diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/browser/layout.ts b/src/vs/workbench/browser/layout.ts
index 97570301d82..b92f3b0c495 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/browser/layout.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/browser/layout.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ interface ComputedStyles {
  */
 export class WorkbenchLayout implements IVerticalSashLayoutProvider, IHorizontalSashLayoutProvider {
 
-	private static activityBarWidthSettingsKey = 'workbench.activityBar.width';
 	private static sashXWidthSettingsKey = 'workbench.sidebar.width';
 	private static sashYHeightSettingsKey = 'workbench.panel.height';
 
@@ -117,8 +116,6 @@ export class WorkbenchLayout implements IVerticalSashLayoutProvider, IHorizontal
 			orientation: Orientation.HORIZONTAL
 		});
 
-		let isActivityBarHidden = this.partService.isActivityBarHidden();
-		this.activitybarWidth = isActivityBarHidden ? 0 : this.storageService.getInteger(WorkbenchLayout.activityBarWidthSettingsKey, StorageScope.GLOBAL, 50);
 		this.sidebarWidth = this.storageService.getInteger(WorkbenchLayout.sashXWidthSettingsKey, StorageScope.GLOBAL, -1);
 		this.panelHeight = this.storageService.getInteger(WorkbenchLayout.sashYHeightSettingsKey, StorageScope.GLOBAL, 0);
 
@@ -363,10 +360,7 @@ export class WorkbenchLayout implements IVerticalSashLayoutProvider, IHorizontal
 		let sidebarSize = new Dimension(sidebarWidth, this.sidebarHeight);
 
 		// Activity Bar
-		this.activitybarWidth = this.computedStyles.activitybar.width;
-		if (isActivityBarHidden) {
-			this.activitybarWidth = 0;
-		}
+		this.activitybarWidth = isActivityBarHidden ? 0 : this.computedStyles.activitybar.width;
 		let activityBarSize = new Dimension(this.activitybarWidth, sidebarSize.height);
 
 		// Panel part
@@ -438,11 +432,6 @@ export class WorkbenchLayout implements IVerticalSashLayoutProvider, IHorizontal
 			panelDimension.height = Math.max(DEFAULT_MIN_PANEL_PART_HEIGHT, panelDimension.height);
 		}
 
-		if (!isActivityBarHidden) {
-			this.activitybarWidth = activityBarSize.width;
-			this.storageService.store(WorkbenchLayout.activityBarWidthSettingsKey, this.activitybarWidth, StorageScope.GLOBAL);
-		}
-
 		if (!isSidebarHidden) {
 			this.sidebarWidth = sidebarSize.width;
 			this.storageService.store(WorkbenchLayout.sashXWidthSettingsKey, this.sidebarWidth, StorageScope.GLOBAL);
@@ -499,6 +488,11 @@ export class WorkbenchLayout implements IVerticalSashLayoutProvider, IHorizontal
 			this.activitybar.getContainer().getHTMLElement().style.left = '';
 			this.activitybar.getContainer().position(this.titlebarHeight, 0, 0, null);
 		}
+		if (isActivityBarHidden) {
+			this.activitybar.getContainer().hide();
+		} else {
+			this.activitybar.getContainer().show();
+		}
 
 		// Sidebar Part
 		this.sidebar.getContainer().size(sidebarSize.width, sidebarSize.height);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/activitybar/media/activitybarpart.css b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/activitybar/media/activitybarpart.css
index 57c94dda124..6537b059118 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/activitybar/media/activitybarpart.css
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/activitybar/media/activitybarpart.css
@@ -12,11 +12,6 @@
 	height: 100%;
 }
 
-.monaco-workbench.noactivitybar > .activitybar {
-	display: none !important;
-	visibility: hidden !important;
-}
-
 .monaco-workbench > .activitybar > .content .monaco-action-bar {
 	text-align: left;
 	background-color: inherit;
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/workbench.ts b/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/workbench.ts
index ceca4444457..9b67d4aa5de 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/workbench.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/workbench.ts
@@ -487,7 +487,6 @@ export class Workbench implements IPartService {
 		// Activity bar visibility
 		const activityBarVisible = this.configurationService.lookup<string>(Workbench.activityBarVisibleConfigurationKey).value;
 		this.activityBarHidden = !activityBarVisible;
-
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -614,13 +613,6 @@ export class Workbench implements IPartService {
 	public setActivityBarHidden(hidden: boolean, skipLayout?: boolean): void {
 		this.activityBarHidden = hidden;
 
-		// Adjust CSS
-		if (hidden) {
-			this.workbench.addClass('noactivitybar');
-		} else {
-			this.workbench.removeClass('noactivitybar');
-		}
-
 		// Layout
 		if (!skipLayout) {
 			this.workbenchLayout.layout({ forceStyleRecompute: true });
@@ -877,9 +869,6 @@ export class Workbench implements IPartService {
 		if (this.panelHidden) {
 			this.workbench.addClass('nopanel');
 		}
-		if (this.activityBarHidden) {
-			this.workbench.addClass('noactivitybar');
-		}
 
 		// Apply no-workspace state as CSS class
 		if (!this.workbenchParams.workspace) {