diff --git a/extensions/typescript/src/utils/logDirectoryProvider.ts b/extensions/typescript/src/utils/logDirectoryProvider.ts
index 30633031ec8..fba55ea03e1 100644
--- a/extensions/typescript/src/utils/logDirectoryProvider.ts
+++ b/extensions/typescript/src/utils/logDirectoryProvider.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 import * as fs from 'fs';
 import * as path from 'path';
 import * as vscode from 'vscode';
+import { memoize } from './memoize';
 
 export default class LogDirectoryProvider {
 	public constructor(
@@ -13,10 +14,26 @@ export default class LogDirectoryProvider {
 	) { }
 
 	public async getNewLogDirectory(): Promise<string | undefined> {
-		const root = await this.context.logger.logDirectory;
+		const root = this.logDirectory();
+		if (root) {
+			try {
+				return fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(root, `tsserver-log-`));
+			} catch (e) {
+				return undefined;
+			}
+		}
+		return undefined;
+	}
+
+	@memoize
+	private logDirectory(): string | undefined {
 		try {
-			return fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(root, `tsserver-log-`));
-		} catch (e) {
+			const path = this.context.logDirectory;
+			if (!fs.existsSync(path)) {
+				fs.mkdirSync(path);
+			}
+			return this.context.logDirectory;
+		} catch {
 			return undefined;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/vs/vscode.proposed.d.ts b/src/vs/vscode.proposed.d.ts
index 2078ed985d2..52bda5f91bc 100644
--- a/src/vs/vscode.proposed.d.ts
+++ b/src/vs/vscode.proposed.d.ts
@@ -408,7 +408,6 @@ declare module 'vscode' {
 	export interface Logger {
 		readonly onDidChangeLogLevel: Event<LogLevel>;
 		readonly currentLevel: LogLevel;
-		readonly logDirectory: Thenable<string>;
 
 		trace(message: string, ...args: any[]): void;
 		debug(message: string, ...args: any[]): void;
@@ -423,6 +422,13 @@ declare module 'vscode' {
 		 * This extension's logger
 		 */
 		logger: Logger;
+
+		/**
+		 * Path where an extension can write log files.
+		 *
+		 * Extensions must create this directory before writing to it. The parent directory will always exist.
+		 */
+		readonly logDirectory: string;
 	}
 
 	//#endregion
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostExtensionActivator.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostExtensionActivator.ts
index f29e5e81400..e1979889222 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostExtensionActivator.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostExtensionActivator.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ export interface IExtensionContext {
 	storagePath: string;
 	asAbsolutePath(relativePath: string): string;
 	logger: ExtHostLogger;
+	readonly logDirectory: string;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostExtensionService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostExtensionService.ts
index 403da7c59a0..f1645816414 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostExtensionService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostExtensionService.ts
@@ -356,6 +356,10 @@ export class ExtHostExtensionService implements ExtHostExtensionServiceShape {
 				get logger() {
 					checkProposedApiEnabled(extensionDescription);
 					return that._extHostLogService.getExtLogger(extensionDescription.id);
+				},
+				get logDirectory() {
+					checkProposedApiEnabled(extensionDescription);
+					return that._extHostLogService.getLogDirectory(extensionDescription.id);
 				}
 			});
 		});
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostLogService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostLogService.ts
index 0873a3bc0cf..00d9832ba86 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostLogService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostLogService.ts
@@ -5,15 +5,12 @@
 'use strict';
 
 import * as vscode from 'vscode';
-import { TPromise } from 'vs/base/common/winjs.base';
 import { join } from 'vs/base/common/paths';
-import { mkdirp, dirExists } from 'vs/base/node/pfs';
 import { Event } from 'vs/base/common/event';
 import { LogLevel } from 'vs/workbench/api/node/extHostTypes';
 import { ILogService, DelegatedLogService } from 'vs/platform/log/common/log';
 import { createSpdLogService } from 'vs/platform/log/node/spdlogService';
 import { IEnvironmentService } from 'vs/platform/environment/common/environment';
-import { memoize } from 'vs/base/common/decorators';
 import { ExtHostLogServiceShape } from 'vs/workbench/api/node/extHost.protocol';
 
 
@@ -42,21 +39,23 @@ export class ExtHostLogService extends DelegatedLogService implements ILogServic
 		return logger;
 	}
 
+	getLogDirectory(extensionID: string): string {
+		return join(this._environmentService.logsPath, `${extensionID}_${this._windowId}`);
+	}
+
 	private createLogger(extensionID: string): ExtHostLogger {
-		const logsDirPath = join(this._environmentService.logsPath, `${extensionID}_${this._windowId}`);
+		const logsDirPath = this.getLogDirectory(extensionID);
 		const logService = createSpdLogService(extensionID, this.getLevel(), logsDirPath);
 		this._register(this.onDidChangeLogLevel(level => logService.setLevel(level)));
-		return new ExtHostLogger(logService, logsDirPath);
+		return new ExtHostLogger(logService);
 	}
 }
 
 export class ExtHostLogger implements vscode.Logger {
 
 	constructor(
-		private readonly _logService: ILogService,
-		private readonly _logDirectory: string
-	) {
-	}
+		private readonly _logService: ILogService
+	) { }
 
 	get onDidChangeLogLevel(): Event<LogLevel> {
 		return this._logService.onDidChangeLogLevel;
@@ -64,19 +63,6 @@ export class ExtHostLogger implements vscode.Logger {
 
 	get currentLevel(): LogLevel { return this._logService.getLevel(); }
 
-	@memoize
-	get logDirectory(): TPromise<string> {
-		return dirExists(this._logDirectory).then(exists => {
-			if (exists) {
-				return TPromise.wrap(null);
-			} else {
-				return mkdirp(this._logDirectory);
-			}
-		}).then(() => {
-			return this._logDirectory;
-		});
-	}
-
 	trace(message: string, ...args: any[]): void {
 		return this._logService.trace(message, ...args);
 	}