diff --git a/src/vs/vscode.d.ts b/src/vs/vscode.d.ts
index 046f27a3f10..7c817a42388 100644
--- a/src/vs/vscode.d.ts
+++ b/src/vs/vscode.d.ts
@@ -3659,6 +3659,18 @@ declare module 'vscode' {
 		 */
 		export function showTextDocument(document: TextDocument, column?: ViewColumn, preserveFocus?: boolean): Thenable<TextEditor>;
 
+		/**
+		 * Show the given document in a text editor. A [column](#ViewColumn) can be provided
+		 * to control where the editor is being shown. Might change the [active editor](#window.activeTextEditor).
+		 *
+		 * @param document A text document to be shown.
+		 * @param column A view column in which the editor should be shown. The default is the [one](#ViewColumn.One), other values
+		 * are adjusted to be __Min(column, columnCount + 1)__.
+		 * @param options Editor options for showing the text editor.
+		 * @return A promise that resolves to an [editor](#TextEditor).
+		 */
+		export function showTextDocument(document: TextDocument, column?: ViewColumn, options?: { preserveFocus?: boolean, pinned?: boolean }): Thenable<TextEditor>;
+
 		/**
 		 * Create a TextEditorDecorationType that can be used to add decorations to text editors.
 		 *
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHost.protocol.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHost.protocol.ts
index 4c4f95ed22c..5bf4fce8936 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHost.protocol.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHost.protocol.ts
@@ -134,7 +134,10 @@ export abstract class MainThreadDocumentsShape {
 }
 
 export abstract class MainThreadEditorsShape {
-	$tryShowTextDocument(resource: URI, position: EditorPosition, preserveFocus: boolean): TPromise<string> { throw ni(); }
+	$tryShowTextDocument(resource: URI, position: EditorPosition, preserveFocus: boolean): TPromise<string>;
+	$tryShowTextDocument(resource: URI, position: EditorPosition, options: { preserveFocus: boolean, pinned: boolean }): TPromise<string>;
+	$tryShowTextDocument(resource: URI, position: EditorPosition, preserveFocusOrOptions: boolean | { preserveFocus: boolean, pinned: boolean }): TPromise<string>;
+	$tryShowTextDocument(resource: URI, position: EditorPosition, preserveFocusOrOptions: boolean | { preserveFocus: boolean, pinned: boolean }): TPromise<string> { throw ni(); }
 	$registerTextEditorDecorationType(key: string, options: editorCommon.IDecorationRenderOptions): void { throw ni(); }
 	$removeTextEditorDecorationType(key: string): void { throw ni(); }
 	$tryShowEditor(id: string, position: EditorPosition): TPromise<void> { throw ni(); }
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostTextEditors.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostTextEditors.ts
index db7f7cb4e9c..caf670f9b44 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostTextEditors.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostTextEditors.ts
@@ -55,8 +55,10 @@ export class ExtHostEditors extends ExtHostEditorsShape {
 		return this._extHostDocumentsAndEditors.allEditors();
 	}
 
-	showTextDocument(document: vscode.TextDocument, column: vscode.ViewColumn, preserveFocus: boolean): TPromise<vscode.TextEditor> {
-		return this._proxy.$tryShowTextDocument(<URI>document.uri, TypeConverters.fromViewColumn(column), preserveFocus).then(id => {
+	showTextDocument(document: vscode.TextDocument, column: vscode.ViewColumn, preserveFocus: boolean): TPromise<vscode.TextEditor>;
+	showTextDocument(document: vscode.TextDocument, column: vscode.ViewColumn, options: { preserveFocus: boolean, pinned: boolean }): TPromise<vscode.TextEditor>;
+	showTextDocument(document: vscode.TextDocument, column: vscode.ViewColumn, preserveFocusOrOptions: boolean | { preserveFocus: boolean, pinned: boolean }): TPromise<vscode.TextEditor> {
+		return this._proxy.$tryShowTextDocument(<URI>document.uri, TypeConverters.fromViewColumn(column), preserveFocusOrOptions).then(id => {
 			let editor = this._extHostDocumentsAndEditors.getEditor(id);
 			if (editor) {
 				return editor;
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/mainThreadEditors.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/mainThreadEditors.ts
index eaf20d7493f..b6582e5565a 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/mainThreadEditors.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/mainThreadEditors.ts
@@ -104,11 +104,27 @@ export class MainThreadEditors extends MainThreadEditorsShape {
 
 	// --- from extension host process
 
-	$tryShowTextDocument(resource: URI, position: EditorPosition, preserveFocus: boolean): TPromise<string> {
+	$tryShowTextDocument(resource: URI, position: EditorPosition, preserveFocus: boolean): TPromise<string>;
+	$tryShowTextDocument(resource: URI, position: EditorPosition, options: { preserveFocus: boolean, pinned: boolean }): TPromise<string>;
+	$tryShowTextDocument(resource: URI, position: EditorPosition, preserveFocusOrOptions: boolean | { preserveFocus: boolean, pinned: boolean }): TPromise<string>;
+	$tryShowTextDocument(resource: URI, position: EditorPosition, preserveFocusOrOptions: boolean | { preserveFocus: boolean, pinned: boolean }): TPromise<string> {
+
+		let options: { preserveFocus: boolean, pinned: boolean };
+		if (typeof preserveFocusOrOptions === 'object') {
+			options = {
+				preserveFocus: preserveFocusOrOptions.preserveFocus,
+				pinned: preserveFocusOrOptions.pinned === undefined ? true : preserveFocusOrOptions.pinned
+			};
+		} else {
+			options = {
+				preserveFocus: preserveFocusOrOptions,
+				pinned: true
+			};
+		}
 
 		const input = {
 			resource,
-			options: { preserveFocus, pinned: true }
+			options
 		};
 
 		return this._workbenchEditorService.openEditor(input, position).then(editor => {