diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadComments.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadComments.ts
index 2e342290e96..6bbeb159248 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadComments.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadComments.ts
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ export class MainThreadCommentThread<T> implements languages.CommentThread<T> {
 		public threadId: string,
 		public resource: string,
 		private _range: T | undefined,
+		comments: languages.Comment[] | undefined,
 		private _canReply: boolean,
 		private _isTemplate: boolean,
 		public editorId?: string
@@ -192,6 +193,8 @@ export class MainThreadCommentThread<T> implements languages.CommentThread<T> {
 		this._isDisposed = false;
 		if (_isTemplate) {
 			this.comments = [];
+		} else if (comments) {
+			this._comments = comments;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -298,6 +301,7 @@ export class MainThreadCommentController implements ICommentController {
 		threadId: string,
 		resource: UriComponents,
 		range: IRange | ICellRange | undefined,
+		comments: languages.Comment[],
 		isTemplate: boolean,
 		editorId?: string
 	): languages.CommentThread<IRange | ICellRange> {
@@ -308,6 +312,7 @@ export class MainThreadCommentController implements ICommentController {
 			threadId,
 			URI.revive(resource).toString(),
 			range,
+			comments,
 			true,
 			isTemplate,
 			editorId
@@ -590,6 +595,7 @@ export class MainThreadComments extends Disposable implements MainThreadComments
 		threadId: string,
 		resource: UriComponents,
 		range: IRange | ICellRange | undefined,
+		comments: languages.Comment[],
 		extensionId: ExtensionIdentifier,
 		isTemplate: boolean,
 		editorId?: string
@@ -600,7 +606,7 @@ export class MainThreadComments extends Disposable implements MainThreadComments
 			return undefined;
 		}
 
-		return provider.createCommentThread(extensionId.value, commentThreadHandle, threadId, resource, range, isTemplate, editorId);
+		return provider.createCommentThread(extensionId.value, commentThreadHandle, threadId, resource, range, comments, isTemplate, editorId);
 	}
 
 	$updateCommentThread(handle: number,
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.protocol.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.protocol.ts
index 5785393c0e1..d810c7b892d 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.protocol.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.protocol.ts
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ export interface MainThreadCommentsShape extends IDisposable {
 	$registerCommentController(handle: number, id: string, label: string, extensionId: string): void;
 	$unregisterCommentController(handle: number): void;
 	$updateCommentControllerFeatures(handle: number, features: CommentProviderFeatures): void;
-	$createCommentThread(handle: number, commentThreadHandle: number, threadId: string, resource: UriComponents, range: IRange | ICellRange | undefined, extensionId: ExtensionIdentifier, isTemplate: boolean, editorId?: string): languages.CommentThread<IRange | ICellRange> | undefined;
+	$createCommentThread(handle: number, commentThreadHandle: number, threadId: string, resource: UriComponents, range: IRange | ICellRange | undefined, comments: languages.Comment[], extensionId: ExtensionIdentifier, isTemplate: boolean, editorId?: string): languages.CommentThread<IRange | ICellRange> | undefined;
 	$updateCommentThread(handle: number, commentThreadHandle: number, threadId: string, resource: UriComponents, changes: CommentThreadChanges): void;
 	$deleteCommentThread(handle: number, commentThreadHandle: number): void;
 	$updateCommentingRanges(handle: number, resourceHints?: languages.CommentingRangeResourceHint): void;
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostComments.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostComments.ts
index 53b5176c25b..c84fb4782f9 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostComments.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostComments.ts
@@ -424,6 +424,7 @@ export function createExtHostComments(mainContext: IMainContext, commands: ExtHo
 				this._id,
 				this._uri,
 				extHostTypeConverter.Range.from(this._range),
+				this._comments.map(cmt => convertToDTOComment(this, cmt, this._commentsMap, this.extensionDescription)),
 				extensionDescription.identifier,
 				this._isTemplate,
 				editorId
@@ -436,9 +437,6 @@ export function createExtHostComments(mainContext: IMainContext, commands: ExtHo
 				this.eventuallyUpdateCommentThread();
 			}));
 
-			// set up comments after ctor to batch update events.
-			this.comments = _comments;
-
 			this._localDisposables.push({
 				dispose: () => {
 					proxy.$deleteCommentThread(