diff --git a/extensions/git/package.json b/extensions/git/package.json
index ad2479469e3..202d73c4c00 100644
--- a/extensions/git/package.json
+++ b/extensions/git/package.json
@@ -336,35 +336,35 @@
         },
         {
           "command": "git.close",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.refresh",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.openFile",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.openHEADFile",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.openChange",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.stage",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.stageAll",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.stageSelectedRanges",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.stageChange",
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@
         },
         {
           "command": "git.revertSelectedRanges",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.revertChange",
@@ -384,147 +384,147 @@
         },
         {
           "command": "git.unstage",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.unstageAll",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.unstageSelectedRanges",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.clean",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.cleanAll",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.commit",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.commitStaged",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.commitStagedSigned",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.commitStagedAmend",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.commitAll",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.commitAllSigned",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.commitAllAmend",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.undoCommit",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.checkout",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.branch",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.deleteBranch",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.renameBranch",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.pull",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.pullFrom",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.pullRebase",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.pullFrom",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.merge",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.createTag",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.fetch",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.push",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.pushTo",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.pushWithTags",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.sync",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.syncRebase",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.publish",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.showOutput",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.ignore",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.stashIncludeUntracked",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.stash",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.stashPop",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.stashPopLatest",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0"
         }
       ],
       "scm/title": [
@@ -809,27 +809,27 @@
         {
           "command": "git.openFile",
           "group": "navigation",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0 && isInDiffEditor && resourceScheme != extension && resourceScheme != merge-conflict.conflict-diff"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0 && isInDiffEditor && resourceScheme != extension && resourceScheme != merge-conflict.conflict-diff"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.openChange",
           "group": "navigation",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0 && !isInDiffEditor && resourceScheme == file"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0 && !isInDiffEditor && resourceScheme == file"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.stageSelectedRanges",
           "group": "2_git@1",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0 && isInDiffEditor && resourceScheme != merge-conflict.conflict-diff"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0 && isInDiffEditor && resourceScheme != merge-conflict.conflict-diff"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.unstageSelectedRanges",
           "group": "2_git@2",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0 && isInDiffEditor && resourceScheme != merge-conflict.conflict-diff"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0 && isInDiffEditor && resourceScheme != merge-conflict.conflict-diff"
         },
         {
           "command": "git.revertSelectedRanges",
           "group": "2_git@3",
-          "when": "gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0 && isInDiffEditor && resourceScheme != merge-conflict.conflict-diff"
+          "when": "config.git.enabled && gitOpenRepositoryCount != 0 && isInDiffEditor && resourceScheme != merge-conflict.conflict-diff"
         }
       ],
       "scm/change/title": [
@@ -959,6 +959,7 @@
         },
         "git.detectSubmodules": {
           "type": "boolean",
+          "scope": "resource",
           "default": true,
           "description": "%config.detectSubmodules%"
         }
diff --git a/extensions/git/src/main.ts b/extensions/git/src/main.ts
index c00b71b12af..3de488c35dd 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/main.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/main.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import { CommandCenter } from './commands';
 import { GitContentProvider } from './contentProvider';
 import { GitDecorations } from './decorationProvider';
 import { Askpass } from './askpass';
-import { toDisposable } from './util';
+import { toDisposable, filterEvent, mapEvent, eventToPromise } from './util';
 import TelemetryReporter from 'vscode-extension-telemetry';
 import { API, createApi } from './api';
 
@@ -93,11 +93,27 @@ async function _activate(context: ExtensionContext, disposables: Disposable[]):
 }
 
 export function activate(context: ExtensionContext): API {
+	const config = workspace.getConfiguration('git', null as any as undefined);
+	const enabled = config.get<boolean>('enabled');
+
 	const disposables: Disposable[] = [];
 	context.subscriptions.push(new Disposable(() => Disposable.from(...disposables).dispose()));
 
-	const activatePromise = _activate(context, disposables);
-	const modelPromise = activatePromise.then(model => model || Promise.reject<Model>('Git model not found'));
+	let activatePromise: Promise<Model | undefined>;
+
+	if (enabled) {
+		activatePromise = _activate(context, disposables);
+	} else {
+		const onConfigChange = filterEvent(workspace.onDidChangeConfiguration, e => e.affectsConfiguration('git', null as any as undefined));
+		const onEnabled = filterEvent(onConfigChange, () => workspace.getConfiguration('git', null as any as undefined).get<boolean>('enabled') === true);
+
+		activatePromise = eventToPromise(onEnabled)
+			.then(() => _activate(context, disposables));
+	}
+
+	const modelPromise = activatePromise
+		.then(model => model || Promise.reject<Model>('Git model not found'));
+
 	activatePromise.catch(err => console.error(err));
 
 	return createApi(modelPromise);