diff --git a/extensions/github-authentication/src/githubServer.ts b/extensions/github-authentication/src/githubServer.ts
index bc27d5e1646..5851c2d8daf 100644
--- a/extensions/github-authentication/src/githubServer.ts
+++ b/extensions/github-authentication/src/githubServer.ts
@@ -126,25 +126,34 @@ export class GitHubServer {
 				return;
 			}
 
-			const authServerHost = query.staging ? AUTH_RELAY_STAGING_SERVER : AUTH_RELAY_SERVER;
-
-			try {
-				const result = await fetch(`https://${authServerHost}/token?code=${code}&state=${query.state}`, {
-					method: 'POST',
-					headers: {
-						Accept: 'application/json'
-					}
-				});
-
-				if (result.ok) {
-					const json = await result.json();
+			// TODO@joao: remove
+			if (query.staging) {
+				try {
+					const json: any = await vscode.commands.executeCommand('_workbench.fetchJSON', `https://${AUTH_RELAY_STAGING_SERVER}/token?code=${code}&state=${query.state}`, 'POST');
 					Logger.info('Token exchange success!');
 					resolve(json.access_token);
-				} else {
-					reject(result.statusText);
+				} catch (err) {
+					reject(err);
+				}
+			} else {
+				try {
+					const result = await fetch(`https://${AUTH_RELAY_SERVER}/token?code=${code}&state=${query.state}`, {
+						method: 'POST',
+						headers: {
+							Accept: 'application/json'
+						}
+					});
+
+					if (result.ok) {
+						const json = await result.json();
+						Logger.info('Token exchange success!');
+						resolve(json.access_token);
+					} else {
+						reject(result.statusText);
+					}
+				} catch (ex) {
+					reject(ex);
 				}
-			} catch (ex) {
-				reject(ex);
 			}
 		};
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/apiCommands.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/apiCommands.ts
index da918ae31e8..141c6bb03a4 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/apiCommands.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/apiCommands.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { IWorkspacesService, IRecent } from 'vs/platform/workspaces/common/works
 import { ILogService } from 'vs/platform/log/common/log';
 import { IEnvironmentService } from 'vs/platform/environment/common/environment';
 import { IViewDescriptorService, IViewsService, ViewVisibilityState } from 'vs/workbench/common/views';
+import { isWeb } from 'vs/base/common/platform';
 
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------
 // The following commands are registered on both sides separately.
@@ -206,3 +207,15 @@ class DiffAPICommand {
 	}
 }
 CommandsRegistry.registerCommand(DiffAPICommand.ID, adjustHandler(DiffAPICommand.execute));
+
+if (isWeb) {
+	CommandsRegistry.registerCommand('_workbench.fetchJSON', async function (accessor: ServicesAccessor, url: string, method: string) {
+		const result = await fetch(url, { method, headers: { Accept: 'application/json' } });
+
+		if (result.ok) {
+			return result.json();
+		} else {
+			throw new Error(result.statusText);
+		}
+	});
+}