diff --git a/src/vs/platform/telemetry/common/telemetryUtils.ts b/src/vs/platform/telemetry/common/telemetryUtils.ts
index 02069dd1391..353700202c8 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/telemetry/common/telemetryUtils.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/telemetry/common/telemetryUtils.ts
@@ -241,6 +241,7 @@ const configurationValueWhitelist = [
 	'php.validate.enable',
 	'php.validate.run',
 	'workbench.welcome.enabled',
+	'workbench.startupEditor',
 ];
 
 export function configurationTelemetry(telemetryService: ITelemetryService, configurationService: IConfigurationService): IDisposable {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/workbench.ts b/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/workbench.ts
index 3302dcbd2fd..bfc48bbf57f 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/workbench.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/workbench.ts
@@ -470,7 +470,14 @@ export class Workbench implements IPartService {
 	}
 
 	private openUntitledFile() {
-		return !this.configurationService.lookup('workbench.welcome.enabled').value;
+		const startupEditor = this.configurationService.lookup('workbench.startupEditor');
+		if (!startupEditor.user && !startupEditor.workspace) {
+			const welcomeEnabled = this.configurationService.lookup('workbench.welcome.enabled');
+			if (welcomeEnabled.value !== undefined && welcomeEnabled.value !== null) {
+				return !welcomeEnabled.value;
+			}
+		}
+		return startupEditor.value === 'newUntitledFile';
 	}
 
 	private initServices(): void {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/welcome/page/electron-browser/welcomePage.contribution.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/welcome/page/electron-browser/welcomePage.contribution.ts
index ad03774e188..b924959f037 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/welcome/page/electron-browser/welcomePage.contribution.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/welcome/page/electron-browser/welcomePage.contribution.ts
@@ -18,10 +18,16 @@ Registry.as<IConfigurationRegistry>(ConfigurationExtensions.Configuration)
 		'order': 7,
 		'title': localize('workbenchConfigurationTitle', "Workbench"),
 		'properties': {
-			'workbench.welcome.enabled': {
-				'type': 'boolean',
-				'default': true,
-				'description': localize('welcomePage.enabled', "When enabled, will show the Welcome page on startup.")
+			'workbench.startupEditor': {
+				'type': 'string',
+				'enum': ['none', 'welcomePage', 'newUntitledFile'],
+				'enumDescriptions': [
+					localize({ comment: ['This is the description for a setting. Values surrounded by single quotes are not to be translated.'], key: 'workbench.startupEditor.none' }, "Start without an editor."),
+					localize({ comment: ['This is the description for a setting. Values surrounded by single quotes are not to be translated.'], key: 'workbench.startupEditor.welcomePage' }, "Open the Welcome page (default)."),
+					localize({ comment: ['This is the description for a setting. Values surrounded by single quotes are not to be translated.'], key: 'workbench.startupEditor.newUntitledFile' }, "Open a new untitled file."),
+				],
+				'default': 'welcomePage',
+				'description': localize('workbench.startupEditor', "Controls which editor is shown at startup, if none is restored from the previous session. Select 'none' to start without an editor, 'welcomePage' to open the Welcome page (default), 'newUntitledFile' to open a new untitled file (only when not opening a folder).")
 			},
 		}
 	});
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/welcome/page/electron-browser/welcomePage.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/welcome/page/electron-browser/welcomePage.ts
index c49f0d522e4..323050e6c26 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/welcome/page/electron-browser/welcomePage.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/welcome/page/electron-browser/welcomePage.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ import { IStorageService } from "vs/platform/storage/common/storage";
 
 used();
 
-const configurationKey = 'workbench.welcome.enabled';
+const configurationKey = 'workbench.startupEditor';
+const oldConfigurationKey = 'workbench.welcome.enabled';
 const telemetryFrom = 'welcomePage';
 
 export class WelcomePageContribution implements IWorkbenchContribution {
@@ -76,7 +77,14 @@ export class WelcomePageContribution implements IWorkbenchContribution {
 }
 
 function isWelcomePageEnabled(configurationService: IConfigurationService) {
-	return configurationService.lookup(configurationKey).value;
+	const startupEditor = configurationService.lookup(configurationKey);
+	if (!startupEditor.user && !startupEditor.workspace) {
+		const welcomeEnabled = configurationService.lookup(oldConfigurationKey);
+		if (welcomeEnabled.value !== undefined && welcomeEnabled.value !== null) {
+			return welcomeEnabled.value;
+		}
+	}
+	return startupEditor.value === 'welcomePage';
 }
 
 export class WelcomePageAction extends Action {
@@ -209,7 +217,7 @@ class WelcomePage {
 			showOnStartup.setAttribute('checked', 'checked');
 		}
 		showOnStartup.addEventListener('click', e => {
-			this.configurationEditingService.writeConfiguration(ConfigurationTarget.USER, { key: configurationKey, value: showOnStartup.checked });
+			this.configurationEditingService.writeConfiguration(ConfigurationTarget.USER, { key: configurationKey, value: showOnStartup.checked ? 'welcomePage' : 'newUntitledFile' });
 		});
 
 		recentlyOpened.then(({ folders }) => {