diff --git a/extensions/typescript/src/typescriptMain.ts b/extensions/typescript/src/typescriptMain.ts
index b3c66ad980e..4a99af8ad80 100644
--- a/extensions/typescript/src/typescriptMain.ts
+++ b/extensions/typescript/src/typescriptMain.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
  * ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
 'use strict';
 
-import { languages, commands, workspace, Uri, ExtensionContext, IndentAction, Diagnostic, DiagnosticCollection, Range } from 'vscode';
+import { languages, commands, workspace, window, Uri, ExtensionContext, IndentAction, Diagnostic, DiagnosticCollection, Range } from 'vscode';
 
 import * as Proto from './protocol';
 import TypeScriptServiceClient from './typescriptServiceClient';
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ import BufferSyncSupport from './features/bufferSyncSupport';
 import CompletionItemProvider from './features/completionItemProvider';
 import WorkspaceSymbolProvider from './features/workspaceSymbolProvider';
 
+import * as SalsaStatus from './utils/salsaStatus';
+
 export function activate(context: ExtensionContext): void {
 
 	let MODE_ID_TS = 'typescript';
@@ -42,6 +44,9 @@ export function activate(context: ExtensionContext): void {
 	context.subscriptions.push(commands.registerCommand('typescript.reloadProjects', () => {
 		clientHost.reloadProjects();
 	}));
+
+	window.onDidChangeActiveTextEditor(SalsaStatus.showHideStatus, null, context.subscriptions);
+
 	// Register the supports for both TS and TSX so that we can have separate grammars but share the mode
 	client.onReady().then(() => {
 		registerSupports(MODE_ID_TS, clientHost, client);
diff --git a/extensions/typescript/src/typescriptServiceClient.ts b/extensions/typescript/src/typescriptServiceClient.ts
index c6dec079cb7..722eca0a0f2 100644
--- a/extensions/typescript/src/typescriptServiceClient.ts
+++ b/extensions/typescript/src/typescriptServiceClient.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import { workspace, window, Uri, CancellationToken }  from 'vscode';
 import * as Proto from './protocol';
 import { ITypescriptServiceClient, ITypescriptServiceClientHost }  from './typescriptService';
 
+import * as SalsaStatus from './utils/salsaStatus';
 
 let isWin = /^win/.test(process.platform);
 let isDarwin = /^darwin/.test(process.platform);
@@ -127,6 +128,13 @@ export default class TypeScriptServiceClient implements ITypescriptServiceClient
 			window.showErrorMessage(`The path ${path.dirname(modulePath)} doesn't point to a valid tsserver install. TypeScript language features will be disabled.`);
 			return;
 		}
+
+		let useSalsa = !!process.env['CODE_TSJS'] || !!process.env['VSCODE_TSJS'];
+		if (useSalsa) {
+			let versionOK = this.isTypeScriptVersionOkForSalsa(modulePath);
+			SalsaStatus.show("(Salsa)", modulePath, !versionOK);
+		}
+
 		this.servicePromise = new Promise<cp.ChildProcess>((resolve, reject) => {
 			try {
 				let options: electron.IForkOptions = {
@@ -173,6 +181,30 @@ export default class TypeScriptServiceClient implements ITypescriptServiceClient
 		}
 	}
 
+	private isTypeScriptVersionOkForSalsa(serverPath: string): boolean {
+		let p = serverPath.split(path.sep);
+		if (p.length <= 2) {
+			return true; // assume OK, cannot check
+		}
+		let p2 = p.slice(0, -2);
+		let modulePath = p2.join(path.sep);
+		let fileName = path.join(modulePath, 'package.json');
+		if (!fs.existsSync(fileName)) {
+			return true; // assume OK, cannot check
+		}
+		let contents = fs.readFileSync(fileName).toString();
+		let desc = null;
+		try {
+			desc = JSON.parse(contents);
+		} catch(err) {
+			return true;
+		}
+		if (!desc.version) {
+			return true;
+		}
+		return desc.version.indexOf('1.8') >= 0;
+	}
+
 	private serviceExited(restart: boolean): void {
 		this.servicePromise = null;
 		Object.keys(this.callbacks).forEach((key) => {
diff --git a/extensions/typescript/src/utils/salsaStatus.ts b/extensions/typescript/src/utils/salsaStatus.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f105e97364b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/typescript/src/utils/salsaStatus.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+/*---------------------------------------------------------
+ * Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
+ *--------------------------------------------------------*/
+
+'use strict';
+
+import vscode = require('vscode');
+
+let statusBarEntry: vscode.StatusBarItem;
+
+export function showHideStatus() {
+	if (!statusBarEntry) {
+		return;
+	}
+	if (!vscode.window.activeTextEditor) {
+		statusBarEntry.hide();
+		return;
+	}
+	let doc = vscode.window.activeTextEditor.document;
+	if (vscode.languages.match('javascript', doc) || vscode.languages.match('javascriptreact', doc)) {
+		statusBarEntry.show();
+		return;
+	}
+	statusBarEntry.hide();
+}
+
+export function disposeStatus() {
+	if (statusBarEntry) {
+		statusBarEntry.dispose();
+	}
+}
+
+export function show(message: string, tooltip: string, error: boolean) {
+	statusBarEntry = vscode.window.createStatusBarItem(vscode.StatusBarAlignment.Right, Number.MIN_VALUE);
+	statusBarEntry.text = message;
+	statusBarEntry.tooltip = tooltip;
+	let color = 'yellow';
+	if (error) {
+		color = 'red';
+	}
+	statusBarEntry.color = color;
+	statusBarEntry.show();
+}
\ No newline at end of file