diff --git a/extensions/vscode-api-tests/src/singlefolder-tests/commands.test.ts b/extensions/vscode-api-tests/src/singlefolder-tests/commands.test.ts
index 42e2f6a125a..1d08ee961c2 100644
--- a/extensions/vscode-api-tests/src/singlefolder-tests/commands.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/vscode-api-tests/src/singlefolder-tests/commands.test.ts
@@ -119,9 +119,6 @@ suite('vscode API - commands', () => {
 		await commands.executeCommand('vscode.open', uri, ViewColumn.One);
 		assert.strictEqual(window.activeTextEditor?.viewColumn, ViewColumn.One);
 
-		await commands.executeCommand('vscode.open', uri.toString(), ViewColumn.Two); // call with string instead of URI
-		assert.strictEqual(window.activeTextEditor?.viewColumn, ViewColumn.Two);
-
 		let e1: Error | undefined = undefined;
 		try {
 			await commands.executeCommand('vscode.open');
@@ -137,6 +134,17 @@ suite('vscode API - commands', () => {
 			e2 = error;
 		}
 		assert.ok(e2);
+
+
+		// we support strings but only http/https. those we cannot test but we can
+		// enforce that other schemes are treated strict
+		try {
+			await commands.executeCommand('vscode.open', 'file:///some/path/not/http');
+			assert.fail('expecting exception');
+		} catch {
+			assert.ok(true);
+		}
+
 	});
 
 	test('api-command: vscode.open with untitled supports associated resource (#138925)', async function () {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostApiCommands.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostApiCommands.ts
index 0d8e1b4335b..92ff750977c 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostApiCommands.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostApiCommands.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ import { TransientCellMetadata, TransientDocumentMetadata } from 'vs/workbench/c
 import { ITextEditorOptions } from 'vs/platform/editor/common/editor';
 import { VSBuffer } from 'vs/base/common/buffer';
 import { decodeSemanticTokensDto } from 'vs/editor/common/services/semanticTokensDto';
+import { matchesSomeScheme } from 'vs/platform/opener/common/opener';
+import { Schemas } from 'vs/base/common/network';
 
 //#region --- NEW world
 
@@ -379,7 +381,7 @@ const newCommands: ApiCommand[] = [
 	new ApiCommand(
 		'vscode.open', '_workbench.open', 'Opens the provided resource in the editor. Can be a text or binary file, or an http(s) URL. If you need more control over the options for opening a text file, use vscode.window.showTextDocument instead.',
 		[
-			ApiCommandArgument.UriOrString,
+			new ApiCommandArgument<URI | string>('uriOrString', 'Uri-instance or string (only http/https)', v => URI.isUri(v) || (typeof v === 'string' && matchesSomeScheme(v, Schemas.http, Schemas.https)), v => v),
 			new ApiCommandArgument<vscode.ViewColumn | typeConverters.TextEditorOpenOptions | undefined, [vscode.ViewColumn?, ITextEditorOptions?] | undefined>('columnOrOptions', 'Either the column in which to open or editor options, see vscode.TextDocumentShowOptions',
 				v => v === undefined || typeof v === 'number' || typeof v === 'object',
 				v => !v ? v : typeof v === 'number' ? [typeConverters.ViewColumn.from(v), undefined] : [typeConverters.ViewColumn.from(v.viewColumn), typeConverters.TextEditorOpenOptions.from(v)]
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostCommands.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostCommands.ts
index 16004a03b65..6202db02085 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostCommands.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostCommands.ts
@@ -390,7 +390,6 @@ export class CommandsConverter implements extHostTypeConverter.Command.ICommands
 export class ApiCommandArgument<V, O = V> {
 
 	static readonly Uri = new ApiCommandArgument<URI>('uri', 'Uri of a text document', v => URI.isUri(v), v => v);
-	static readonly UriOrString = new ApiCommandArgument<URI>('uriOrString', 'Uri-instance or string', v => URI.isUri(v) || typeof v === 'string', v => v);
 	static readonly Position = new ApiCommandArgument<extHostTypes.Position, IPosition>('position', 'A position in a text document', v => extHostTypes.Position.isPosition(v), extHostTypeConverter.Position.from);
 	static readonly Range = new ApiCommandArgument<extHostTypes.Range, IRange>('range', 'A range in a text document', v => extHostTypes.Range.isRange(v), extHostTypeConverter.Range.from);
 	static readonly Selection = new ApiCommandArgument<extHostTypes.Selection, ISelection>('selection', 'A selection in a text document', v => extHostTypes.Selection.isSelection(v), extHostTypeConverter.Selection.from);