diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostApiCommands.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostApiCommands.ts
index c56ddbb3733..d4bf26e343e 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostApiCommands.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostApiCommands.ts
@@ -188,6 +188,15 @@ class ExtHostApiCommands {
 				{ name: 'newWindow', description: '(optional) Wether to open the folder in a new window or the same. Defaults to opening in the same window.', constraint: value => value === void 0 || typeof value === 'boolean' }
 			]
 		});
+
+		this._register('vscode.startDebug', (configurationName?: string) => {
+			return this._commands.executeCommand('_workbench.startDebug', configurationName);
+		}, {
+			description: 'Start a debugging session.',
+			args: [
+				{ name: 'configurationName', description: '(optional) Name of the debug configuration from \'launch.json\' to use.' }
+			]
+		});
 	}
 
 	// --- command impl
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/browser/debugActionItems.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/browser/debugActionItems.ts
index 5ff87faed7e..ae050357f6f 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/browser/debugActionItems.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/browser/debugActionItems.ts
@@ -40,14 +40,17 @@ export class SelectConfigActionItem extends BaseActionItem {
 			this.select.disabled = state !== State.Inactive;
 		}));
 		this.toDispose.push(configurationService.onDidUpdateConfiguration(e => {
-			this.setOptions().done(null, errors.onUnexpectedError);
+			this.setOptions(true).done(null, errors.onUnexpectedError);
+		}));
+		this.toDispose.push(this.debugService.getConfigurationManager().onDidConfigurationChange(name => {
+			this.setOptions(false).done(null, errors.onUnexpectedError);
 		}));
 	}
 
 	public render(container: HTMLElement): void {
 		dom.addClass(container, 'select-container');
 		container.appendChild(this.select);
-		this.setOptions().done(null, errors.onUnexpectedError);
+		this.setOptions(true).done(null, errors.onUnexpectedError);
 	}
 
 	public focus(): void {
@@ -62,7 +65,7 @@ export class SelectConfigActionItem extends BaseActionItem {
 		}
 	}
 
-	private setOptions(): TPromise<any> {
+	private setOptions(changeDebugConfiguration: boolean): TPromise<any> {
 		let previousSelectedIndex = this.select.selectedIndex;
 		this.select.options.length = 0;
 
@@ -91,7 +94,9 @@ export class SelectConfigActionItem extends BaseActionItem {
 					previousSelectedIndex = 0;
 				}
 				this.select.selectedIndex = previousSelectedIndex;
-				return this.actionRunner.run(this._action, configurations[previousSelectedIndex].name);
+				if (changeDebugConfiguration) {
+					return this.actionRunner.run(this._action, configurations[previousSelectedIndex].name);
+				}
 			}
 		});
 	}
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/electron-browser/debug.contribution.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/electron-browser/debug.contribution.ts
index 83889ef0cd7..7fc5dd4edb1 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/electron-browser/debug.contribution.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/electron-browser/debug.contribution.ts
@@ -6,15 +6,18 @@
 import 'vs/css!../browser/media/debug.contribution';
 import 'vs/css!../browser/media/debugHover';
 import nls = require('vs/nls');
+import { TPromise } from 'vs/base/common/winjs.base';
 import { KeyMod, KeyCode } from 'vs/base/common/keyCodes';
+import errors = require('vs/base/common/errors');
 import editorcommon = require('vs/editor/common/editorCommon');
 import { CommonEditorRegistry, ContextKey, EditorActionDescriptor } from 'vs/editor/common/editorCommonExtensions';
+import { EditorBrowserRegistry } from 'vs/editor/browser/editorBrowserExtensions';
 import { SyncActionDescriptor } from 'vs/platform/actions/common/actions';
 import platform = require('vs/platform/platform');
 import { registerSingleton } from 'vs/platform/instantiation/common/extensions';
 import { KeybindingsRegistry } from 'vs/platform/keybinding/common/keybindingsRegistry';
 import { KbExpr, IKeybindings } from 'vs/platform/keybinding/common/keybindingService';
-import { EditorBrowserRegistry } from 'vs/editor/browser/editorBrowserExtensions';
+import { ServicesAccessor } from 'vs/platform/instantiation/common/instantiation';
 import wbaregistry = require('vs/workbench/common/actionRegistry');
 import viewlet = require('vs/workbench/browser/viewlet');
 import panel = require('vs/workbench/browser/panel');
@@ -113,5 +116,17 @@ registry.registerWorkbenchAction(new SyncActionDescriptor(dbgactions.AddFunction
 registry.registerWorkbenchAction(new SyncActionDescriptor(dbgactions.ReapplyBreakpointsAction, dbgactions.ReapplyBreakpointsAction.ID, dbgactions.ReapplyBreakpointsAction.LABEL), 'Debug: Reapply All Breakpoints', debugCategory);
 registry.registerWorkbenchAction(new SyncActionDescriptor(dbgactions.RunAction, dbgactions.RunAction.ID, dbgactions.RunAction.LABEL, { primary: KeyMod.CtrlCmd | KeyCode.F5 }, KbExpr.not(debug.CONTEXT_IN_DEBUG_MODE)), 'Debug: Start Without Debugging', debugCategory);
 
+KeybindingsRegistry.registerCommandDesc({
+	id: '_workbench.startDebug',
+	weight: KeybindingsRegistry.WEIGHT.workbenchContrib(0),
+	handler(accessor: ServicesAccessor, configurationName: string) {
+		const debugService = accessor.get(debug.IDebugService);
+		(configurationName ? debugService.getConfigurationManager().setConfiguration(configurationName) : TPromise.as(null))
+			.done(() => debugService.createSession(false), errors.onUnexpectedError);
+	},
+	when: KbExpr.not(debug.CONTEXT_IN_DEBUG_MODE),
+	primary: undefined
+});
+
 // register service
 registerSingleton(IDebugService, service.DebugService);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/electron-browser/debugActions.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/electron-browser/debugActions.ts
index a7d4dcc4351..f3acc177c32 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/electron-browser/debugActions.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/electron-browser/debugActions.ts
@@ -27,15 +27,16 @@ import IDebugService = debug.IDebugService;
 
 export class AbstractDebugAction extends actions.Action {
 
-	protected debugService: IDebugService;
-	private keybindingService: IKeybindingService;
 	protected toDispose: lifecycle.IDisposable[];
 	private keybinding: string;
 
-	constructor(id: string, label: string, cssClass: string, @IDebugService debugService: IDebugService, @IKeybindingService keybindingService: IKeybindingService) {
+	constructor(
+		id: string, label: string, cssClass: string,
+		@IDebugService protected debugService: IDebugService,
+		@IKeybindingService protected keybindingService: IKeybindingService
+	) {
 		super(id, label, cssClass, false);
 		this.debugService = debugService;
-		this.keybindingService = keybindingService;
 		this.toDispose = [];
 		this.toDispose.push(this.debugService.onDidChangeState((state) => this.updateEnablement(state)));
 
@@ -119,7 +120,7 @@ export class StartDebugAction extends AbstractDebugAction {
 	}
 
 	public run(): TPromise<any> {
-		return this.debugService.createSession(false);
+		return this.keybindingService.executeCommand('_workbench.startDebug');
 	}
 
 	protected isEnabled(state: debug.State): boolean {