diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadStatusBar.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadStatusBar.ts
index 289bde01e57..4e561ae88bb 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadStatusBar.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadStatusBar.ts
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@
 import { MainThreadStatusBarShape, MainContext, ExtHostContext, StatusBarItemDto } from '../common/extHost.protocol';
 import { ThemeColor } from 'vs/base/common/themables';
 import { extHostNamedCustomer, IExtHostContext } from 'vs/workbench/services/extensions/common/extHostCustomers';
-import { DisposableStore } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
+import { DisposableStore, toDisposable } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
 import { Command } from 'vs/editor/common/languages';
 import { IAccessibilityInformation } from 'vs/platform/accessibility/common/accessibility';
 import { IMarkdownString } from 'vs/base/common/htmlContent';
-import { IExtensionStatusBarItemService } from 'vs/workbench/api/browser/statusBarExtensionPoint';
+import { IExtensionStatusBarItemService, StatusBarUpdateKind } from 'vs/workbench/api/browser/statusBarExtensionPoint';
 import { IStatusbarEntry, StatusbarAlignment } from 'vs/workbench/services/statusbar/browser/statusbar';
 
 @extHostNamedCustomer(MainContext.MainThreadStatusBar)
@@ -57,7 +57,10 @@ export class MainThreadStatusBar implements MainThreadStatusBarShape {
 	}
 
 	$setEntry(entryId: string, id: string, extensionId: string | undefined, name: string, text: string, tooltip: IMarkdownString | string | undefined, command: Command | undefined, color: string | ThemeColor | undefined, backgroundColor: string | ThemeColor | undefined, alignLeft: boolean, priority: number | undefined, accessibilityInformation: IAccessibilityInformation | undefined): void {
-		this.statusbarService.setOrUpdateEntry(entryId, id, extensionId, name, text, tooltip, command, color, backgroundColor, alignLeft, priority, accessibilityInformation);
+		const kind = this.statusbarService.setOrUpdateEntry(entryId, id, extensionId, name, text, tooltip, command, color, backgroundColor, alignLeft, priority, accessibilityInformation);
+		if (kind === StatusBarUpdateKind.DidDefine) {
+			this._store.add(toDisposable(() => this.statusbarService.unsetEntry(entryId)));
+		}
 	}
 
 	$disposeEntry(entryId: string) {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/statusBarExtensionPoint.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/statusBarExtensionPoint.ts
index 2ba47f8425e..cd2e439f8f6 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/statusBarExtensionPoint.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/statusBarExtensionPoint.ts
@@ -38,12 +38,17 @@ export type ExtensionStatusBarEntry = [string, {
 	priority: number;
 }];
 
+export const enum StatusBarUpdateKind {
+	DidDefine,
+	DidUpdate
+}
+
 export interface IExtensionStatusBarItemService {
 	readonly _serviceBrand: undefined;
 
 	onDidChange: Event<IExtensionStatusBarItemChangeEvent>;
 
-	setOrUpdateEntry(id: string, statusId: string, extensionId: string | undefined, name: string, text: string, tooltip: IMarkdownString | string | undefined, command: Command | undefined, color: string | ThemeColor | undefined, backgroundColor: string | ThemeColor | undefined, alignLeft: boolean, priority: number | undefined, accessibilityInformation: IAccessibilityInformation | undefined): void;
+	setOrUpdateEntry(id: string, statusId: string, extensionId: string | undefined, name: string, text: string, tooltip: IMarkdownString | string | undefined, command: Command | undefined, color: string | ThemeColor | undefined, backgroundColor: string | ThemeColor | undefined, alignLeft: boolean, priority: number | undefined, accessibilityInformation: IAccessibilityInformation | undefined): StatusBarUpdateKind;
 
 	unsetEntry(id: string): void;
 
@@ -72,7 +77,7 @@ class ExtensionStatusBarItemService implements IExtensionStatusBarItemService {
 		id: string, extensionId: string | undefined, name: string, text: string, tooltip: IMarkdownString | string | undefined,
 		command: Command | undefined, color: string | ThemeColor | undefined, backgroundColor: string | ThemeColor | undefined,
 		alignLeft: boolean, priority: number | undefined, accessibilityInformation: IAccessibilityInformation | undefined
-	): void {
+	): StatusBarUpdateKind {
 		// if there are icons in the text use the tooltip for the aria label
 		let ariaLabel: string;
 		let role: string | undefined = undefined;
@@ -129,16 +134,19 @@ class ExtensionStatusBarItemService implements IExtensionStatusBarItemService {
 			});
 
 			this._onDidChange.fire({ added: [entryId, { entry, alignment, priority }] });
+			return StatusBarUpdateKind.DidDefine;
 
 		} else {
 			// Otherwise update
 			existingEntry.accessor.update(entry);
 			existingEntry.entry = entry;
+			return StatusBarUpdateKind.DidUpdate;
 		}
 	}
 
 	unsetEntry(entryId: string): void {
 		this._entries.get(entryId)?.disposable.dispose();
+		this._entries.delete(entryId);
 	}
 
 	getEntries(): Iterable<[string, { entry: IStatusbarEntry; alignment: MainThreadStatusBarAlignment; priority: number }]> {
@@ -267,7 +275,7 @@ export class StatusBarItemsExtensionPoint {
 
 					const fullItemId = asStatusBarItemIdentifier(entry.description.identifier, candidate.id);
 
-					statusBarItemsService.setOrUpdateEntry(
+					const kind = statusBarItemsService.setOrUpdateEntry(
 						fullItemId,
 						fullItemId,
 						ExtensionIdentifier.toKey(entry.description.identifier),
@@ -281,7 +289,9 @@ export class StatusBarItemsExtensionPoint {
 						candidate.accessibilityInformation
 					);
 
-					contributions.add(toDisposable(() => statusBarItemsService.unsetEntry(fullItemId)));
+					if (kind === StatusBarUpdateKind.DidDefine) {
+						contributions.add(toDisposable(() => statusBarItemsService.unsetEntry(fullItemId)));
+					}
 				}
 			}
 		});