diff --git a/extensions/css/client/src/colorDecorators.ts b/extensions/css/client/src/colorDecorators.ts
index a1d76a479a6..f34392e1453 100644
--- a/extensions/css/client/src/colorDecorators.ts
+++ b/extensions/css/client/src/colorDecorators.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@ export function activateColorDecorations(decoratorProvider: (uri: string) => The
 	let colorsDecorationType = window.createTextEditorDecorationType(decorationType);
 	disposables.push(colorsDecorationType);
 
+	let decoratorEnablement = {};
+	for (let languageId in supportedLanguages) {
+		decoratorEnablement[languageId] = isDecoratorEnabled(languageId);
+	}
+
 	let pendingUpdateRequests: { [key: string]: NodeJS.Timer; } = {};
 
 	window.onDidChangeVisibleTextEditors(editors => {
@@ -40,28 +45,53 @@ export function activateColorDecorations(decoratorProvider: (uri: string) => The
 
 	workspace.onDidChangeTextDocument(event => triggerUpdateDecorations(event.document), null, disposables);
 
-	// we care about all visible editors
-	window.visibleTextEditors.forEach(editor => {
-		if (editor.document) {
-			triggerUpdateDecorations(editor.document);
+	workspace.onDidChangeConfiguration(_ => {
+		let hasChanges = false;
+		for (let languageId in supportedLanguages) {
+			let prev = decoratorEnablement[languageId];
+			let curr = isDecoratorEnabled(languageId);
+			if (prev !== curr) {
+				decoratorEnablement[languageId] = curr;
+				hasChanges = true;
+			}
 		}
-	});
+		if (hasChanges) {
+			updateAllVisibleEditors(true);
+		}
+	}, null, disposables);
 
-	function triggerUpdateDecorations(document: TextDocument) {
-		let triggerUpdate = supportedLanguages[document.languageId];
+	updateAllVisibleEditors(false);
+
+	function isDecoratorEnabled(languageId: string) {
+		return workspace.getConfiguration().get<boolean>(languageId + '.colorDecorators.enable');
+	}
+
+	function updateAllVisibleEditors(settingsChanges: boolean) {
+		window.visibleTextEditors.forEach(editor => {
+			if (editor.document) {
+				triggerUpdateDecorations(editor.document, settingsChanges);
+			}
+		});
+	}
+
+	function triggerUpdateDecorations(document: TextDocument, settingsChanges = false) {
+		let triggerUpdate = supportedLanguages[document.languageId] && (decoratorEnablement[document.languageId] || settingsChanges);
 		let documentUri = document.uri;
 		let documentUriStr = documentUri.toString();
 		let timeout = pendingUpdateRequests[documentUriStr];
 		if (typeof timeout !== 'undefined') {
 			clearTimeout(timeout);
-			triggerUpdate = true; // force update, even if languageId is not supported (anymore)
 		}
 		if (triggerUpdate) {
 			pendingUpdateRequests[documentUriStr] = setTimeout(() => {
 				// check if the document is in use by an active editor
 				for (let editor of window.visibleTextEditors) {
 					if (editor.document && documentUriStr === editor.document.uri.toString()) {
-						updateDecorationForEditor(documentUriStr, editor.document.version);
+						if (decoratorEnablement[document.languageId]) {
+							updateDecorationForEditor(documentUriStr, editor.document.version);
+						} else {
+							editor.setDecorations(colorsDecorationType, []);
+						}
 						break;
 					}
 				}
diff --git a/extensions/css/package.json b/extensions/css/package.json
index 22372dc2144..7e963d2e97f 100644
--- a/extensions/css/package.json
+++ b/extensions/css/package.json
@@ -64,6 +64,11 @@
                   "default": true,
                   "description": "%css.validate.desc%"
                 },
+                "css.colorDecorators.enable": {
+                  "type": "boolean",
+                  "default": true,
+                  "description": "%css.colorDecorators.enable.desc%"
+                },
                 "css.lint.compatibleVendorPrefixes": {
                   "type": "string",
                   "enum": [
@@ -271,6 +276,11 @@
                   "default": true,
                   "description": "%scss.validate.desc%"
                 },
+                "scss.colorDecorators.enable": {
+                  "type": "boolean",
+                  "default": true,
+                  "description": "%scss.colorDecorators.enable.desc%"
+                },
                 "scss.lint.compatibleVendorPrefixes": {
                   "type": "string",
                   "enum": [
@@ -469,6 +479,11 @@
                   "default": true,
                   "description": "%less.validate.desc%"
                 },
+                "less.colorDecorators.enable": {
+                  "type": "boolean",
+                  "default": true,
+                  "description": "%less.colorDecorators.enable.desc%"
+                },
                 "less.lint.compatibleVendorPrefixes": {
                   "type": "string",
                   "enum": [
diff --git a/extensions/css/package.nls.json b/extensions/css/package.nls.json
index d0ae7c6b2b4..a5f76536626 100644
--- a/extensions/css/package.nls.json
+++ b/extensions/css/package.nls.json
@@ -55,5 +55,8 @@
 	"scss.lint.unknownVendorSpecificProperties.desc": "Unknown vendor specific property.",
 	"scss.lint.vendorPrefix.desc": "When using a vendor-specific prefix also include the standard property",
 	"scss.lint.zeroUnits.desc": "No unit for zero needed",
-	"scss.validate.desc": "Enables or disables all validations"
+	"scss.validate.desc": "Enables or disables all validations",
+	"less.colorDecorators.enable.desc": "Enables or disables color decorators",
+	"scss.colorDecorators.enable.desc": "Enables or disables color decorators",
+	"css.colorDecorators.enable.desc": "Enables or disables color decorators"
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/extensions/html/client/src/colorDecorators.ts b/extensions/html/client/src/colorDecorators.ts
index a1d76a479a6..f34392e1453 100644
--- a/extensions/html/client/src/colorDecorators.ts
+++ b/extensions/html/client/src/colorDecorators.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@ export function activateColorDecorations(decoratorProvider: (uri: string) => The
 	let colorsDecorationType = window.createTextEditorDecorationType(decorationType);
 	disposables.push(colorsDecorationType);
 
