diff --git a/src/vs/platform/statusbar/common/statusbar.ts b/src/vs/platform/statusbar/common/statusbar.ts
index 6e45f806115..d42f792b801 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/statusbar/common/statusbar.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/statusbar/common/statusbar.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 import { createDecorator } from 'vs/platform/instantiation/common/instantiation';
 import { IDisposable } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
+import { ThemeColor } from 'vs/editor/common/editorCommon';
 
 export var IStatusbarService = createDecorator<IStatusbarService>('statusbarService');
 
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ export interface IStatusbarEntry {
 	/**
 	 * An optional color to use for the entry
 	 */
-	color?: string;
+	color?: string | ThemeColor;
 
 	/**
 	 * An optional id of a command that is known to the workbench to execute on click
diff --git a/src/vs/vscode.d.ts b/src/vs/vscode.d.ts
index 4850740fec1..35a6a58cc03 100644
--- a/src/vs/vscode.d.ts
+++ b/src/vs/vscode.d.ts
@@ -3301,7 +3301,7 @@ declare module 'vscode' {
 		/**
 		 * The foreground color for this entry.
 		 */
-		color: string | undefined;
+		color: string | ThemeColor | undefined;
 
 		/**
 		 * The identifier of a command to run on click. The command must be
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/electron-browser/mainThreadStatusBar.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/electron-browser/mainThreadStatusBar.ts
index d64d9d3ac2b..d16e17cda09 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/electron-browser/mainThreadStatusBar.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/electron-browser/mainThreadStatusBar.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import { IStatusbarService, StatusbarAlignment as MainThreadStatusBarAlignment } from 'vs/platform/statusbar/common/statusbar';
 import { IDisposable } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
 import { MainThreadStatusBarShape } from '../node/extHost.protocol';
+import { ThemeColor } from 'vs/editor/common/editorCommon';
 
 export class MainThreadStatusBar extends MainThreadStatusBarShape {
 	private mapIdToDisposable: { [id: number]: IDisposable };
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ export class MainThreadStatusBar extends MainThreadStatusBarShape {
 		this.mapIdToDisposable = Object.create(null);
 	}
 
-	$setEntry(id: number, extensionId: string, text: string, tooltip: string, command: string, color: string, alignment: MainThreadStatusBarAlignment, priority: number): void {
+	$setEntry(id: number, extensionId: string, text: string, tooltip: string, command: string, color: string | ThemeColor, alignment: MainThreadStatusBarAlignment, priority: number): void {
 
 		// Dispose any old
 		this.$dispose(id);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHost.protocol.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHost.protocol.ts
index 1dbe9058048..f9c02d01d8c 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHost.protocol.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHost.protocol.ts
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ export abstract class MainThreadQuickOpenShape {
 }
 
 export abstract class MainThreadStatusBarShape {
-	$setEntry(id: number, extensionId: string, text: string, tooltip: string, command: string, color: string, alignment: MainThreadStatusBarAlignment, priority: number): void { throw ni(); }
+	$setEntry(id: number, extensionId: string, text: string, tooltip: string, command: string, color: string | editorCommon.ThemeColor, alignment: MainThreadStatusBarAlignment, priority: number): void { throw ni(); }
 	$dispose(id: number) { throw ni(); }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostStatusBar.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostStatusBar.ts
index 97c917caf51..6e91e7dbf9a 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostStatusBar.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostStatusBar.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 import { IThreadService } from 'vs/workbench/services/thread/common/threadService';
 import { StatusbarAlignment as MainThreadStatusBarAlignment } from 'vs/platform/statusbar/common/statusbar';
-import { StatusBarAlignment as ExtHostStatusBarAlignment, Disposable } from './extHostTypes';
+import { StatusBarAlignment as ExtHostStatusBarAlignment, Disposable, ThemeColor } from './extHostTypes';
 import { StatusBarItem, StatusBarAlignment } from 'vscode';
 import { MainContext, MainThreadStatusBarShape } from './extHost.protocol';
 
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export class ExtHostStatusBarEntry implements StatusBarItem {
 
 	private _text: string;
 	private _tooltip: string;
-	private _color: string;
+	private _color: string | ThemeColor;
 	private _command: string;
 
 	private _timeoutHandle: number;
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ export class ExtHostStatusBarEntry implements StatusBarItem {
 		return this._tooltip;
 	}
 
-	public get color(): string {
+	public get color(): string | ThemeColor {
 		return this._color;
 	}
 
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ export class ExtHostStatusBarEntry implements StatusBarItem {
 		this.update();
 	}
 
-	public set color(color: string) {
+	public set color(color: string | ThemeColor) {
 		this._color = color;
 		this.update();
 	}
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/statusbar/statusbarPart.ts b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/statusbar/statusbarPart.ts
index 123f0f5d26e..fd2fd574fb4 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/statusbar/statusbarPart.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/statusbar/statusbarPart.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ import { IThemeService, registerThemingParticipant, ITheme, ICssStyleCollector }
 import { STATUS_BAR_BACKGROUND, STATUS_BAR_FOREGROUND, STATUS_BAR_NO_FOLDER_BACKGROUND, STATUS_BAR_ITEM_HOVER_BACKGROUND, STATUS_BAR_ITEM_ACTIVE_BACKGROUND, STATUS_BAR_PROMINENT_ITEM_BACKGROUND, STATUS_BAR_PROMINENT_ITEM_HOVER_BACKGROUND, STATUS_BAR_BORDER, STATUS_BAR_NO_FOLDER_FOREGROUND } from 'vs/workbench/common/theme';
 import { IWorkspaceContextService } from 'vs/platform/workspace/common/workspace';
 import { contrastBorder } from 'vs/platform/theme/common/colorRegistry';
+import { isThemeColor } from "vs/editor/common/editorCommon";
+import { Color } from 'vs/base/common/color';
 
 export class StatusbarPart extends Part implements IStatusbarService {
 
@@ -217,7 +219,8 @@ class StatusBarEntryItem implements IStatusbarItem {
 		@IMessageService private messageService: IMessageService,
 		@ITelemetryService private telemetryService: ITelemetryService,
 		@IContextMenuService private contextMenuService: IContextMenuService,
-		@IWorkbenchEditorService private editorService: IWorkbenchEditorService
+		@IWorkbenchEditorService private editorService: IWorkbenchEditorService,
+		@IThemeService private themeService: IThemeService
 	) {
 		this.entry = entry;
 
@@ -249,8 +252,17 @@ class StatusBarEntryItem implements IStatusbarItem {
 		}
 
 		// Color
-		if (this.entry.color) {
-			$(textContainer).color(this.entry.color);
+		let color = this.entry.color;
+		if (color) {
+			if (isThemeColor(color)) {
+				let colorId = color.id;
+				color = (this.themeService.getTheme().getColor(colorId) || Color.transparent).toString();
+				toDispose.push(this.themeService.onThemeChange(theme => {
+					let colorValue = (this.themeService.getTheme().getColor(colorId) || Color.transparent).toString();
+					$(textContainer).color(colorValue);
+				}));
+			}
+			$(textContainer).color(color);
 		}
 
 		// Context Menu