diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadTesting.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadTesting.ts
index b33a86eae8e..0bfb150cb02 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadTesting.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadTesting.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ const reviveDiff = (diff: TestsDiff) => {
 export class MainThreadTesting extends Disposable implements MainThreadTestingShape {
 	private readonly proxy: ExtHostTestingShape;
 	private readonly testSubscriptions = new Map<string, IDisposable>();
+	private readonly testProviderRegistrations = new Map<string, IDisposable>();
 
 	constructor(
 		extHostContext: IExtHostContext,
@@ -101,17 +102,20 @@ export class MainThreadTesting extends Disposable implements MainThreadTestingSh
 	 * @inheritdoc
 	 */
 	public $registerTestProvider(id: string) {
-		this.testService.registerTestController(id, {
+		const disposable = this.testService.registerTestController(id, {
 			runTests: (req, token) => this.proxy.$runTestsForProvider(req, token),
 			lookupTest: test => this.proxy.$lookupTest(test),
 		});
+
+		this.testProviderRegistrations.set(id, disposable);
 	}
 
 	/**
 	 * @inheritdoc
 	 */
 	public $unregisterTestProvider(id: string) {
-		this.testService.unregisterTestController(id);
+		this.testProviderRegistrations.get(id)?.dispose();
+		this.testProviderRegistrations.delete(id);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -147,6 +151,7 @@ export class MainThreadTesting extends Disposable implements MainThreadTestingSh
 	}
 
 	public dispose() {
+		super.dispose();
 		this.testService.updateRootProviderCount(-1);
 		for (const subscription of this.testSubscriptions.values()) {
 			subscription.dispose();
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/testing/common/testService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/testing/common/testService.ts
index 7b562938108..ce0ce27ce1c 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/testing/common/testService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/testing/common/testService.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 import { CancellationToken } from 'vs/base/common/cancellation';
 import { Event } from 'vs/base/common/event';
-import { DisposableStore, IReference } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
+import { DisposableStore, IDisposable, IReference } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
 import { URI } from 'vs/base/common/uri';
 import { createDecorator } from 'vs/platform/instantiation/common/instantiation';
 import { ExtHostTestingResource } from 'vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.protocol';
@@ -118,8 +118,7 @@ export interface ITestService {
 	 */
 	clearExcludedTests(): void;
 
-	registerTestController(id: string, controller: MainTestController): void;
-	unregisterTestController(id: string): void;
+	registerTestController(id: string, controller: MainTestController): IDisposable;
 	runTests(req: RunTestsRequest, token?: CancellationToken): Promise<ITestResult>;
 	cancelTestRun(req: RunTestsRequest): void;
 	publishDiff(resource: ExtHostTestingResource, uri: URI, diff: TestsDiff): void;
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/testing/common/testServiceImpl.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/testing/common/testServiceImpl.ts
index e5f2d942039..279eb3fc359 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/testing/common/testServiceImpl.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/testing/common/testServiceImpl.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { groupBy } from 'vs/base/common/arrays';
 import { disposableTimeout } from 'vs/base/common/async';
 import { CancellationToken, CancellationTokenSource } from 'vs/base/common/cancellation';
 import { Emitter } from 'vs/base/common/event';
-import { Disposable, IDisposable, IReference } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
+import { Disposable, IDisposable, IReference, toDisposable } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
 import { URI, UriComponents } from 'vs/base/common/uri';
 import { localize } from 'vs/nls';
 import { IContextKey, IContextKeyService } from 'vs/platform/contextkey/common/contextkey';
@@ -284,19 +284,17 @@ export class TestService extends Disposable implements ITestService {
 	/**
 	 * @inheritdoc
 	 */
-	public registerTestController(id: string, controller: MainTestController): void {
+	public registerTestController(id: string, controller: MainTestController): IDisposable {
 		this.testControllers.set(id, controller);
 		this.providerCount.set(this.testControllers.size);
 		this.changeProvidersEmitter.fire({ delta: 1 });
-	}
 
-	/**
-	 * @inheritdoc
-	 */
-	public unregisterTestController(id: string): void {
-		this.testControllers.delete(id);
-		this.providerCount.set(this.testControllers.size);
-		this.changeProvidersEmitter.fire({ delta: -1 });
+		return toDisposable(() => {
+			if (this.testControllers.delete(id)) {
+				this.providerCount.set(this.testControllers.size);
+				this.changeProvidersEmitter.fire({ delta: -1 });
+			}
+		});
 	}
 
 	private findTest(predicate: (t: InternalTestItem) => boolean): InternalTestItem | undefined {