diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostTerminalService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostTerminalService.ts
index a3eec5aac11..a403f5ee5bb 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostTerminalService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostTerminalService.ts
@@ -414,8 +414,14 @@ export abstract class BaseExtHostTerminalService extends Disposable implements I
 	}
 
 	private _resolveLocation(location?: TerminalLocation | vscode.TerminalEditorLocationOptions | vscode.TerminalSplitLocationOptions): undefined | TerminalLocation | vscode.TerminalEditorLocationOptions {
-		if (typeof location === 'object' && 'parentTerminal' in location) {
+		if (typeof location === 'object' && 'viewColumn' in location && location.viewColumn !== undefined) {
+			return { viewColumn: location.viewColumn, preserveFocus: location.preserveFocus };
+		} else if (typeof location === 'object' && 'parentTerminal' in location) {
+			// parent terminal exthost ID is passed in internal options
+			// for conversion to TerminalInstance in mainThreadTerminalService
 			return undefined;
+		} else if (location === TerminalLocation.Editor || location === TerminalLocation.Panel) {
+			return location;
 		}
 		return location;
 	}