diff --git a/src/vs/code/test/electron-main/windowsStateStorage.test.ts b/src/vs/code/test/electron-main/windowsStateStorage.test.ts
index 798d0f90dcf..5c630b1b8ae 100644
--- a/src/vs/code/test/electron-main/windowsStateStorage.test.ts
+++ b/src/vs/code/test/electron-main/windowsStateStorage.test.ts
@@ -28,11 +28,11 @@ function toWorkspace(uri: URI): IWorkspaceIdentifier {
 		configPath: uri
 	};
 }
-function assertEqualURI(u1: URI, u2: URI, message?: string): void {
+function assertEqualURI(u1: URI | undefined, u2: URI | undefined, message?: string): void {
 	assert.equal(u1 && u1.toString(), u2 && u2.toString(), message);
 }
 
-function assertEqualWorkspace(w1: IWorkspaceIdentifier, w2: IWorkspaceIdentifier, message?: string): void {
+function assertEqualWorkspace(w1: IWorkspaceIdentifier | undefined, w2: IWorkspaceIdentifier | undefined, message?: string): void {
 	if (!w1 || !w2) {
 		assert.equal(w1, w2, message);
 		return;
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ function assertEqualWorkspace(w1: IWorkspaceIdentifier, w2: IWorkspaceIdentifier
 	assertEqualURI(w1.configPath, w2.configPath, message);
 }
 
-function assertEqualWindowState(expected: IWindowState, actual: IWindowState, message?: string) {
+function assertEqualWindowState(expected: IWindowState | undefined, actual: IWindowState | undefined, message?: string) {
 	if (!expected || !actual) {
 		assert.deepEqual(expected, actual, message);
 		return;
diff --git a/src/vs/platform/history/electron-main/historyStorage.ts b/src/vs/platform/history/electron-main/historyStorage.ts
index b0bf75abd51..5f4649dfcd0 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/history/electron-main/historyStorage.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/history/electron-main/historyStorage.ts
@@ -22,10 +22,10 @@ interface ILegacySerializedWorkspace { id: string; configPath: string; }
 
 export type RecentlyOpenedStorageData = object;
 
-export function restoreRecentlyOpened(data: RecentlyOpenedStorageData): IRecentlyOpened {
-	const storedRecents = data as ISerializedRecentlyOpened & ILegacySerializedRecentlyOpened;
+export function restoreRecentlyOpened(data: RecentlyOpenedStorageData | undefined): IRecentlyOpened {
 	const result: IRecentlyOpened = { workspaces: [], files: [] };
-	if (storedRecents) {
+	if (data) {
+		const storedRecents = data as ISerializedRecentlyOpened & ILegacySerializedRecentlyOpened;
 		if (Array.isArray(storedRecents.workspaces3)) {
 			for (const workspace of storedRecents.workspaces3) {
 				if (typeof workspace === 'object' && typeof workspace.id === 'string' && typeof workspace.configURIPath === 'string') {
diff --git a/src/vs/platform/history/test/electron-main/historyStorage.test.ts b/src/vs/platform/history/test/electron-main/historyStorage.test.ts
index 71a8266d865..cfc38702acf 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/history/test/electron-main/historyStorage.test.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/history/test/electron-main/historyStorage.test.ts
@@ -17,11 +17,11 @@ function toWorkspace(uri: URI): IWorkspaceIdentifier {
 		configPath: uri
 	};
 }
-function assertEqualURI(u1: URI, u2: URI, message?: string): void {
+function assertEqualURI(u1: URI | undefined, u2: URI | undefined, message?: string): void {
 	assert.equal(u1 && u1.toString(), u2 && u2.toString(), message);
 }
 
-function assertEqualWorkspace(w1: IWorkspaceIdentifier, w2: IWorkspaceIdentifier, message?: string): void {
+function assertEqualWorkspace(w1: IWorkspaceIdentifier | undefined, w2: IWorkspaceIdentifier | undefined, message?: string): void {
 	if (!w1 || !w2) {
 		assert.equal(w1, w2, message);
 		return;