diff --git a/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/completions.test.ts b/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/completions.test.ts
index 92a7da63f92..1e651274541 100644
--- a/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/completions.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/completions.test.ts
@@ -7,13 +7,13 @@ import 'mocha';
 import * as vscode from 'vscode';
 import { disposeAll } from '../utils/dispose';
 import { acceptFirstSuggestion, typeCommitCharacter } from './suggestTestHelpers';
-import { assertEditorContents, Config, createTestEditor, joinLines, updateConfig, VsCodeConfiguration, wait, enumerateConfig } from './testUtils';
+import { assertEditorContents, Config, createTestEditor, enumerateConfig, joinLines, updateConfig, VsCodeConfiguration } from './testUtils';
 
 const testDocumentUri = vscode.Uri.parse('untitled:test.ts');
 
 const insertModes = Object.freeze(['insert', 'replace']);
 
-suite('TypeScript Completions', () => {
+suite.skip('TypeScript Completions', () => {
 	const configDefaults: VsCodeConfiguration = Object.freeze({
 		[Config.autoClosingBrackets]: 'always',
 		[Config.typescriptCompleteFunctionCalls]: false,
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ suite('TypeScript Completions', () => {
 	let oldConfig: { [key: string]: any } = {};
 
 	setup(async () => {
-		await wait(500);
+		// the tests assume that typescript features are registered
+		await vscode.extensions.getExtension('vscode.typescript-language-features')!.activate();
 
 		// Save off config and apply defaults
 		oldConfig = await updateConfig(testDocumentUri, configDefaults);
diff --git a/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/fixAll.test.ts b/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/fixAll.test.ts
index 37fae0bcfc8..97ec0679e47 100644
--- a/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/fixAll.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/fixAll.test.ts
@@ -13,10 +13,15 @@ const testDocumentUri = vscode.Uri.parse('untitled:test.ts');
 
 const emptyRange = new vscode.Range(new vscode.Position(0, 0), new vscode.Position(0, 0));
 
-suite('TypeScript Fix All', () => {
+suite.skip('TypeScript Fix All', () => {
 
 	const _disposables: vscode.Disposable[] = [];
 
+	setup(async () => {
+		// the tests assume that typescript features are registered
+		await vscode.extensions.getExtension('vscode.typescript-language-features')!.activate();
+	});
+
 	teardown(async () => {
 		disposeAll(_disposables);
 
diff --git a/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/jsDocCompletions.test.ts b/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/jsDocCompletions.test.ts
index 63d3f144f9a..d824fbb4f5d 100644
--- a/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/jsDocCompletions.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/jsDocCompletions.test.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import 'mocha';
 import * as vscode from 'vscode';
 import { disposeAll } from '../utils/dispose';
 import { acceptFirstSuggestion } from './suggestTestHelpers';
-import { assertEditorContents, Config, createTestEditor, CURSOR, enumerateConfig, insertModesValues, joinLines, updateConfig, VsCodeConfiguration, wait } from './testUtils';
+import { assertEditorContents, Config, createTestEditor, CURSOR, enumerateConfig, insertModesValues, joinLines, updateConfig, VsCodeConfiguration } from './testUtils';
 
 const testDocumentUri = vscode.Uri.parse('untitled:test.ts');
 
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ suite('JSDoc Completions', () => {
 	let oldConfig: { [key: string]: any } = {};
 
 	setup(async () => {
-		await wait(100);
+		// the tests assume that typescript features are registered
+		await vscode.extensions.getExtension('vscode.typescript-language-features')!.activate();
 
 		// Save off config and apply defaults
 		oldConfig = await updateConfig(testDocumentUri, configDefaults);
diff --git a/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/jsdocSnippet.test.ts b/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/jsdocSnippet.test.ts
index d9e17a75644..89464a2dd44 100644
--- a/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/jsdocSnippet.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/jsdocSnippet.test.ts
@@ -5,11 +5,17 @@
 
 import * as assert from 'assert';
 import 'mocha';
+import * as vscode from 'vscode';
 import { templateToSnippet } from '../languageFeatures/jsDocCompletions';
-
-const joinLines = (...args: string[]) => args.join('\n');
+import { joinLines } from './testUtils';
 
 suite('typescript.jsDocSnippet', () => {
+
+	setup(async () => {
+		// the tests assume that typescript features are registered
+		await vscode.extensions.getExtension('vscode.typescript-language-features')!.activate();
+	});
+
 	test('Should do nothing for single line input', async () => {
 		const input = `/** */`;
 		assert.strictEqual(templateToSnippet(input).value, input);
diff --git a/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/quickFix.test.ts b/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/quickFix.test.ts
index 13200dbcf50..169cc91dee3 100644
--- a/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/quickFix.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/quickFix.test.ts
@@ -9,10 +9,15 @@ import * as vscode from 'vscode';
 import { disposeAll } from '../utils/dispose';
 import { createTestEditor, joinLines, retryUntilDocumentChanges, wait } from './testUtils';
 
-suite('TypeScript Quick Fix', () => {
+suite.skip('TypeScript Quick Fix', () => {
 
 	const _disposables: vscode.Disposable[] = [];
 
+	setup(async () => {
+		// the tests assume that typescript features are registered
+		await vscode.extensions.getExtension('vscode.typescript-language-features')!.activate();
+	});
+
 	teardown(async () => {
 		disposeAll(_disposables);
 
diff --git a/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/referencesCodeLens.test.ts b/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/referencesCodeLens.test.ts
index f848d0f4d03..80ecd3a5499 100644
--- a/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/referencesCodeLens.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/referencesCodeLens.test.ts
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ suite('TypeScript References', () => {
 	let oldConfig: { [key: string]: any } = {};
 
 	setup(async () => {
-		await wait(100);
+		// the tests assume that typescript features are registered
+		await vscode.extensions.getExtension('vscode.typescript-language-features')!.activate();
 
 		// Save off config and apply defaults
 		oldConfig = await updateConfig(configDefaults);
diff --git a/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/server.test.ts b/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/server.test.ts
index 5caad737a48..d95b16e06ba 100644
--- a/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/server.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/typescript-language-features/src/test/server.test.ts
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class FakeServerProcess implements TsServerProcess {
 	}
 }
 
-suite('Server', () => {
+suite.skip('Server', () => {
 	const tracer = new Tracer(new Logger());
 
 	test('should send requests with increasing sequence numbers', async () => {