diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/apiCommands.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/apiCommands.ts
index ea4e3428172..5e55c18f426 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/apiCommands.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/apiCommands.ts
@@ -97,12 +97,12 @@ CommandsRegistry.registerCommand({
 
 export class DiffAPICommand {
 	public static readonly ID = 'vscode.diff';
-	public static execute(executor: ICommandsExecutor, left: URI, right: URI, label: string, options?: vscode.TextDocumentShowOptions): Promise<any> {
+	public static execute(executor: ICommandsExecutor, left: URI, right: URI, label: string, options?: typeConverters.TextEditorOpenOptions): Promise<any> {
 		return executor.executeCommand('_workbench.diff', [
 			left, right,
 			label,
 			undefined,
-			typeConverters.TextEditorOptions.from(options),
+			typeConverters.TextEditorOpenOptions.from(options),
 			options ? typeConverters.ViewColumn.from(options.viewColumn) : undefined
 		]);
 	}
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ CommandsRegistry.registerCommand(DiffAPICommand.ID, adjustHandler(DiffAPICommand
 
 export class OpenAPICommand {
 	public static readonly ID = 'vscode.open';
-	public static execute(executor: ICommandsExecutor, resource: URI, columnOrOptions?: vscode.ViewColumn | vscode.TextDocumentShowOptions, label?: string): Promise<any> {
+	public static execute(executor: ICommandsExecutor, resource: URI, columnOrOptions?: vscode.ViewColumn | typeConverters.TextEditorOpenOptions, label?: string): Promise<any> {
 		let options: ITextEditorOptions | undefined;
 		let position: EditorViewColumn | undefined;
 
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ export class OpenAPICommand {
 			if (typeof columnOrOptions === 'number') {
 				position = typeConverters.ViewColumn.from(columnOrOptions);
 			} else {
-				options = typeConverters.TextEditorOptions.from(columnOrOptions);
+				options = typeConverters.TextEditorOpenOptions.from(columnOrOptions);
 				position = typeConverters.ViewColumn.from(columnOrOptions.viewColumn);
 			}
 		}
@@ -136,14 +136,14 @@ CommandsRegistry.registerCommand(OpenAPICommand.ID, adjustHandler(OpenAPICommand
 
 export class OpenWithAPICommand {
 	public static readonly ID = 'vscode.openWith';
-	public static execute(executor: ICommandsExecutor, resource: URI, viewType: string, columnOrOptions?: vscode.ViewColumn | vscode.TextDocumentShowOptions): Promise<any> {
+	public static execute(executor: ICommandsExecutor, resource: URI, viewType: string, columnOrOptions?: vscode.ViewColumn | typeConverters.TextEditorOpenOptions): Promise<any> {
 		let options: ITextEditorOptions | undefined;
 		let position: EditorViewColumn | undefined;
 
 		if (typeof columnOrOptions === 'number') {
 			position = typeConverters.ViewColumn.from(columnOrOptions);
 		} else if (typeof columnOrOptions !== 'undefined') {
-			options = typeConverters.TextEditorOptions.from(columnOrOptions);
+			options = typeConverters.TextEditorOpenOptions.from(columnOrOptions);
 		}
 
 		return executor.executeCommand('_workbench.openWith', [
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostTypeConverters.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostTypeConverters.ts
index df4c3725115..6679b7bdd2a 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostTypeConverters.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostTypeConverters.ts
@@ -1164,15 +1164,20 @@ export namespace FoldingRangeKind {
 	}
 }
 
-export namespace TextEditorOptions {
+export interface TextEditorOpenOptions extends vscode.TextDocumentShowOptions {
+	background?: boolean;
+}
 
-	export function from(options?: vscode.TextDocumentShowOptions): ITextEditorOptions | undefined {
+export namespace TextEditorOpenOptions {
+
+	export function from(options?: TextEditorOpenOptions): ITextEditorOptions | undefined {
 		if (options) {
 			return {
 				pinned: typeof options.preview === 'boolean' ? !options.preview : undefined,
+				inactive: options.background,
 				preserveFocus: options.preserveFocus,
-				selection: typeof options.selection === 'object' ? Range.from(options.selection) : undefined
-			} as ITextEditorOptions;
+				selection: typeof options.selection === 'object' ? Range.from(options.selection) : undefined,
+			};
 		}
 
 		return undefined;