class WindowsManager implements IWindowsMainService {
 				for (let i = usedWindows.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
 					const usedWindow = usedWindows[i];
 					if (
-						(usedWindow.openedWorkspace && workspacesToRestore.some(workspace => workspace.id === usedWindow.openedWorkspace.id)) || 							// skip over restored workspace
-						(usedWindow.openedFolderUri && foldersToRestore.some(folder => isEqual(folder, usedWindow.openedFolderUri))) ||	// skip over restored folder
-						(usedWindow.backupPath && emptyToRestore.some(empty => empty.backupFolder === basename(usedWindow.backupPath)))													// skip over restored empty window
+						(usedWindow.openedWorkspace && workspacesToRestore.some(workspace => workspace.id === usedWindow.openedWorkspace.id)) ||	// skip over restored workspace
+						(usedWindow.openedFolderUri && foldersToRestore.some(folder => isEqual(folder, usedWindow.openedFolderUri))) ||				// skip over restored folder
+						(usedWindow.backupPath && emptyToRestore.some(empty => empty.backupFolder === basename(usedWindow.backupPath)))				// skip over restored empty window
 					) {
 						continue;
 					}