diff --git a/src/vs/platform/workspace/common/workspace.ts b/src/vs/platform/workspace/common/workspace.ts
index 540ef30e9ebf5..96ca0786824db 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/workspace/common/workspace.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/workspace/common/workspace.ts
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ export interface IEnvironment {
 
 	debugPluginHostPort: number;
 	debugBrkPluginHost: boolean;
+	disablePlugins: boolean;
 
 	logPluginHostCommunication: boolean;
 	verboseLogging: boolean;
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/electron-main/env.ts b/src/vs/workbench/electron-main/env.ts
index a84deb92cf387..76096440054f7 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/electron-main/env.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/electron-main/env.ts
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ export interface ICommandLineArguments {
 	debugPluginHostPort: number;
 	debugBrkPluginHost: boolean;
 	logPluginHostCommunication: boolean;
+	disablePlugins: boolean;
 
 	pluginHomePath: string;
 	pluginDevelopmentPath: string;
@@ -202,7 +203,8 @@ function parseCli(): ICommandLineArguments {
 		gotoLineMode: gotoLineMode,
 		pluginHomePath: normalizePath(parseString(args, '--extensionHomePath')),
 		pluginDevelopmentPath: normalizePath(parseString(args, '--extensionDevelopmentPath')),
-		pluginTestsPath: normalizePath(parseString(args, '--extensionTestsPath'))
+		pluginTestsPath: normalizePath(parseString(args, '--extensionTestsPath')),
+		disablePlugins: !!opts['disableExtensions'] || !!opts['disable-extensions']
 	};
 }
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/node/pluginHostMain.ts b/src/vs/workbench/node/pluginHostMain.ts
index 5e7125e8e0255..76a74bb1a4289 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/node/pluginHostMain.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/node/pluginHostMain.ts
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ export class PluginHostMain {
 		let collector = new PluginsMessageCollector();
 		let env = this.contextService.getConfiguration().env;
 
-		return PluginHostMain.scanPlugins(collector, BUILTIN_PLUGINS_PATH, env.userPluginsHome, env.pluginDevelopmentPath, env.version)
+		return PluginHostMain.scanPlugins(collector, BUILTIN_PLUGINS_PATH, !env.disablePlugins ? env.userPluginsHome : void 0, !env.disablePlugins ? env.pluginDevelopmentPath : void 0, env.version)
 			.then(null, err => {
 				collector.error('', err);
 				return [];