diff --git a/src/vs/editor/common/modes.ts b/src/vs/editor/common/modes.ts
index b43e821fd80..faad9ab6da5 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/common/modes.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/common/modes.ts
@@ -1495,13 +1495,13 @@ export interface CommentThread {
 	comments: Comment[] | undefined;
 	onDidChangeComments: Event<Comment[] | undefined>;
 	collapsibleState?: CommentThreadCollapsibleState;
-	readOnly: boolean;
+	canReply: boolean;
 	input?: CommentInput;
 	onDidChangeInput: Event<CommentInput | undefined>;
 	onDidChangeRange: Event<IRange>;
 	onDidChangeLabel: Event<string | undefined>;
 	onDidChangeCollasibleState: Event<CommentThreadCollapsibleState | undefined>;
-	onDidChangeReadOnly: Event<boolean>;
+	onDidChangeCanReply: Event<boolean>;
 	isDisposed: boolean;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/vs/vscode.proposed.d.ts b/src/vs/vscode.proposed.d.ts
index e12779c2dd5..71f18271110 100644
--- a/src/vs/vscode.proposed.d.ts
+++ b/src/vs/vscode.proposed.d.ts
@@ -2174,9 +2174,9 @@ declare module 'vscode' {
 	export interface CommentThread {
 		/**
 		 * Whether the thread supports reply.
-		 * Defaults to false.
+		 * Defaults to true.
 		 */
-		readOnly: boolean;
+		canReply: boolean;
 	}
 	//#endregion
 }
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadComments.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadComments.ts
index b537782a2a3..b6b32841290 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadComments.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadComments.ts
@@ -84,15 +84,15 @@ export class MainThreadCommentThread implements modes.CommentThread {
 		return this._range;
 	}
 
-	private readonly _onDidChangeReadOnly = new Emitter<boolean>();
-	get onDidChangeReadOnly(): Event<boolean> { return this._onDidChangeReadOnly.event; }
-	set readOnly(state: boolean) {
-		this._readOnly = state;
-		this._onDidChangeReadOnly.fire(this._readOnly);
+	private readonly _onDidChangeCanReply = new Emitter<boolean>();
+	get onDidChangeCanReply(): Event<boolean> { return this._onDidChangeCanReply.event; }
+	set canReply(state: boolean) {
+		this._canReply = state;
+		this._onDidChangeCanReply.fire(this._canReply);
 	}
 
-	get readOnly() {
-		return this._readOnly;
+	get canReply() {
+		return this._canReply;
 	}
 
 	private readonly _onDidChangeRange = new Emitter<IRange>();
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ export class MainThreadCommentThread implements modes.CommentThread {
 		public threadId: string,
 		public resource: string,
 		private _range: IRange,
-		private _readOnly: boolean
+		private _canReply: boolean
 	) {
 		this._isDisposed = false;
 	}
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ export class MainThreadCommentThread implements modes.CommentThread {
 		if (modified('contextValue')) { this._contextValue = changes.contextValue; }
 		if (modified('comments')) { this._comments = changes.comments; }
 		if (modified('collapseState')) { this._collapsibleState = changes.collapseState; }
-		if (modified('readOnly')) { this.readOnly = changes.readOnly!; }
+		if (modified('canReply')) { this.canReply = changes.canReply!; }
 	}
 
 	dispose() {
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ export class MainThreadCommentController {
 			threadId,
 			URI.revive(resource).toString(),
 			range,
-			false
+			true
 		);
 
 		this._threads.set(commentThreadHandle, thread);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.protocol.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.protocol.ts
index 810df72d339..842a1cc47bd 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.protocol.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.protocol.ts
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ export type CommentThreadChanges = Partial<{
 	contextValue: string,
 	comments: modes.Comment[],
 	collapseState: modes.CommentThreadCollapsibleState;
-	readOnly: boolean;
+	canReply: boolean;
 }>;
 
 export interface MainThreadCommentsShape extends IDisposable {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostComments.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostComments.ts
index 3aedb8b1e5f..65f61f91c9c 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostComments.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostComments.ts
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ type CommentThreadModification = Partial<{
 	contextValue: string | undefined,
 	comments: vscode.Comment[],
 	collapsibleState: vscode.CommentThreadCollapsibleState
-	readOnly: boolean;
+	canReply: boolean;
 }>;
 
 export class ExtHostCommentThread implements vscode.CommentThread {
@@ -264,17 +264,17 @@ export class ExtHostCommentThread implements vscode.CommentThread {
 		return this._range;
 	}
 
-	private _readonly: boolean = false;
+	private _canReply: boolean = true;
 
-	set readOnly(state: boolean) {
-		if (this._readonly !== state) {
-			this._readonly = state;
-			this.modifications.readOnly = state;
+	set canReply(state: boolean) {
+		if (this._canReply !== state) {
+			this._canReply = state;
+			this.modifications.canReply = state;
 			this._onDidUpdateCommentThread.fire();
 		}
 	}
-	get readOnly() {
-		return this._readonly;
+	get canReply() {
+		return this._canReply;
 	}
 
 	private _label: string | undefined;
@@ -401,8 +401,8 @@ export class ExtHostCommentThread implements vscode.CommentThread {
 		if (modified('collapsibleState')) {
 			formattedModifications.collapseState = convertToCollapsibleState(this._collapseState);
 		}
-		if (modified('readOnly')) {
-			formattedModifications.readOnly = this.readOnly;
+		if (modified('canReply')) {
+			formattedModifications.canReply = this.canReply;
 		}
 		this.modifications = {};
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/comments/browser/commentThreadWidget.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/comments/browser/commentThreadWidget.ts
index d9dac1fcc97..c9de91d9b09 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/comments/browser/commentThreadWidget.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/comments/browser/commentThreadWidget.ts
@@ -450,8 +450,8 @@ export class ReviewZoneWidget extends ZoneWidget implements ICommentThreadWidget
 			}
 		}
 
-		// create comment thread only when not readonly
-		if (!this._commentThread.readOnly) {
+		// create comment thread only when it supports reply
+		if (this._commentThread.canReply) {
 			this.createCommentForm();
 		}
 
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ export class ReviewZoneWidget extends ZoneWidget implements ICommentThreadWidget
 
 		// If there are no existing comments, place focus on the text area. This must be done after show, which also moves focus.
 		// if this._commentThread.comments is undefined, it doesn't finish initialization yet, so we don't focus the editor immediately.
-		if (!this._commentThread.readOnly && this._commentReplyComponent) {
+		if (this._commentThread.canReply && this._commentReplyComponent) {
 			if (!this._commentThread.comments || !this._commentThread.comments.length) {
 				this._commentReplyComponent.editor.focus();
 			} else if (this._commentReplyComponent.editor.getModel()!.getValueLength() > 0) {
@@ -478,15 +478,15 @@ export class ReviewZoneWidget extends ZoneWidget implements ICommentThreadWidget
 			}
 		}
 
-		this._commentThreadDisposables.push(this._commentThread.onDidChangeReadOnly(() => {
+		this._commentThreadDisposables.push(this._commentThread.onDidChangeCanReply(() => {
 			if (this._commentReplyComponent) {
-				if (this._commentThread.readOnly) {
+				if (!this._commentThread.canReply) {
 					this._commentReplyComponent.form.style.display = 'none';
 				} else {
 					this._commentReplyComponent.form.style.display = 'block';
 				}
 			} else {
-				if (!this._commentThread.readOnly) {
+				if (this._commentThread.canReply) {
 					this.createCommentForm();
 				}
 			}