diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/electron-browser/mainThreadDebugService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/electron-browser/mainThreadDebugService.ts
index 3776bf439c0..af2d72759b5 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/electron-browser/mainThreadDebugService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/electron-browser/mainThreadDebugService.ts
@@ -80,22 +80,6 @@ export class MainThreadDebugService implements MainThreadDebugServiceShape {
 		});
 	}
 
-	public $startDebugSession(folderUri: uri | undefined, configuration: IConfig): TPromise<DebugSessionUUID> {
-		if (configuration.request !== 'launch' && configuration.request !== 'attach') {
-			return TPromise.wrapError(new Error(`only 'launch' or 'attach' allowed for 'request' attribute`));
-		}
-
-		const folder = folderUri ? this.contextService.getWorkspace().folders.filter(wf => wf.uri.toString() === folderUri.toString()).pop() : undefined;
-		return this.debugService.createProcess(folder, configuration).then(process => {
-			if (process) {
-				return <DebugSessionUUID>process.getId();
-			}
-			return TPromise.wrapError<DebugSessionUUID>(new Error('cannot create debug session'));
-		}, err => {
-			return TPromise.wrapError(err && err.message ? err.message : 'cannot start debug session');
-		});
-	}
-
 	public $customDebugAdapterRequest(sessionId: DebugSessionUUID, request: string, args: any): TPromise<any> {
 		const process = this.debugService.findProcessByUUID(sessionId);
 		if (process) {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHost.protocol.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHost.protocol.ts
index a3d65955516..1156af8806e 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHost.protocol.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHost.protocol.ts
@@ -393,7 +393,6 @@ export interface MainThreadDebugServiceShape extends IDisposable {
 	$registerDebugConfigurationProvider(type: string, hasProvideMethod: boolean, hasResolveMethod: boolean, handle: number): TPromise<any>;
 	$unregisterDebugConfigurationProvider(handle: number): TPromise<any>;
 	$startDebugging(folder: URI | undefined, nameOrConfig: string | vscode.DebugConfiguration): TPromise<boolean>;
-	$startDebugSession(folder: URI | undefined, config: vscode.DebugConfiguration): TPromise<DebugSessionUUID>;
 	$customDebugAdapterRequest(id: DebugSessionUUID, command: string, args: any): TPromise<any>;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostDebugService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostDebugService.ts
index 0e27ea89109..71727e711d5 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostDebugService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostDebugService.ts
@@ -98,14 +98,6 @@ export class ExtHostDebugService implements ExtHostDebugServiceShape {
 		return this._debugServiceProxy.$startDebugging(folder ? folder.uri : undefined, nameOrConfig);
 	}
 
-	public startDebugSession(folder: vscode.WorkspaceFolder | undefined, config: vscode.DebugConfiguration): TPromise<vscode.DebugSession> {
-		return this._debugServiceProxy.$startDebugSession(folder ? folder.uri : undefined, config).then((id: DebugSessionUUID) => {
-			const debugSession = new ExtHostDebugSession(this._debugServiceProxy, id, config.type, config.name);
-			this._debugSessions.set(id, debugSession);
-			return debugSession;
-		});
-	}
-
 	public $acceptDebugSessionStarted(id: DebugSessionUUID, type: string, name: string): void {
 
 		let debugSession = this._debugSessions.get(id);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/common/debug.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/common/debug.ts
index f226ca69b2b..24ee1c34060 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/common/debug.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/common/debug.ts
@@ -591,11 +591,6 @@ export interface IDebugService {
 	 */
 	startDebugging(root: IWorkspaceFolder, configOrName?: IConfig | string, noDebug?: boolean): TPromise<any>;
 
-	/**
-	 * Creates a new debug process. Depending on the configuration will either 'launch' or 'attach'.
-	 */
-	createProcess(root: IWorkspaceFolder, config: IConfig): TPromise<IProcess>;
-
 	/**
 	 * Find process by ID.
 	 */
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/electron-browser/debugService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/electron-browser/debugService.ts
index b5f6a854f91..844f50b20e6 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/electron-browser/debugService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/electron-browser/debugService.ts
@@ -727,7 +727,7 @@ export class DebugService implements debug.IDebugService {
 		return null;
 	}
 
-	public createProcess(root: IWorkspaceFolder, config: debug.IConfig, sessionId?: string): TPromise<debug.IProcess> {
+	private createProcess(root: IWorkspaceFolder, config: debug.IConfig, sessionId: string): TPromise<debug.IProcess> {
 		return this.textFileService.saveAll().then(() =>
 			(this.configurationManager.selectedLaunch ? this.configurationManager.selectedLaunch.resolveConfiguration(config) : TPromise.as(config)).then(resolvedConfig => {
 				if (!resolvedConfig) {
@@ -749,11 +749,6 @@ export class DebugService implements debug.IDebugService {
 					return TPromise.wrapError(errors.create(message, { actions: [this.instantiationService.createInstance(debugactions.ConfigureAction, debugactions.ConfigureAction.ID, debugactions.ConfigureAction.LABEL), CloseAction] }));
 				}
 
-				if (!sessionId) {
-					sessionId = generateUuid();
-					this.updateStateAndEmit(sessionId, debug.State.Initializing);
-				}
-
 				return this.runPreLaunchTask(root, resolvedConfig.preLaunchTask).then((taskSummary: ITaskSummary) => {
 					const errorCount = resolvedConfig.preLaunchTask ? this.markerService.getStatistics().errors : 0;
 					const successExitCode = taskSummary && taskSummary.exitCode === 0;
@@ -1003,7 +998,7 @@ export class DebugService implements debug.IDebugService {
 						config.noDebug = process.configuration.noDebug;
 					}
 					config.__restart = restartData;
-					this.createProcess(process.session.root, config).then(() => c(null), err => e(err));
+					this.createProcess(process.session.root, config, process.getId()).then(() => c(null), err => e(err));
 				}, 300);
 			});
 		}).then(() => {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/test/common/mockDebug.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/test/common/mockDebug.ts
index 975950318de..c36e51331c9 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/test/common/mockDebug.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/test/common/mockDebug.ts
@@ -92,10 +92,6 @@ export class MockDebugService implements debug.IDebugService {
 		return TPromise.as(null);
 	}
 
-	public createProcess(root: IWorkspaceFolder, config: debug.IConfig): TPromise<any> {
-		return TPromise.as(null);
-	}
-
 	public findProcessByUUID(uuid: string): debug.IProcess | null {
 		return null;
 	}