diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/editor/sideBySideEditor.ts b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/editor/sideBySideEditor.ts
index c3d7a0cce9da..35846e76c3bb 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/editor/sideBySideEditor.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/editor/sideBySideEditor.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import { IEditorService } from 'vs/workbench/services/editor/common/editorServic
 import { isEqual } from 'vs/base/common/resources';
 import { URI } from 'vs/base/common/uri';
 import { IBoundarySashes } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/sash/sash';
+import { coalesce } from 'vs/base/common/arrays';
 
 interface ISideBySideEditorViewState {
 	primary: object;
@@ -455,6 +456,10 @@ export class SideBySideEditor extends AbstractEditorWithViewState<ISideBySideEdi
 		return this.getLastFocusedEditorPane()?.getControl();
 	}
 
+	getControls(): IEditorControl[] {
+		return coalesce([this.primaryEditorPane?.getControl(), this.secondaryEditorPane?.getControl()]);
+	}
+
 	getPrimaryEditorPane(): IEditorPane | undefined {
 		return this.primaryEditorPane;
 	}
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/common/editor.ts b/src/vs/workbench/common/editor.ts
index bd2c42d85109..0c6fe5aa6bd5 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/common/editor.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/common/editor.ts
@@ -167,6 +167,16 @@ export interface IEditorPane extends IComposite {
 	 */
 	getControl(): IEditorControl | undefined;
 
+	/**
+	 * Returns the underlying controls of this editor. Callers need to cast
+	 * the control to a specific instance as needed, e.g. by using the
+	 * `isCodeEditor` helper method to access the text code editor.
+	 *
+	 * Use the `onDidChangeControl` event to track whenever the control
+	 * changes.
+	 */
+	getControls?(): IEditorControl[];
+
 	/**
 	 * Returns the current view state of the editor if any.
 	 *
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/editor/browser/editorService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/editor/browser/editorService.ts
index 6b0dc0e8e2d6..00fecb6a712f 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/editor/browser/editorService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/editor/browser/editorService.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 import { IInstantiationService } from 'vs/platform/instantiation/common/instantiation';
 import { IResourceEditorInput, IEditorOptions, EditorActivation, IResourceEditorInputIdentifier, ITextResourceEditorInput } from 'vs/platform/editor/common/editor';
-import { SideBySideEditor, IEditorPane, GroupIdentifier, IUntitledTextResourceEditorInput, IResourceDiffEditorInput, EditorInputWithOptions, isEditorInputWithOptions, IEditorIdentifier, IEditorCloseEvent, ITextDiffEditorPane, IRevertOptions, SaveReason, EditorsOrder, IWorkbenchEditorConfiguration, EditorResourceAccessor, IVisibleEditorPane, EditorInputCapabilities, isResourceDiffEditorInput, IUntypedEditorInput, isResourceEditorInput, isEditorInput, isEditorInputWithOptionsAndGroup, IFindEditorOptions, isResourceMergeEditorInput, IEditorWillOpenEvent } from 'vs/workbench/common/editor';
+import { SideBySideEditor, IEditorPane, GroupIdentifier, IUntitledTextResourceEditorInput, IResourceDiffEditorInput, EditorInputWithOptions, isEditorInputWithOptions, IEditorIdentifier, IEditorCloseEvent, ITextDiffEditorPane, IRevertOptions, SaveReason, EditorsOrder, IWorkbenchEditorConfiguration, EditorResourceAccessor, IVisibleEditorPane, EditorInputCapabilities, isResourceDiffEditorInput, IUntypedEditorInput, isResourceEditorInput, isEditorInput, isEditorInputWithOptionsAndGroup, IFindEditorOptions, isResourceMergeEditorInput, IEditorWillOpenEvent, IEditorControl } from 'vs/workbench/common/editor';
 import { EditorInput } from 'vs/workbench/common/editor/editorInput';
 import { SideBySideEditorInput } from 'vs/workbench/common/editor/sideBySideEditorInput';
 import { ResourceMap, ResourceSet } from 'vs/base/common/map';
@@ -491,9 +491,11 @@ export class EditorService extends Disposable implements EditorServiceImpl {
 	get visibleTextEditorControls(): Array<ICodeEditor | IDiffEditor> {
 		const visibleTextEditorControls: Array<ICodeEditor | IDiffEditor> = [];
 		for (const visibleEditorPane of this.visibleEditorPanes) {
-			const control = visibleEditorPane.getControl();
-			if (isCodeEditor(control) || isDiffEditor(control)) {
-				visibleTextEditorControls.push(control);
+			const controls: (IEditorControl | undefined)[] = visibleEditorPane.getControls ? visibleEditorPane.getControls() : [visibleEditorPane.getControl()];
+			for (const control of controls) {
+				if (isCodeEditor(control) || isDiffEditor(control)) {
+					visibleTextEditorControls.push(control);
+				}
 			}
 		}