diff --git a/src/vs/code/electron-main/windows.ts b/src/vs/code/electron-main/windows.ts
index d52b74ba8da..12a1485aef1 100644
--- a/src/vs/code/electron-main/windows.ts
+++ b/src/vs/code/electron-main/windows.ts
@@ -1611,9 +1611,9 @@ export class WindowsManager extends Disposable implements IWindowsMainService {
 		return getLastActiveWindow(WindowsManager.WINDOWS.filter(window => window.remoteAuthority === remoteAuthority));
 	}
 
-	openEmptyWindow(context: OpenContext, options?: { reuse?: boolean }): ICodeWindow[] {
+	openEmptyWindow(context: OpenContext, options?: { reuse?: boolean, remoteAuthority?: string }): ICodeWindow[] {
 		let cli = this.environmentService.args;
-		const remote = undefined;
+		const remote = options && options.remoteAuthority;
 		if (cli && (cli.remote !== remote)) {
 			cli = { ...cli, remote };
 		}
diff --git a/src/vs/platform/electron/electron-main/electronMainService.ts b/src/vs/platform/electron/electron-main/electronMainService.ts
index b749273dacf..c62f264a871 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/electron/electron-main/electronMainService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/electron/electron-main/electronMainService.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export class ElectronMainService {
 		return this.windowsMainService.getWindowCount();
 	}
 
-	async openEmptyWindow(windowId: number, options?: { reuse?: boolean }): Promise<void> {
+	async openEmptyWindow(windowId: number, options?: { reuse?: boolean, remoteAuthority?: string }): Promise<void> {
 		this.windowsMainService.openEmptyWindow(OpenContext.API, options);
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/vs/platform/electron/node/electron.ts b/src/vs/platform/electron/node/electron.ts
index b44620a9856..806a91f99c9 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/electron/node/electron.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/electron/node/electron.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ export interface IElectronService {
 
 	// Window
 	windowCount(): Promise<number>;
-	openEmptyWindow(options?: { reuse?: boolean }): Promise<void>;
+	openEmptyWindow(options?: { reuse?: boolean, remoteAuthority?: string }): Promise<void>;
 	toggleFullScreen(): Promise<void>;
 
 	// Dialogs
diff --git a/src/vs/platform/windows/electron-main/windows.ts b/src/vs/platform/windows/electron-main/windows.ts
index dabe6e494a8..02ea0ad1e05 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/windows/electron-main/windows.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/windows/electron-main/windows.ts
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ export interface IWindowsMainService {
 	focusLastActive(cli: ParsedArgs, context: OpenContext): ICodeWindow;
 	getLastActiveWindow(): ICodeWindow | undefined;
 	waitForWindowCloseOrLoad(windowId: number): Promise<void>;
-	openEmptyWindow(context: OpenContext, options?: { reuse?: boolean }): ICodeWindow[];
+	openEmptyWindow(context: OpenContext, options?: { reuse?: boolean, remoteAuthority?: string}): ICodeWindow[];
 	openNewTabbedWindow(context: OpenContext): ICodeWindow[];
 	openExternal(url: string): Promise<boolean>;
 	sendToFocused(channel: string, ...args: any[]): void;
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/apiCommands.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/apiCommands.ts
index 28bbc68d9bf..e312e341d78 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/apiCommands.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/apiCommands.ts
@@ -70,12 +70,16 @@ CommandsRegistry.registerCommand({
 
 interface INewWindowAPICommandOptions {
 	reuseWindow?: boolean;
+	remoteAuthority?: string;
 }
 
 export class NewWindowAPICommand {
 	public static ID = 'vscode.newWindow';
 	public static execute(executor: ICommandsExecutor, options?: INewWindowAPICommandOptions): Promise<any> {
-		return executor.executeCommand('_files.newWindow', options);
+		return executor.executeCommand('_files.newWindow', {
+			reuse: options && options.reuseWindow,
+			remoteAuthority: options && options.remoteAuthority
+		});
 	}
 }
 CommandsRegistry.registerCommand({
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/files/browser/fileCommands.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/files/browser/fileCommands.ts
index 5198f090431..7c2a64385c6 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/files/browser/fileCommands.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/files/browser/fileCommands.ts
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ export const openWindowCommand = (accessor: ServicesAccessor, urisToOpen: IURITo
 	}
 };
 
-export const newWindowCommand = (accessor: ServicesAccessor, options?: { reuse?: boolean }) => {
+export const newWindowCommand = (accessor: ServicesAccessor, options?: { reuse?: boolean, remoteAuthority?: string }) => {
 	const hostService = accessor.get(IHostService);
 	hostService.openEmptyWindow(options);
 };
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/host/browser/browserHostService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/host/browser/browserHostService.ts
index a5fdc02a5e1..f12caabd2f6 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/host/browser/browserHostService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/host/browser/browserHostService.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ export class BrowserHostService implements IHostService {
 
 	readonly windowCount = Promise.resolve(1);
 
-	async openEmptyWindow(options?: { reuse?: boolean }): Promise<void> {
+	async openEmptyWindow(options?: { reuse?: boolean, remoteAuthority?: string }): Promise<void> {
 		// TODO@Ben delegate to embedder
 		const targetHref = `${document.location.origin}${document.location.pathname}?ew=true`;
 		if (options && options.reuse) {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/host/browser/host.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/host/browser/host.ts
index 0e36ce74c48..824ffdb4e00 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/host/browser/host.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/host/browser/host.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ export interface IHostService {
 	 * Opens an empty window. The optional parameter allows to define if
 	 * a new window should open or the existing one change to an empty.
 	 */
-	openEmptyWindow(options?: { reuse?: boolean }): Promise<void>;
+	openEmptyWindow(options?: { reuse?: boolean, remoteAuthority?: string }): Promise<void>;
 
 	toggleFullScreen(): Promise<void>;
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/host/electron-browser/desktopHostService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/host/electron-browser/desktopHostService.ts
index 13c2f6964af..1e79f713326 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/host/electron-browser/desktopHostService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/host/electron-browser/desktopHostService.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ export class DesktopHostService implements IHostService {
 
 	get windowCount() { return this.electronService.windowCount(); }
 
-	openEmptyWindow(options?: { reuse?: boolean }): Promise<void> {
+	openEmptyWindow(options?: { reuse?: boolean, remoteAuthority?: string }): Promise<void> {
 		return this.electronService.openEmptyWindow(options);
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/test/workbenchTestServices.ts b/src/vs/workbench/test/workbenchTestServices.ts
index ea1410c7628..e5ce75c7100 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/test/workbenchTestServices.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/test/workbenchTestServices.ts
@@ -1520,7 +1520,7 @@ export class TestHostService implements IHostService {
 	restart(): Promise<void> { return Promise.resolve(); }
 	reload(): Promise<void> { return Promise.resolve(); }
 
-	openEmptyWindow(options?: { reuse?: boolean }): Promise<void> { return Promise.resolve(); }
+	openEmptyWindow(options?: { reuse?: boolean, remoteAuthority?: string }): Promise<void> { return Promise.resolve(); }
 
 	toggleFullScreen(): Promise<void> { return Promise.resolve(); }
 }