diff --git a/extensions/npm/README.md b/extensions/npm/README.md
index 50a67731daa..33d85a1f547 100644
--- a/extensions/npm/README.md
+++ b/extensions/npm/README.md
@@ -14,3 +14,4 @@ For more information about auto detection of Tasks pls see the [documentation](h
 - `npm.runSilent` run npm script with the `--silent` option, the default is `false`.
 - `npm.packageManager` the package manager used to run the scripts: `npm` or `yarn`, the default is `npm`.
 - `npm.exclude` glob patterns for folders that should be excluded from automatic script detection. The pattern is matched against the **absolute path** of the package.json. For example, to exclude all test folders use '**/test/**'.
+- `npm.enableScriptExplorer` enable an explorer view for npm scripts when the workspace contains a 'package.json' file.
diff --git a/extensions/npm/package.json b/extensions/npm/package.json
index 6e4547123c2..5affb9009f4 100644
--- a/extensions/npm/package.json
+++ b/extensions/npm/package.json
@@ -96,7 +96,6 @@
         }
       ]
     },
-
     "configuration": {
       "id": "npm",
       "type": "object",
@@ -138,6 +137,12 @@
           },
           "description": "%config.npm.exclude%",
           "scope": "resource"
+        },
+        "npm.enableScriptExplorer": {
+          "type": "boolean",
+          "default": false,
+          "scope": "resource",
+          "description": "%config.npm.enableScriptExplorer%"
         }
       }
     },
@@ -170,4 +175,4 @@
       }
     ]
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/extensions/npm/package.nls.json b/extensions/npm/package.nls.json
index 90ba49ebd6f..c9093ef39a0 100644
--- a/extensions/npm/package.nls.json
+++ b/extensions/npm/package.nls.json
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 	"config.npm.runSilent": "Run npm commands with the `--silent` option.",
 	"config.npm.packageManager": "The package manager used to run scripts.",
 	"config.npm.exclude": "Configure glob patterns for folders that should be excluded from automatic script detection.",
+	"config.npm.enableScriptExplorer": "Enable an explorer view for npm scripts, when the workspace contains a 'package.json' file.",
 	"npm.parseError": "Npm task detection: failed to parse the file {0}",
 	"taskdef.script": "The npm script to customize.",
 	"taskdef.path": "The path to the folder of the package.json file that provides the script. Can be ommitted.",
diff --git a/extensions/npm/src/main.ts b/extensions/npm/src/main.ts
index 2035766ba8f..48b87e23bad 100644
--- a/extensions/npm/src/main.ts
+++ b/extensions/npm/src/main.ts
@@ -12,12 +12,18 @@ const localize = nls.loadMessageBundle();
 
 import { addJSONProviders } from './features/jsonContributions';
 import { NpmScriptsTreeDataProvider } from './npmView';
-import { provideNpmScripts, hasNpmScripts } from './tasks';
+import { provideNpmScripts, hasNpmScripts, explorerIsEnabled } from './tasks';
 
 let taskProvider: vscode.Disposable | undefined;
 
 export async function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext): Promise<void> {
+	taskProvider = registerTaskProvider(context);
+	configureHttpRequest();
+	vscode.workspace.onDidChangeConfiguration(() => configureHttpRequest());
+	context.subscriptions.push(addJSONProviders(httpRequest.xhr));
+}
 
+function registerTaskProvider(context: vscode.ExtensionContext): vscode.Disposable | undefined {
 	if (vscode.workspace.workspaceFolders) {
 		let provider: vscode.TaskProvider = {
 			provideTasks: () => {
@@ -27,19 +33,21 @@ export async function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext): Promise<void>
 				return undefined;
 			}
 		};
-		taskProvider = vscode.workspace.registerTaskProvider('npm', provider);
+		let disposable = vscode.workspace.registerTaskProvider('npm', provider);
+		registerExplorer(context, provider);
+		return disposable;
+	}
+	return undefined;
+}
+
+async function registerExplorer(context: vscode.ExtensionContext, provider: vscode.TaskProvider) {
+	if (explorerIsEnabled()) {
 		let treeDataProvider = vscode.window.registerTreeDataProvider('npm', new NpmScriptsTreeDataProvider(context, provider, localize));
 		context.subscriptions.push(treeDataProvider);
-
 		if (await hasNpmScripts()) {
 			vscode.commands.executeCommand('setContext', 'hasNpmScripts', true);
 		}
 	}
-
-	configureHttpRequest();
-	vscode.workspace.onDidChangeConfiguration(() => configureHttpRequest());
-
-	context.subscriptions.push(addJSONProviders(httpRequest.xhr));
 }
 
 function configureHttpRequest() {
diff --git a/extensions/npm/src/tasks.ts b/extensions/npm/src/tasks.ts
index 20036750c13..a0403824e49 100644
--- a/extensions/npm/src/tasks.ts
+++ b/extensions/npm/src/tasks.ts
@@ -48,6 +48,20 @@ export function getPackageManager(folder: WorkspaceFolder): string {
 	return workspace.getConfiguration('npm', folder.uri).get<string>('packageManager', 'npm');
 }
 
+export function explorerIsEnabled(): boolean {
+	let folders = workspace.workspaceFolders;
+	if (!folders) {
+		return false;
+	}
+	for (let i = 0; i < folders.length; i++) {
+		let folder = folders[i];
+		if (workspace.getConfiguration('npm', folder.uri).get<boolean>('enableScriptExplorer') === true) {
+			return true;
+		}
+	}
+	return false;
+}
+
 export async function hasNpmScripts(): Promise<boolean> {
 	let folders = workspace.workspaceFolders;
 	if (!folders) {
@@ -56,7 +70,7 @@ export async function hasNpmScripts(): Promise<boolean> {
 	try {
 		for (let i = 0; i < folders.length; i++) {
 			let folder = folders[i];
-			if (isEnabled(folder)) {
+			if (isAutoDetectionEnabled(folder)) {
 				let relativePattern = new RelativePattern(folder, '**/package.json');
 				let paths = await workspace.findFiles(relativePattern, '**/node_modules/**');
 				if (paths.length > 0) {
@@ -81,7 +95,7 @@ export async function provideNpmScripts(localize: any): Promise<Task[]> {
 	try {
 		for (let i = 0; i < folders.length; i++) {
 			let folder = folders[i];
-			if (isEnabled(folder)) {
+			if (isAutoDetectionEnabled(folder)) {
 				let relativePattern = new RelativePattern(folder, '**/package.json');
 				let paths = await workspace.findFiles(relativePattern, '**/node_modules/**');
 				for (let j = 0; j < paths.length; j++) {
@@ -98,7 +112,7 @@ export async function provideNpmScripts(localize: any): Promise<Task[]> {
 	}
 }
 
-function isEnabled(folder: WorkspaceFolder): boolean {
+function isAutoDetectionEnabled(folder: WorkspaceFolder): boolean {
 	return workspace.getConfiguration('npm', folder.uri).get<AutoDetect>('autoDetect') === 'on';
 }