diff --git a/src/vs/platform/download/common/download.ts b/src/vs/platform/download/common/download.ts
index 9856da753ee..83bd30bdaa5 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/download/common/download.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/download/common/download.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,6 @@ export interface IDownloadService {
 
 	_serviceBrand: any;
 
-	download(uri: URI, to: string, cancellationToken?: CancellationToken): Promise<void>;
+	download(uri: URI, to?: string, cancellationToken?: CancellationToken): Promise<string>;
 
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/vs/platform/download/node/downloadIpc.ts b/src/vs/platform/download/node/downloadIpc.ts
index 53144c3f1db..52ca30256fe 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/download/node/downloadIpc.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/download/node/downloadIpc.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ import { Event, Emitter } from 'vs/base/common/event';
 import { IDownloadService } from 'vs/platform/download/common/download';
 import { mkdirp } from 'vs/base/node/pfs';
 import { IURITransformer } from 'vs/base/common/uriIpc';
+import { tmpdir } from 'os';
+import { generateUuid } from 'vs/base/common/uuid';
 
 export type UploadResponse = Buffer | string | undefined;
 
@@ -46,21 +48,21 @@ export class DownloadServiceChannelClient implements IDownloadService {
 
 	constructor(private channel: IChannel, private getUriTransformer: () => IURITransformer) { }
 
-	download(from: URI, to: string): Promise<void> {
+	download(from: URI, to: string = path.join(tmpdir(), generateUuid())): Promise<string> {
 		from = this.getUriTransformer().transformOutgoingURI(from);
 		const dirName = path.dirname(to);
 		let out: fs.WriteStream;
-		return new Promise((c, e) => {
+		return new Promise<string>((c, e) => {
 			return mkdirp(dirName)
 				.then(() => {
 					out = fs.createWriteStream(to);
-					out.once('close', () => c());
+					out.once('close', () => c(to));
 					out.once('error', e);
 					const uploadStream = this.channel.listen<UploadResponse>('upload', from);
 					const disposable = uploadStream(result => {
 						if (result === undefined) {
 							disposable.dispose();
-							out.end(c);
+							out.end(() => c(to));
 						} else if (Buffer.isBuffer(result)) {
 							out.write(result);
 						} else if (typeof result === 'string') {
@@ -71,4 +73,4 @@ export class DownloadServiceChannelClient implements IDownloadService {
 				});
 		});
 	}
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/vs/platform/download/node/downloadService.ts b/src/vs/platform/download/node/downloadService.ts
index c20cbd1a8d5..7822ed2253d 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/download/node/downloadService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/download/node/downloadService.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ import { copy } from 'vs/base/node/pfs';
 import { IRequestService } from 'vs/platform/request/node/request';
 import { asText, download } from 'vs/base/node/request';
 import { CancellationToken } from 'vs/base/common/cancellation';
+import { join } from 'vs/base/common/path';
+import { tmpdir } from 'os';
+import { generateUuid } from 'vs/base/common/uuid';
 
 export class DownloadService implements IDownloadService {
 
@@ -19,18 +22,18 @@ export class DownloadService implements IDownloadService {
 		@IRequestService private readonly requestService: IRequestService
 	) { }
 
-	download(uri: URI, target: string, cancellationToken: CancellationToken = CancellationToken.None): Promise<void> {
+	download(uri: URI, target: string = join(tmpdir(), generateUuid()), cancellationToken: CancellationToken = CancellationToken.None): Promise<string> {
 		if (uri.scheme === Schemas.file) {
-			return copy(uri.fsPath, target);
+			return copy(uri.fsPath, target).then(() => target);
 		}
 		const options = { type: 'GET', url: uri.toString() };
 		return this.requestService.request(options, cancellationToken)
 			.then(context => {
 				if (context.res.statusCode === 200) {
-					return download(target, context);
+					return download(target, context).then(() => target);
 				}
 				return asText(context)
 					.then(message => Promise.reject(new Error(`Expected 200, got back ${context.res.statusCode} instead.\n\n${message}`)));
 			});
 	}
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/apiCommands.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/apiCommands.ts
index f2cc8adc5a6..8f748f3efb6 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/apiCommands.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/apiCommands.ts
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
  *  Licensed under the MIT License. See License.txt in the project root for license information.
  *--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
-import { tmpdir } from 'os';
-import { join } from 'vs/base/common/path';
 import * as vscode from 'vscode';
 import { URI } from 'vs/base/common/uri';
 import { isMalformedFileUri } from 'vs/base/common/resources';
@@ -17,7 +15,6 @@ import { ServicesAccessor } from 'vs/platform/instantiation/common/instantiation
 import { IWorkspaceIdentifier, ISingleFolderWorkspaceIdentifier } from 'vs/platform/workspaces/common/workspaces';
 import { IWindowsService } from 'vs/platform/windows/common/windows';
 import { IDownloadService } from 'vs/platform/download/common/download';
-import { generateUuid } from 'vs/base/common/uuid';
 
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------
 // The following commands are registered on both sides separately.
@@ -158,7 +155,5 @@ CommandsRegistry.registerCommand({
 
 CommandsRegistry.registerCommand('_workbench.downloadResource', function (accessor: ServicesAccessor, resource: URI) {
 	const downloadService = accessor.get(IDownloadService);
-	const location = join(tmpdir(), generateUuid());
-
-	return downloadService.download(resource, location).then(() => URI.file(location));
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+	return downloadService.download(resource).then(location => URI.file(location));
+});