diff --git a/src/vs/vscode.d.ts b/src/vs/vscode.d.ts
index 10fb6183c6e..d86b316c267 100644
--- a/src/vs/vscode.d.ts
+++ b/src/vs/vscode.d.ts
@@ -5041,8 +5041,9 @@ declare module 'vscode' {
 		export const onDidChangeWorkspaceFolders: Event<WorkspaceFoldersChangeEvent>;
 
 		/**
-		 * Returns a [workspace folder](#WorkspaceFolder) for the provided resource. When the resource
-		 * is a workspace folder itself, its parent workspace folder or `undefined` is returned.
+		 * Returns the [workspace folder](#WorkspaceFolder) that contains a given uri.
+		 * * returns `undefined` when the given uri doesn't match any workspace folder
+		 * * returns the *input* when the given uri is a workspace folder itself
 		 *
 		 * @param uri An uri.
 		 * @return A workspace folder or `undefined`
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostWorkspace.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostWorkspace.ts
index 1d7fd1b940f..69cc5ec3634 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostWorkspace.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostWorkspace.ts
@@ -40,11 +40,9 @@ class Workspace2 extends Workspace {
 		return this._workspaceFolders.slice(0);
 	}
 
-	getWorkspaceFolder(uri: URI): vscode.WorkspaceFolder {
-		let folder = this._structure.lookUp(uri);
-		if (folder) {
-			// `uri` is a workspace folder so we check for
-			// its parent
+	getWorkspaceFolder(uri: URI, resolveParent?: boolean): vscode.WorkspaceFolder {
+		if (resolveParent && this._structure.lookUp(uri)) {
+			// `uri` is a workspace folder so we check for its parent
 			uri = uri.with({ path: dirname(uri.path) });
 		}
 		return this._structure.findSubstr(uri);
@@ -80,11 +78,11 @@ export class ExtHostWorkspace implements ExtHostWorkspaceShape {
 		}
 	}
 
-	getWorkspaceFolder(uri: vscode.Uri): vscode.WorkspaceFolder {
+	getWorkspaceFolder(uri: vscode.Uri, resolveParent?: boolean): vscode.WorkspaceFolder {
 		if (!this._workspace) {
 			return undefined;
 		}
-		return this._workspace.getWorkspaceFolder(<URI>uri);
+		return this._workspace.getWorkspaceFolder(uri, resolveParent);
 	}
 
 	getPath(): string {
@@ -114,9 +112,9 @@ export class ExtHostWorkspace implements ExtHostWorkspaceShape {
 			return path;
 		}
 
-		const folder = this.getWorkspaceFolder(typeof pathOrUri === 'string'
-			? URI.file(pathOrUri)
-			: pathOrUri
+		const folder = this.getWorkspaceFolder(
+			typeof pathOrUri === 'string' ? URI.file(pathOrUri) : pathOrUri,
+			true
 		);
 
 		if (!folder) {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/test/electron-browser/api/extHostWorkspace.test.ts b/src/vs/workbench/test/electron-browser/api/extHostWorkspace.test.ts
index d9874115a7c..ee457705998 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/test/electron-browser/api/extHostWorkspace.test.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/test/electron-browser/api/extHostWorkspace.test.ts
@@ -112,7 +112,15 @@ suite('ExtHostWorkspace', function () {
 	});
 
 	test('getContainingWorkspaceFolder', function () {
-		const ws = new ExtHostWorkspace(new TestThreadService(), { id: 'foo', name: 'Test', folders: [aWorkspaceFolderData(URI.file('/Coding/One'), 0), aWorkspaceFolderData(URI.file('/Coding/Two'), 1), aWorkspaceFolderData(URI.file('/Coding/Two/Nested'), 2)] });
+		const ws = new ExtHostWorkspace(new TestThreadService(), {
+			id: 'foo',
+			name: 'Test',
+			folders: [
+				aWorkspaceFolderData(URI.file('/Coding/One'), 0),
+				aWorkspaceFolderData(URI.file('/Coding/Two'), 1),
+				aWorkspaceFolderData(URI.file('/Coding/Two/Nested'), 2)
+			]
+		});
 
 		let folder = ws.getWorkspaceFolder(URI.file('/foo/bar'));
 		assert.equal(folder, undefined);
@@ -132,14 +140,23 @@ suite('ExtHostWorkspace', function () {
 		folder = ws.getWorkspaceFolder(URI.file('/Coding/Two/Nested/f'));
 		assert.equal(folder.name, 'Nested');
 
-		folder = ws.getWorkspaceFolder(URI.file('/Coding/Two/Nested'));
+		folder = ws.getWorkspaceFolder(URI.file('/Coding/Two/Nested'), true);
 		assert.equal(folder.name, 'Two');
 
+		folder = ws.getWorkspaceFolder(URI.file('/Coding/Two/Nested/'), true);
+		assert.equal(folder.name, 'Two');
+
+		folder = ws.getWorkspaceFolder(URI.file('/Coding/Two/Nested'));
+		assert.equal(folder.name, 'Nested');
+
 		folder = ws.getWorkspaceFolder(URI.file('/Coding/Two/Nested/'));
-		assert.equal(folder.name, 'Two');
+		assert.equal(folder.name, 'Nested');
 
-		folder = ws.getWorkspaceFolder(URI.file('/Coding/Two'));
+		folder = ws.getWorkspaceFolder(URI.file('/Coding/Two'), true);
 		assert.equal(folder, undefined);
+
+		folder = ws.getWorkspaceFolder(URI.file('/Coding/Two'), false);
+		assert.equal(folder.name, 'Two');
 	});
 
 	test('Multiroot change event should have a delta, #29641', function () {