diff --git a/extensions/npm/package.json b/extensions/npm/package.json
index c5b1a45a31e..843255c2141 100644
--- a/extensions/npm/package.json
+++ b/extensions/npm/package.json
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
   "activationEvents": [
     "onCommand:workbench.action.tasks.runTask",
     "onLanguage:json",
+    "workspaceContains:package.json",
     "onView:npm"
   ],
   "contributes": {
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@
         {
           "id": "npm",
           "name": "%view.name%",
-          "when": "config.npm.enableScriptExplorer"
+          "when": "npm:showScriptExplorer || config.npm.enableScriptExplorer"
         }
       ]
     },
diff --git a/extensions/npm/src/main.ts b/extensions/npm/src/main.ts
index 640c349334a..d32d245b0ed 100644
--- a/extensions/npm/src/main.ts
+++ b/extensions/npm/src/main.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import * as httpRequest from 'request-light';
 import * as vscode from 'vscode';
 import { addJSONProviders } from './features/jsonContributions';
 import { NpmScriptsTreeDataProvider } from './npmView';
-import { invalidateTasksCache, NpmTaskProvider } from './tasks';
+import { invalidateTasksCache, NpmTaskProvider, hasPackageJson } from './tasks';
 import { invalidateHoverScriptsCache, NpmScriptHoverProvider } from './scriptHover';
 import { runSelectedScript } from './commands';
 
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ export async function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext): Promise<void>
 	context.subscriptions.push(d);
 	context.subscriptions.push(vscode.commands.registerCommand('npm.runSelectedScript', runSelectedScript));
 	context.subscriptions.push(addJSONProviders(httpRequest.xhr));
+
+	if (await hasPackageJson()) {
+		vscode.commands.executeCommand('setContext', 'npm:showScriptExplorer', true);
+	}
 }
 
 function registerTaskProvider(context: vscode.ExtensionContext): vscode.Disposable | undefined {
diff --git a/extensions/npm/src/tasks.ts b/extensions/npm/src/tasks.ts
index bfe9d8cd698..f60f7531516 100644
--- a/extensions/npm/src/tasks.ts
+++ b/extensions/npm/src/tasks.ts
@@ -262,6 +262,22 @@ export function getPackageJsonUriFromTask(task: Task): Uri | null {
 	return null;
 }
 
+export async function hasPackageJson(): Promise<boolean> {
+	let folders = workspace.workspaceFolders;
+	if (!folders) {
+		return false;
+	}
+	for (const folder of folders) {
+		if (folder.uri.scheme === 'file') {
+			let packageJson = path.join(folder.uri.fsPath, 'package.json');
+			if (await exists(packageJson)) {
+				return true;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return false;
+}
+
 async function exists(file: string): Promise<boolean> {
 	return new Promise<boolean>((resolve, _reject) => {
 		fs.exists(file, (value) => {