+	let decoratorEnablement = {};
+	for (let languageId in supportedLanguages) {
+		decoratorEnablement[languageId] = isDecoratorEnabled(languageId);
+	}
+
 	let pendingUpdateRequests: { [key: string]: NodeJS.Timer; } = {};
 
 	window.onDidChangeVisibleTextEditors(editors => {
@@ -40,28 +45,53 @@ export function activateColorDecorations(decoratorProvider: (uri: string) => The
 
 	workspace.onDidChangeTextDocument(event => triggerUpdateDecorations(event.document), null, disposables);
 
-	// we care about all visible editors
-	window.visibleTextEditors.forEach(editor => {
-		if (editor.document) {
-			triggerUpdateDecorations(editor.document);
+	workspace.onDidChangeConfiguration(_ => {
+		let hasChanges = false;
+		for (let languageId in supportedLanguages) {
+			let prev = decoratorEnablement[languageId];
+			let curr = isDecoratorEnabled(languageId);
+			if (prev !== curr) {
+				decoratorEnablement[languageId] = curr;
+				hasChanges = true;
+			}
 		}
-	});
+		if (hasChanges) {
+			updateAllVisibleEditors(true);
+		}
+	}, null, disposables);
 
-	function triggerUpdateDecorations(document: TextDocument) {
-		let triggerUpdate = supportedLanguages[document.languageId];
+	updateAllVisibleEditors(false);
+
+	function isDecoratorEnabled(languageId: string) {
+		return workspace.getConfiguration().get<boolean>(languageId + '.colorDecorators.enable');
+	}
+
+	function updateAllVisibleEditors(settingsChanges: boolean) {
+		window.visibleTextEditors.forEach(editor => {
+			if (editor.document) {
+				triggerUpdateDecorations(editor.document, settingsChanges);
+			}
+		});
+	}
+
+	function triggerUpdateDecorations(document: TextDocument, settingsChanges = false) {
+		let triggerUpdate = supportedLanguages[document.languageId] && (decoratorEnablement[document.languageId] || settingsChanges);
 		let documentUri = document.uri;
 		let documentUriStr = documentUri.toString();
 		let timeout = pendingUpdateRequests[documentUriStr];
 		if (typeof timeout !== 'undefined') {
 			clearTimeout(timeout);
-			triggerUpdate = true; // force update, even if languageId is not supported (anymore)
 		}
 		if (triggerUpdate) {
 			pendingUpdateRequests[documentUriStr] = setTimeout(() => {
 				// check if the document is in use by an active editor
 				for (let editor of window.visibleTextEditors) {
 					if (editor.document && documentUriStr === editor.document.uri.toString()) {
-						updateDecorationForEditor(documentUriStr, editor.document.version);
+						if (decoratorEnablement[document.languageId]) {
+							updateDecorationForEditor(documentUriStr, editor.document.version);
+						} else {
+							editor.setDecorations(colorsDecorationType, []);
+						}
 						break;
 					}
 				}