diff --git a/src/vs/platform/storage/browser/storageService.ts b/src/vs/platform/storage/browser/storageService.ts
index 59b1baf9120c..ab3fd347b69f 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/storage/browser/storageService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/storage/browser/storageService.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 import { Disposable, IDisposable, dispose } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
 import { Emitter } from 'vs/base/common/event';
-import { IWorkspaceStorageChangeEvent, IStorageService, StorageScope, IWillSaveStateEvent, WillSaveStateReason, logStorage } from 'vs/platform/storage/common/storage';
+import { IWorkspaceStorageChangeEvent, IStorageService, StorageScope, IWillSaveStateEvent, WillSaveStateReason, logStorage, IS_NEW_KEY } from 'vs/platform/storage/common/storage';
 import { IEnvironmentService } from 'vs/platform/environment/common/environment';
 import { IWorkspaceInitializationPayload } from 'vs/platform/workspaces/common/workspaces';
 import { IFileService, FileChangeType } from 'vs/platform/files/common/files';
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@ export class BrowserStorageService extends Disposable implements IStorageService
 
 	declare readonly _serviceBrand: undefined;
 
-	private static readonly WORKSPACE_IS_NEW_KEY = '__$__isNewStorageMarker';
-
 	private readonly _onDidChangeStorage = this._register(new Emitter<IWorkspaceStorageChangeEvent>());
 	readonly onDidChangeStorage = this._onDidChangeStorage.event;
 
@@ -82,12 +80,20 @@ export class BrowserStorageService extends Disposable implements IStorageService
 			this.globalStorage.init()
 		]);
 
-		// Check to see if this is the first time we are "opening" this workspace
-		const firstOpen = this.workspaceStorage.getBoolean(BrowserStorageService.WORKSPACE_IS_NEW_KEY);
+		// Check to see if this is the first time we are "opening" the application
+		const firstOpen = this.globalStorage.getBoolean(IS_NEW_KEY);
 		if (firstOpen === undefined) {
-			this.workspaceStorage.set(BrowserStorageService.WORKSPACE_IS_NEW_KEY, true);
+			this.globalStorage.set(IS_NEW_KEY, true);
 		} else if (firstOpen) {
-			this.workspaceStorage.set(BrowserStorageService.WORKSPACE_IS_NEW_KEY, false);
+			this.globalStorage.set(IS_NEW_KEY, false);
+		}
+
+		// Check to see if this is the first time we are "opening" this workspace
+		const firstWorkspaceOpen = this.workspaceStorage.getBoolean(IS_NEW_KEY);
+		if (firstWorkspaceOpen === undefined) {
+			this.workspaceStorage.set(IS_NEW_KEY, true);
+		} else if (firstWorkspaceOpen) {
+			this.workspaceStorage.set(IS_NEW_KEY, false);
 		}
 
 		// In the browser we do not have support for long running unload sequences. As such,
@@ -189,8 +195,8 @@ export class BrowserStorageService extends Disposable implements IStorageService
 		this.dispose();
 	}
 
-	isNew(scope: StorageScope.WORKSPACE): boolean {
-		return this.getBoolean(BrowserStorageService.WORKSPACE_IS_NEW_KEY, scope) === true;
+	isNew(scope: StorageScope): boolean {
+		return this.getBoolean(IS_NEW_KEY, scope) === true;
 	}
 
 	dispose(): void {
diff --git a/src/vs/platform/storage/common/storage.ts b/src/vs/platform/storage/common/storage.ts
index 1623957cb18e..52f9d10757a2 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/storage/common/storage.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/storage/common/storage.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import { Disposable } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
 import { isUndefinedOrNull } from 'vs/base/common/types';
 import { IWorkspaceInitializationPayload } from 'vs/platform/workspaces/common/workspaces';
 
+export const IS_NEW_KEY = '__$__isNewStorageMarker';
+
 export const IStorageService = createDecorator<IStorageService>('storageService');
 
 export enum WillSaveStateReason {
@@ -104,12 +106,11 @@ export interface IStorageService {
 	migrate(toWorkspace: IWorkspaceInitializationPayload): Promise<void>;
 
 	/**
-	 * Wether the storage for the given scope was created during this session or
+	 * Whether the storage for the given scope was created during this session or
 	 * existed before.
 	 *
-	 * Note: currently only implemented for `WORKSPACE` scope.
 	 */
-	isNew(scope: StorageScope.WORKSPACE): boolean;
+	isNew(scope: StorageScope): boolean;
 
