diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/themes/common/themeExtensionPoints.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/themes/common/themeExtensionPoints.ts
index aa2f6599439..e54c6549bc2 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/themes/common/themeExtensionPoints.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/themes/common/themeExtensionPoints.ts
@@ -39,11 +39,11 @@ export function registerColorThemeExtensionPoint() {
 						type: 'string'
 					},
 					uiTheme: {
-						description: nls.localize('vscode.extension.contributes.themes.uiTheme', 'Base theme defining the colors around the editor: \'vs\' is the light color theme, \'vs-dark\' is the dark color theme. \'hc-black\' is the dark high contrast theme, \'hc-light\' is the light high contrast theme.'),
+						markdownDescription: nls.localize('vscode.extension.contributes.themes.uiTheme', 'Base theme defining the colors around the editor: `vs` is the light color theme, `vs-dark` is the dark color theme. `hc-black` is the dark high contrast theme, `hc-light` is the light high contrast theme.'),
 						enum: [ThemeTypeSelector.VS, ThemeTypeSelector.VS_DARK, ThemeTypeSelector.HC_BLACK, ThemeTypeSelector.HC_LIGHT]
 					},
 					path: {
-						description: nls.localize('vscode.extension.contributes.themes.path', 'Path of the tmTheme file. The path is relative to the extension folder and is typically \'./colorthemes/awesome-color-theme.json\'.'),
+						markdownDescription: nls.localize('vscode.extension.contributes.themes.path', 'Path of the tmTheme file. The path is relative to the extension folder and is typically `./colorthemes/awesome-color-theme.json`.'),
 						type: 'string'
 					}
 				},