diff --git a/src/vs/code/electron-main/app.ts b/src/vs/code/electron-main/app.ts
index bc9a5dba8c8..7792c22fd6e 100644
--- a/src/vs/code/electron-main/app.ts
+++ b/src/vs/code/electron-main/app.ts
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ import { ServiceCollection } from 'vs/platform/instantiation/common/serviceColle
 import { IIssueMainService, IssueMainService } from 'vs/platform/issue/electron-main/issueMainService';
 import { IKeyboardLayoutMainService, KeyboardLayoutMainService } from 'vs/platform/keyboardLayout/electron-main/keyboardLayoutMainService';
 import { ILaunchMainService, LaunchMainService } from 'vs/platform/launch/electron-main/launchMainService';
-import { ILifecycleMainService, LifecycleMainPhase } from 'vs/platform/lifecycle/electron-main/lifecycleMainService';
+import { ILifecycleMainService, LifecycleMainPhase, ShutdownReason } from 'vs/platform/lifecycle/electron-main/lifecycleMainService';
 import { ILoggerService, ILogService } from 'vs/platform/log/common/log';
 import { LoggerChannel, LogLevelChannel } from 'vs/platform/log/common/logIpc';
 import { IMenubarMainService, MenubarMainService } from 'vs/platform/menubar/electron-main/menubarMainService';
@@ -471,6 +471,16 @@ export class CodeApplication extends Disposable {
 
 		// Main process server (electron IPC based)
 		const mainProcessElectronServer = new ElectronIPCServer();
+		this.lifecycleMainService.onWillShutdown(e => {
+			if (e.reason === ShutdownReason.KILL) {
+				// When we go down abnormally, make sure to free up
+				// any IPC we accept from other windows to reduce
+				// the chance of doing work after we go down. Kill
+				// is special in that it does not orderly shutdown
+				// windows.
+				mainProcessElectronServer.dispose();
+			}
+		});
 
 		// Resolve unique machine ID
 		this.logService.trace('Resolving machine identifier...');
diff --git a/src/vs/platform/lifecycle/electron-main/lifecycleMainService.ts b/src/vs/platform/lifecycle/electron-main/lifecycleMainService.ts
index 6b9dd062653..ac3b7bfb3b2 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/lifecycle/electron-main/lifecycleMainService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/lifecycle/electron-main/lifecycleMainService.ts
@@ -599,8 +599,8 @@ export class LifecycleMainService extends Disposable implements ILifecycleMainSe
 		};
 		app.once('quit', quitListener);
 
-		// app.relaunch() does not quit automatically, so we quit first,
-		// check for vetoes and then relaunch from the app.on('quit') event
+		// `app.relaunch()` does not quit automatically, so we quit first,
+		// check for vetoes and then relaunch from the `app.on('quit')` event
 		const veto = await this.quit(true /* will restart */);
 		if (veto) {
 			app.removeListener('quit', quitListener);
@@ -623,10 +623,13 @@ export class LifecycleMainService extends Disposable implements ILifecycleMainSe
 
 		await Promise.race([
 
-			// still do not block more than 1s
+			// Still do not block more than 1s
 			timeout(1000),
 
-			// destroy any opened window
+			// Destroy any opened window: we do not unload windows here because
+			// there is a chance that the unload is veto'd or long running due
+			// to a participant within the window. this is not wanted when we
+			// are asked to kill the application.
 			(async () => {
 				for (const window of BrowserWindow.getAllWindows()) {
 					if (window && !window.isDestroyed()) {
diff --git a/src/vs/platform/storage/electron-main/storageMainService.ts b/src/vs/platform/storage/electron-main/storageMainService.ts
index 53491f6f089..36658666615 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/storage/electron-main/storageMainService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/storage/electron-main/storageMainService.ts
@@ -44,8 +44,6 @@ export class StorageMainService extends Disposable implements IStorageMainServic
 
 	declare readonly _serviceBrand: undefined;
 
-	private willShutdown: boolean = false;
-
 	constructor(
 		@ILogService private readonly logService: ILogService,
 		@IEnvironmentService private readonly environmentService: IEnvironmentService,
@@ -82,8 +80,6 @@ export class StorageMainService extends Disposable implements IStorageMainServic
 		this._register(this.lifecycleMainService.onWillShutdown(e => {
 			this.logService.trace('storageMainService#onWillShutdown()');
 
-			this.willShutdown = true;
-
 			// Global Storage
 			e.join(this.globalStorage.close());
 
@@ -118,10 +114,6 @@ export class StorageMainService extends Disposable implements IStorageMainServic
 	private readonly mapWorkspaceToStorage = new Map<string, IStorageMain>();
 
 	workspaceStorage(workspace: IWorkspaceIdentifier | ISingleFolderWorkspaceIdentifier | IEmptyWorkspaceIdentifier): IStorageMain {
-		if (this.willShutdown) {
-			throw new Error('Refusing to create workspace storage for application will shutdown.');
-		}
-
 		let workspaceStorage = this.mapWorkspaceToStorage.get(workspace.id);
 		if (!workspaceStorage) {
 			this.logService.trace(`StorageMainService: creating workspace storage (${workspace.id})`);