diff --git a/src/vs/code/electron-main/env.ts b/src/vs/code/electron-main/env.ts
index ba216ec6257..0826957c66e 100644
--- a/src/vs/code/electron-main/env.ts
+++ b/src/vs/code/electron-main/env.ts
@@ -20,32 +20,15 @@ import URI from 'vs/base/common/uri';
 import * as types from 'vs/base/common/types';
 import { createDecorator } from 'vs/platform/instantiation/common/instantiation';
 import product, { IProductConfiguration } from 'vs/platform/product';
-import { parseArgs } from 'vs/code/node/argv';
+import { parseArgs, ParsedArgs } from 'vs/code/node/argv';
 import pkg from 'vs/platform/package';
 
 export interface IProcessEnvironment {
 	[key: string]: string;
 }
 
-export interface ICommandLineArguments {
-	verbose: boolean;
-	debugPluginHost: string;
-	debugBrkPluginHost: boolean;
-	debugBrkFileWatcherPort: string;
-	logExtensionHostCommunication: boolean;
-	'disable-extensions': boolean;
-	extensionHomePath: string;
-	extensionDevelopmentPath: string;
-	extensionTestsPath: string;
-	programStart: number;
+export interface ICommandLineArguments extends ParsedArgs {
 	pathArguments?: string[];
-	performance?: boolean;
-	'new-window'?: boolean;
-	'reuse-window'?: boolean;
-	goto?: boolean;
-	diff?: boolean;
-	locale?: string;
-	wait?: boolean;
 }
 
 export const IEnvService = createDecorator<IEnvService>('mainEnvironmentService');
@@ -168,12 +151,13 @@ export class EnvService implements IEnvService {
 		const debugBrkFileWatcherPort = getNumericValue(argv.debugBrkFileWatcherPort, void 0);
 
 		this._cliArgs = Object.freeze({
+			_: [],
 			pathArguments: pathArguments,
-			programStart: types.isNumber(timestamp) ? timestamp : 0,
+			timestamp: types.isNumber(timestamp) ? String(timestamp) : '0',
 			performance: argv.performance,
 			verbose: argv.verbose,
 			debugPluginHost,
-			debugBrkPluginHost: !!debugBrkExtensionHostPort,
+			debugBrkPluginHost: String(!!debugBrkExtensionHostPort),
 			logExtensionHostCommunication: argv.logExtensionHostCommunication,
 			debugBrkFileWatcherPort: debugBrkFileWatcherPort ? String(debugBrkFileWatcherPort) : void 0,
 			'new-window': argv['new-window'],
diff --git a/src/vs/code/electron-main/main.ts b/src/vs/code/electron-main/main.ts
index d03294c25a7..9988ff0d8fc 100644
--- a/src/vs/code/electron-main/main.ts
+++ b/src/vs/code/electron-main/main.ts
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ function main(accessor: ServicesAccessor, mainIpcServer: Server, userEnv: IProce
 	}
 
 	// Set programStart in the global scope
-	global.programStart = envService.cliArgs.programStart;
+	global.programStart = envService.cliArgs.timestamp;
 
 	function dispose() {
 		if (mainIpcServer) {
diff --git a/src/vs/code/node/argv.ts b/src/vs/code/node/argv.ts
index e475f31bb17..e8f98dce886 100644
--- a/src/vs/code/node/argv.ts
+++ b/src/vs/code/node/argv.ts
@@ -8,29 +8,29 @@ import * as minimist from 'minimist';
 import { localize } from 'vs/nls';
 
 export interface ParsedArgs extends minimist.ParsedArgs {
-	help: boolean;
-	version: boolean;
-	wait: boolean;
-	diff: boolean;
-	goto: boolean;
-	'new-window': boolean;
-	'reuse-window': boolean;
-	locale: string;
-	'user-data-dir': string;
-	performance: boolean;
-	verbose: boolean;
-	logExtensionHostCommunication: boolean;
-	debugBrkFileWatcherPort: string;
-	'disable-extensions': boolean;
-	extensionHomePath: string;
-	extensionDevelopmentPath: string;
-	extensionTestsPath: string;
-	timestamp: string;
-	debugBrkPluginHost: string;
-	debugPluginHost: string;
-	'list-extensions': boolean;
-	'install-extension': string | string[];
-	'uninstall-extension': string | string[];
+	help?: boolean;
+	version?: boolean;
+	wait?: boolean;
+	diff?: boolean;
+	goto?: boolean;
+	'new-window'?: boolean;
+	'reuse-window'?: boolean;
+	locale?: string;
+	'user-data-dir'?: string;
+	performance?: boolean;
+	verbose?: boolean;
+	logExtensionHostCommunication?: boolean;
+	debugBrkFileWatcherPort?: string;
+	'disable-extensions'?: boolean;
+	extensionHomePath?: string;
+	extensionDevelopmentPath?: string;
+	extensionTestsPath?: string;
+	timestamp?: string;
+	debugBrkPluginHost?: string;
+	debugPluginHost?: string;
+	'list-extensions'?: boolean;
+	'install-extension'?: string | string[];
+	'uninstall-extension'?: string | string[];
 }
 
 const options: minimist.Opts = {