diff --git a/extensions/git/src/commands.ts b/extensions/git/src/commands.ts
index ed367db9cc4..9b20e9487bb 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/commands.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/commands.ts
@@ -351,7 +351,6 @@ export class CommandCenter {
 
 		const config = workspace.getConfiguration('git');
 		let value = config.get<string>('defaultCloneDirectory') || os.homedir();
-		value = value.replace(/^~/, os.homedir());
 
 		const parentPath = await window.showInputBox({
 			prompt: localize('parent', "Parent Directory"),
@@ -379,7 +378,7 @@ export class CommandCenter {
 		statusBarItem.command = cancelCommandId;
 		statusBarItem.show();
 
-		const clonePromise = this.git.clone(url, parentPath, tokenSource.token);
+		const clonePromise = this.git.clone(url, parentPath.replace(/^~/, os.homedir()), tokenSource.token);
 
 		try {
 			window.withProgress({ location: ProgressLocation.SourceControl, title: localize('cloning', "Cloning git repository...") }, () => clonePromise);
@@ -1326,7 +1325,7 @@ export class CommandCenter {
 
 		const remoteRefs = repository.refs;
 		const remoteRefsFiltered = remoteRefs.filter(r => (r.remote === remotePick.label));
-		const branchPicks = remoteRefsFiltered.map(r => ({ label: r.name})) as {label : string; description : string}[];
+		const branchPicks = remoteRefsFiltered.map(r => ({ label: r.name })) as { label: string; description: string }[];
 		const branchPick = await window.showQuickPick(branchPicks, { placeHolder });
 
 		if (!branchPick) {
@@ -1335,7 +1334,7 @@ export class CommandCenter {
 
 		const remoteCharCnt = remotePick.label.length;
 
-		repository.pull(false, remotePick.label, branchPick.label.slice(remoteCharCnt+1));
+		repository.pull(false, remotePick.label, branchPick.label.slice(remoteCharCnt + 1));
 	}
 
 	@command('git.pull', { repository: true })
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/scm/electron-browser/scm.contribution.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/scm/electron-browser/scm.contribution.ts
index 646fe879453..c8079172f45 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/scm/electron-browser/scm.contribution.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/scm/electron-browser/scm.contribution.ts
@@ -66,8 +66,14 @@ Registry.as<IWorkbenchActionRegistry>(WorkbenchActionExtensions.WorkbenchActions
 Registry.as<IConfigurationRegistry>(ConfigurationExtensions.Configuration).registerConfiguration({
 	id: 'scm',
 	order: 5,
+	title: localize('scmConfigurationTitle', "SCM"),
 	type: 'object',
 	properties: {
+		'scm.alwaysShowProviders': {
+			type: 'boolean',
+			description: localize('alwaysShowProviders', "Whether to always show the Source Control Provider section."),
+			default: false
+		},
 		'scm.diffDecorations': {
 			type: 'string',
 			enum: ['all', 'gutter', 'overview', 'none'],
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/scm/electron-browser/scmViewlet.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/scm/electron-browser/scmViewlet.ts
index af7f2a6a9b6..84b6588527b 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/scm/electron-browser/scmViewlet.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/scm/electron-browser/scmViewlet.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 import 'vs/css!./media/scmViewlet';
 import { localize } from 'vs/nls';
 import { TPromise } from 'vs/base/common/winjs.base';
-import Event, { Emitter, chain, mapEvent, anyEvent } from 'vs/base/common/event';
+import Event, { Emitter, chain, mapEvent, anyEvent, filterEvent } from 'vs/base/common/event';
 import { domEvent, stop } from 'vs/base/browser/event';
 import { basename } from 'vs/base/common/paths';
 import { onUnexpectedError } from 'vs/base/common/errors';
@@ -1035,7 +1035,8 @@ export class SCMViewlet extends PanelViewlet implements IViewModel {
 		@IWorkbenchEditorService protected editorService: IWorkbenchEditorService,
 		@IWorkspaceContextService contextService: IWorkspaceContextService,
 		@IStorageService storageService: IStorageService,
-		@IExtensionService extensionService: IExtensionService
+		@IExtensionService extensionService: IExtensionService,
+		@IConfigurationService private configurationService: IConfigurationService
 	) {
 		super(VIEWLET_ID, { showHeaderInTitleWhenSingleView: true }, telemetryService, themeService);
 
@@ -1054,6 +1055,10 @@ export class SCMViewlet extends PanelViewlet implements IViewModel {
 		this.scmService.onDidAddRepository(this.onDidAddRepository, this, this.disposables);
 		this.scmService.onDidRemoveRepository(this.onDidRemoveRepository, this, this.disposables);
 		this.scmService.repositories.forEach(r => this.onDidAddRepository(r));
+
+		const onDidUpdateConfiguration = filterEvent(this.configurationService.onDidChangeConfiguration, e => e.affectsConfiguration('scm.alwaysShowProviders'));
+		onDidUpdateConfiguration(this.onDidChangeRepositories, this, this.disposables);
+
 		this.onDidChangeRepositories();
 	}
 
@@ -1087,7 +1092,8 @@ export class SCMViewlet extends PanelViewlet implements IViewModel {
 	private onDidChangeRepositories(): void {
 		toggleClass(this.el, 'empty', this.scmService.repositories.length === 0);
 
-		const shouldMainPanelBeVisible = this.scmService.repositories.length > 1;
+		const shouldMainPanelAlwaysBeVisible = this.configurationService.getValue('scm.alwaysShowProviders');
+		const shouldMainPanelBeVisible = shouldMainPanelAlwaysBeVisible || this.scmService.repositories.length > 1;
 
 		if (!!this.mainPanel === shouldMainPanelBeVisible) {
 			return;