diff --git a/src/vs/vscode.proposed.d.ts b/src/vs/vscode.proposed.d.ts
index e99a1dc0d7b..fa7c935586a 100644
--- a/src/vs/vscode.proposed.d.ts
+++ b/src/vs/vscode.proposed.d.ts
@@ -2872,4 +2872,16 @@ declare module 'vscode' {
 	}
 
 	//#endregion
+
+	//#region https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/126258 @aeschli
+
+	export interface StatusBarItem {
+
+		/**
+		 * Will be merged into StatusBarItem#tooltip
+		 */
+		tooltip2: string | MarkdownString | undefined;
+
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadStatusBar.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadStatusBar.ts
index 69f8d2cf92a..e69dae81fd7 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadStatusBar.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadStatusBar.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { dispose } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
 import { Command } from 'vs/editor/common/modes';
 import { IAccessibilityInformation } from 'vs/platform/accessibility/common/accessibility';
 import { getCodiconAriaLabel } from 'vs/base/common/codicons';
+import { IMarkdownString } from 'vs/base/common/htmlContent';
 
 @extHostNamedCustomer(MainContext.MainThreadStatusBar)
 export class MainThreadStatusBar implements MainThreadStatusBarShape {
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ export class MainThreadStatusBar implements MainThreadStatusBarShape {
 		this.entries.clear();
 	}
 
-	$setEntry(entryId: number, id: string, name: string, text: string, tooltip: string | undefined, command: Command | undefined, color: string | ThemeColor | undefined, backgroundColor: string | ThemeColor | undefined, alignment: MainThreadStatusBarAlignment, priority: number | undefined, accessibilityInformation: IAccessibilityInformation): void {
+	$setEntry(entryId: number, id: string, name: string, text: string, tooltip: IMarkdownString | string | undefined, command: Command | undefined, color: string | ThemeColor | undefined, backgroundColor: string | ThemeColor | undefined, alignment: MainThreadStatusBarAlignment, priority: number | undefined, accessibilityInformation: IAccessibilityInformation): void {
 		// if there are icons in the text use the tooltip for the aria label
 		let ariaLabel: string;
 		let role: string | undefined = undefined;
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.protocol.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.protocol.ts
index 333888d4a87..071ededcafe 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.protocol.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.protocol.ts
@@ -595,7 +595,7 @@ export interface MainThreadQuickOpenShape extends IDisposable {
 }
 
 export interface MainThreadStatusBarShape extends IDisposable {
-	$setEntry(id: number, statusId: string, statusName: string, text: string, tooltip: string | undefined, command: ICommandDto | undefined, color: string | ThemeColor | undefined, backgroundColor: string | ThemeColor | undefined, alignment: statusbar.StatusbarAlignment, priority: number | undefined, accessibilityInformation: IAccessibilityInformation | undefined): void;
+	$setEntry(id: number, statusId: string, statusName: string, text: string, tooltip: IMarkdownString | string | undefined, command: ICommandDto | undefined, color: string | ThemeColor | undefined, backgroundColor: string | ThemeColor | undefined, alignment: statusbar.StatusbarAlignment, priority: number | undefined, accessibilityInformation: IAccessibilityInformation | undefined): void;
 	$dispose(id: number): void;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostStatusBar.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostStatusBar.ts
index f85f182011e..50df9fab6e7 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostStatusBar.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostStatusBar.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { localize } from 'vs/nls';
 import { CommandsConverter } from 'vs/workbench/api/common/extHostCommands';
 import { DisposableStore } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
 import { IExtensionDescription } from 'vs/platform/extensions/common/extensions';
+import { MarkdownString } from 'vs/workbench/api/common/extHostTypeConverters';
 
 export class ExtHostStatusBarEntry implements vscode.StatusBarItem {
 
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ export class ExtHostStatusBarEntry implements vscode.StatusBarItem {
 
 	private _text: string = '';
 	private _tooltip?: string;
+	private _tooltip2?: vscode.MarkdownString | string;
 	private _name?: string;
 	private _color?: string | ThemeColor;
 	private _backgroundColor?: ThemeColor;
@@ -87,6 +89,10 @@ export class ExtHostStatusBarEntry implements vscode.StatusBarItem {
 		return this._tooltip;
 	}
 
+	public get tooltip2(): string | vscode.MarkdownString | undefined {
+		return this._tooltip2;
+	}
+
 	public get color(): string | ThemeColor | undefined {
 		return this._color;
 	}
@@ -118,6 +124,11 @@ export class ExtHostStatusBarEntry implements vscode.StatusBarItem {
 		this.update();
 	}
 
+	public set tooltip2(tooltip: vscode.MarkdownString | string | undefined) {
+		this._tooltip2 = tooltip;
+		this.update();
+	}
+
 	public set color(color: string | ThemeColor | undefined) {
 		this._color = color;
 		this.update();
@@ -209,8 +220,10 @@ export class ExtHostStatusBarEntry implements vscode.StatusBarItem {
 				color = ExtHostStatusBarEntry.ALLOWED_BACKGROUND_COLORS.get(this._backgroundColor.id);
 			}
 
+			const tooltip = this._tooltip2 !== undefined ? MarkdownString.fromStrict(this._tooltip2) : this.tooltip;
+
 			// Set to status bar
-			this.#proxy.$setEntry(this._entryId, id, name, this._text, this._tooltip, this._command?.internal, color,
+			this.#proxy.$setEntry(this._entryId, id, name, this._text, tooltip, this._command?.internal, color,
 				this._backgroundColor, this._alignment === ExtHostStatusBarAlignment.Left ? MainThreadStatusBarAlignment.LEFT : MainThreadStatusBarAlignment.RIGHT,
 				this._priority, this._accessibilityInformation);
 		}, 0);