diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/preferencesService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/preferencesService.ts
index 19bb214dc23..e6eba1092eb 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/preferencesService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/preferencesService.ts
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ export class PreferencesService extends Disposable implements IPreferencesServic
 					}
 					defaultSettings = this.getDefaultSettings(scope);
 					this.modelService.updateModel(model, defaultSettings.parse());
+					defaultSettings._onDidChange.fire();
 				}
 			});
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/common/preferencesModels.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/common/preferencesModels.ts
index 17d666feae1..064fac4acdf 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/common/preferencesModels.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/common/preferencesModels.ts
@@ -511,7 +511,7 @@ export class DefaultSettings extends Disposable {
 	private _content: string;
 	private _settingsByName: Map<string, ISetting>;
 
-	private _onDidChange: Emitter<void> = this._register(new Emitter<void>());
+	readonly _onDidChange: Emitter<void> = this._register(new Emitter<void>());
 	readonly onDidChange: Event<void> = this._onDidChange.event;
 
 	constructor(
@@ -536,16 +536,12 @@ export class DefaultSettings extends Disposable {
 	}
 
 	parse(): string {
-		const currentContent = this._content;
 		const configurations = Registry.as<IConfigurationRegistry>(Extensions.Configuration).getConfigurations().slice();
 		const settingsGroups = this.removeEmptySettingsGroups(configurations.sort(this.compareConfigurationNodes).reduce((result, config, index, array) => this.parseConfig(config, result, array), []));
 		this.initAllSettingsMap(settingsGroups);
 		const mostCommonlyUsed = this.getMostCommonlyUsedSettings(settingsGroups);
 		this._allSettingsGroups = [mostCommonlyUsed, ...settingsGroups];
 		this._content = this.toContent(mostCommonlyUsed, settingsGroups);
-		if (this._content !== currentContent) {
-			this._onDidChange.fire();
-		}
 		return this._content;
 	}