 	/**
 	 * Allows to flush state, e.g. in cases where a shutdown is
diff --git a/src/vs/platform/storage/node/storageMainService.ts b/src/vs/platform/storage/node/storageMainService.ts
index 1abfd328ce66..9ba93bb462ad 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/storage/node/storageMainService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/storage/node/storageMainService.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { INativeEnvironmentService } from 'vs/platform/environment/node/environm
 import { SQLiteStorageDatabase, ISQLiteStorageDatabaseLoggingOptions } from 'vs/base/parts/storage/node/storage';
 import { Storage, IStorage, InMemoryStorageDatabase } from 'vs/base/parts/storage/common/storage';
 import { join } from 'vs/base/common/path';
+import { IS_NEW_KEY } from 'vs/platform/storage/common/storage';
 
 export const IStorageMainService = createDecorator<IStorageMainService>('storageMainService');
 
@@ -135,7 +136,7 @@ export class StorageMainService extends Disposable implements IStorageMainServic
 		return this.initializePromise;
 	}
 
-	private doInitialize(): Promise<void> {
+	private async doInitialize(): Promise<void> {
 		this.storage.dispose();
 		this.storage = new Storage(new SQLiteStorageDatabase(this.storagePath, {
 			logging: this.createLogginOptions()
@@ -143,7 +144,15 @@ export class StorageMainService extends Disposable implements IStorageMainServic
 
 		this._register(this.storage.onDidChangeStorage(key => this._onDidChangeStorage.fire({ key })));
 
-		return this.storage.init();
+		await this.storage.init();
+
+		// Check to see if this is the first time we are "opening" the application
+		const firstOpen = this.storage.getBoolean(IS_NEW_KEY);
+		if (firstOpen === undefined) {
+			this.storage.set(IS_NEW_KEY, true);
+		} else if (firstOpen) {
+			this.storage.set(IS_NEW_KEY, false);
+		}
 	}
 
 	get(key: string, fallbackValue: string): string;
diff --git a/src/vs/platform/storage/node/storageService.ts b/src/vs/platform/storage/node/storageService.ts
index 75514fe5a4fa..ac657056aa68 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/storage/node/storageService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/storage/node/storageService.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 import { Disposable, IDisposable, dispose } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
 import { Emitter } from 'vs/base/common/event';
 import { ILogService, LogLevel } from 'vs/platform/log/common/log';
-import { IWorkspaceStorageChangeEvent, IStorageService, StorageScope, IWillSaveStateEvent, WillSaveStateReason, logStorage } from 'vs/platform/storage/common/storage';
+import { IWorkspaceStorageChangeEvent, IStorageService, StorageScope, IWillSaveStateEvent, WillSaveStateReason, logStorage, IS_NEW_KEY } from 'vs/platform/storage/common/storage';
 import { SQLiteStorageDatabase, ISQLiteStorageDatabaseLoggingOptions } from 'vs/base/parts/storage/node/storage';
 import { Storage, IStorageDatabase, IStorage, StorageHint } from 'vs/base/parts/storage/common/storage';
 import { mark } from 'vs/base/common/performance';
@@ -25,8 +25,6 @@ export class NativeStorageService extends Disposable implements IStorageService
 	private static readonly WORKSPACE_STORAGE_NAME = 'state.vscdb';
 	private static readonly WORKSPACE_META_NAME = 'workspace.json';
 
-	private static readonly WORKSPACE_IS_NEW_KEY = '__$__isNewStorageMarker';
-
 	private readonly _onDidChangeStorage = this._register(new Emitter<IWorkspaceStorageChangeEvent>());
 	readonly onDidChangeStorage = this._onDidChangeStorage.event;
 
@@ -108,11 +106,11 @@ export class NativeStorageService extends Disposable implements IStorageService
 				await workspaceStorage.init();
 
 				// Check to see if this is the first time we are "opening" this workspace
-				const firstOpen = workspaceStorage.getBoolean(NativeStorageService.WORKSPACE_IS_NEW_KEY);
-				if (firstOpen === undefined) {
-					workspaceStorage.set(NativeStorageService.WORKSPACE_IS_NEW_KEY, result.wasCreated);
-				} else if (firstOpen) {
-					workspaceStorage.set(NativeStorageService.WORKSPACE_IS_NEW_KEY, false);
+				const firstWorkspaceOpen = workspaceStorage.getBoolean(IS_NEW_KEY);
+				if (firstWorkspaceOpen === undefined) {
+					workspaceStorage.set(IS_NEW_KEY, result.wasCreated);
+				} else if (firstWorkspaceOpen) {
+					workspaceStorage.set(IS_NEW_KEY, false);
 				}
 			} finally {
 				mark('didInitWorkspaceStorage');
@@ -281,7 +279,7 @@ export class NativeStorageService extends Disposable implements IStorageService
 		return this.createWorkspaceStorage(newWorkspaceStoragePath).init();
 	}
 
-	isNew(scope: StorageScope.WORKSPACE): boolean {
-		return this.getBoolean(NativeStorageService.WORKSPACE_IS_NEW_KEY, scope) === true;
+	isNew(scope: StorageScope): boolean {
+		return this.getBoolean(IS_NEW_KEY, scope) === true;
 	}
 }