diff --git a/src/vs/vscode.proposed.d.ts b/src/vs/vscode.proposed.d.ts
index 5aea3859858..69a0b61f1f5 100644
--- a/src/vs/vscode.proposed.d.ts
+++ b/src/vs/vscode.proposed.d.ts
@@ -624,6 +624,15 @@ declare module 'vscode' {
 		 * @return A [disposable](#Disposable) that unregisters this provider when being disposed.
 		 */
 		export function registerDebugAdapterProvider(debugType: string, provider: DebugAdapterProvider): Disposable;
+
+		/**
+		 * Register a factory callback for the given debug type that is is called at the start of a debug session in order
+		 * to return a "tracker" object that provides read-access to the communication between VS Code and a debug adapter.
+		 *
+		 * @param debugType A specific debug type or '*' for matching all debug types.
+		 * @param callback A factory callback that is called at the start of a debug session to return a tracker object or `undefined`.
+		 */
+		export function registerDebugAdapterTracker(debugType: string, callback: (session: DebugSession) => DebugAdapterTracker | undefined): Disposable;
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/electron-browser/mainThreadDebugService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/electron-browser/mainThreadDebugService.ts
index d817564f633..b0a198d55d1 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/electron-browser/mainThreadDebugService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/electron-browser/mainThreadDebugService.ts
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ export class MainThreadDebugService implements MainThreadDebugServiceShape, IDeb
 
 	createDebugAdapter(session: IDebugSession): IDebugAdapter {
 		const handle = this._debugAdaptersHandleCounter++;
-		const da = new ExtensionHostDebugAdapter(handle, this._proxy, this.getSessionDto(session));
+		const da = new ExtensionHostDebugAdapter(this, handle, this._proxy, session);
 		this._debugAdapters.set(handle, da);
 		return da;
 	}
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ export class MainThreadDebugService implements MainThreadDebugServiceShape, IDeb
 
 	// dto helpers
 
-	private getSessionDto(session: IDebugSession): IDebugSessionDto {
+	getSessionDto(session: IDebugSession): IDebugSessionDto {
 		if (session) {
 			const sessionID = <DebugSessionUUID>session.getId();
 			if (this._sessions.has(sessionID)) {
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ export class MainThreadDebugService implements MainThreadDebugServiceShape, IDeb
  */
 class ExtensionHostDebugAdapter extends AbstractDebugAdapter {
 
-	constructor(private _handle: number, private _proxy: ExtHostDebugServiceShape, private _sessionDto: IDebugSessionDto) {
+	constructor(private _ds: MainThreadDebugService, private _handle: number, private _proxy: ExtHostDebugServiceShape, private _session: IDebugSession) {
 		super();
 	}
 
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ class ExtensionHostDebugAdapter extends AbstractDebugAdapter {
 	}
 
 	public startSession(): Promise<void> {
-		return Promise.resolve(this._proxy.$startDASession(this._handle, this._sessionDto));
+		return Promise.resolve(this._proxy.$startDASession(this._handle, this._ds.getSessionDto(this._session)));
 	}
 
 	public sendMessage(message: DebugProtocol.ProtocolMessage): void {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHost.api.impl.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHost.api.impl.ts
index 320333f6ef5..6a076d0ac89 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHost.api.impl.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHost.api.impl.ts
@@ -676,11 +676,14 @@ export function createApiFactory(
 				return extHostDebugService.onDidChangeBreakpoints(listener, thisArgs, disposables);
 			},
 			registerDebugConfigurationProvider(debugType: string, provider: vscode.DebugConfigurationProvider) {
-				return extHostDebugService.registerDebugConfigurationProvider(extension, debugType, provider);
+				return extHostDebugService.registerDebugConfigurationProvider(debugType, provider);
 			},
 			registerDebugAdapterProvider(debugType: string, provider: vscode.DebugAdapterProvider) {
 				return extHostDebugService.registerDebugAdapterProvider(extension, debugType, provider);
 			},
+			registerDebugAdapterTracker(debugType: string, callback: (session: vscode.DebugSession) => vscode.DebugAdapterTracker | undefined) {
+				return extHostDebugService.registerDebugAdapterTracker(debugType, callback);
+			},
 			startDebugging(folder: vscode.WorkspaceFolder | undefined, nameOrConfig: string | vscode.DebugConfiguration) {
 				return extHostDebugService.startDebugging(folder, nameOrConfig);
 			},
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostDebugService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostDebugService.ts
index fb4d48f6bfc..840dd9a060a 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostDebugService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostDebugService.ts
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ export class ExtHostDebugService implements ExtHostDebugServiceShape {
 		return this._debugServiceProxy.$startDebugging(folder ? folder.uri : undefined, nameOrConfig);
 	}
 
-	public registerDebugConfigurationProvider(extension: IExtensionDescription, type: string, provider: vscode.DebugConfigurationProvider): vscode.Disposable {
+	public registerDebugConfigurationProvider(type: string, provider: vscode.DebugConfigurationProvider): vscode.Disposable {
 
 		if (!provider) {
 			return new Disposable(() => { });
@@ -242,8 +242,9 @@ export class ExtHostDebugService implements ExtHostDebugServiceShape {
 		this._debugServiceProxy.$registerDebugConfigurationProvider(type,
 			!!provider.provideDebugConfigurations,
 			!!provider.resolveDebugConfiguration,
-			!!provider.debugAdapterExecutable,		// TODO@AW: legacy
-			!!provider.provideDebugAdapterTracker, handle);
+			!!provider.debugAdapterExecutable,		// TODO@AW: deprecated
+			!!provider.provideDebugAdapterTracker,	// TODO@AW: deprecated
+			handle);
 
 		return new Disposable(() => {
 			this._configProviders = this._configProviders.filter(p => p.provider !== provider);		// remove
@@ -278,6 +279,17 @@ export class ExtHostDebugService implements ExtHostDebugServiceShape {
 		});
 	}
 
+	public registerDebugAdapterTracker(debugType: string, callback: (session: vscode.DebugSession) => vscode.DebugAdapterTracker | undefined) {
+
+		const provider: vscode.DebugConfigurationProvider = {
+			provideDebugAdapterTracker(session: vscode.DebugSession) {
+				return callback(session);
+			}
+		};
+
+		return this.registerDebugConfigurationProvider(debugType, provider);
+	}
+
 	// RPC methods (ExtHostDebugServiceShape)
 
 	public $runInTerminal(args: DebugProtocol.RunInTerminalRequestArguments, config: ITerminalSettings): Thenable<number | undefined> {