diff --git a/src/vs/base/browser/dom.ts b/src/vs/base/browser/dom.ts
index 24ac47e58e4..bbb81a0b407 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/browser/dom.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/browser/dom.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ export function clearNode(node: HTMLElement): void {
 	}
 }
 
+/**
+ * @deprecated Use node.isConnected directly
+ */
 export function isInDOM(node: Node | null): boolean {
 	return node?.isConnected ?? false;
 }
@@ -998,9 +1001,13 @@ export function after<T extends Node>(sibling: HTMLElement, child: T): T {
 	return child;
 }
 
-export function append<T extends Node>(parent: HTMLElement, ...children: T[]): T {
+export function append<T extends Node>(parent: HTMLElement, child: T): T;
+export function append<T extends Node>(parent: HTMLElement, ...children: (T | string)[]): void;
+export function append<T extends Node>(parent: HTMLElement, ...children: (T | string)[]): T | void {
 	parent.append(...children);
-	return children[children.length - 1];
+	if (children.length === 1 && typeof children[0] !== 'string') {
+		return <T>children[0];
+	}
 }
 
 export function prepend<T extends Node>(parent: HTMLElement, child: T): T {
@@ -1008,20 +1015,12 @@ export function prepend<T extends Node>(parent: HTMLElement, child: T): T {
 	return child;
 }
 
-
 /**
  * Removes all children from `parent` and appends `children`
  */
 export function reset(parent: HTMLElement, ...children: Array<Node | string>): void {
 	parent.innerText = '';
-	appendChildren(parent, ...children);
-}
-
-/**
- * Appends `children` to `parent`
- */
-export function appendChildren(parent: HTMLElement, ...children: Array<Node | string>): void {
-	parent.append(...children);
+	append(parent, ...children);
 }
 
 const SELECTOR_REGEX = /([\w\-]+)?(#([\w\-]+))?((\.([\w\-]+))*)/;
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/statusbar/statusbarPart.ts b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/statusbar/statusbarPart.ts
index 2e77f75e627..10ac9fa8ece 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/statusbar/statusbarPart.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/statusbar/statusbarPart.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import { IWorkspaceContextService, WorkbenchState } from 'vs/platform/workspace/
 import { contrastBorder, activeContrastBorder } from 'vs/platform/theme/common/colorRegistry';
 import { isThemeColor } from 'vs/editor/common/editorCommon';
 import { Color } from 'vs/base/common/color';
-import { EventHelper, createStyleSheet, addDisposableListener, EventType, hide, show, isAncestor, appendChildren } from 'vs/base/browser/dom';
+import { EventHelper, createStyleSheet, addDisposableListener, EventType, hide, show, isAncestor, append } from 'vs/base/browser/dom';
 import { INotificationService } from 'vs/platform/notification/common/notification';
 import { IStorageService, StorageScope, IStorageValueChangeEvent, StorageTarget } from 'vs/platform/storage/common/storage';
 import { Parts, IWorkbenchLayoutService } from 'vs/workbench/services/layout/browser/layoutService';
@@ -750,7 +750,7 @@ class StatusBarCodiconLabel extends SimpleIconLabel {
 			}
 
 			// Append new elements
-			appendChildren(this.container, ...renderLabelWithIcons(textContent));
+			append(this.container, ...renderLabelWithIcons(textContent));
 		}
 
 		// No Progress: no special handling