diff --git a/extensions/vscode-api-tests/src/singlefolder-tests/window.test.ts b/extensions/vscode-api-tests/src/singlefolder-tests/window.test.ts
index 91efbf70974..176d2819dd9 100644
--- a/extensions/vscode-api-tests/src/singlefolder-tests/window.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/vscode-api-tests/src/singlefolder-tests/window.test.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 import * as assert from 'assert';
 import { join } from 'path';
-import { CancellationTokenSource, commands, Position, QuickPickItem, Selection, StatusBarAlignment, TextEditor, TextEditorSelectionChangeKind, TextEditorViewColumnChangeEvent, Uri, ViewColumn, window, workspace } from 'vscode';
+import { CancellationTokenSource, commands, MarkdownString, Position, QuickPickItem, Selection, StatusBarAlignment, TextEditor, TextEditorSelectionChangeKind, TextEditorViewColumnChangeEvent, Uri, ViewColumn, window, workspace } from 'vscode';
 import { assertNoRpc, closeAllEditors, createRandomFile, pathEquals } from '../utils';
 
 
@@ -735,6 +735,10 @@ suite('vscode API - window', () => {
 		assert.strictEqual(statusBarEntryWithoutId.name, undefined);
 		statusBarEntryWithoutId.name = 'Test Name';
 		assert.strictEqual(statusBarEntryWithoutId.name, 'Test Name');
+		statusBarEntryWithoutId.tooltip = 'Tooltip';
+		assert.strictEqual(statusBarEntryWithoutId.tooltip, 'Tooltip');
+		statusBarEntryWithoutId.tooltip = new MarkdownString('**bold**');
+		assert.strictEqual(statusBarEntryWithoutId.tooltip.value, '**bold**');
 
 		const statusBarEntryWithId = window.createStatusBarItem('testId', StatusBarAlignment.Right, 200);
 		assert.strictEqual(statusBarEntryWithId.alignment, StatusBarAlignment.Right);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostStatusBar.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostStatusBar.ts
index 4c4395e8346..b24f5f8612e 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostStatusBar.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostStatusBar.ts
@@ -86,6 +86,10 @@ export class ExtHostStatusBarEntry implements vscode.StatusBarItem {
 		return this._name;
 	}
 
+	public get tooltip(): vscode.MarkdownString | string | undefined {
+		return this._tooltip;
+	}
+
 	public get color(): string | ThemeColor | undefined {
 		return this._color;
 	}
@@ -112,7 +116,7 @@ export class ExtHostStatusBarEntry implements vscode.StatusBarItem {
 		this.update();
 	}
 
-	public set tooltip(tooltip: string | undefined) {
+	public set tooltip(tooltip: vscode.MarkdownString | string | undefined) {
 		this._tooltip = tooltip;
 		this.update();
 	}