diff --git a/extensions/vscode-api-tests/src/singlefolder-tests/notebook.editor.test.ts b/extensions/vscode-api-tests/src/singlefolder-tests/notebook.editor.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a4717b091fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/vscode-api-tests/src/singlefolder-tests/notebook.editor.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+/*---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ *  Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
+ *  Licensed under the MIT License. See License.txt in the project root for license information.
+ *--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+
+import * as assert from 'assert';
+import * as vscode from 'vscode';
+import * as utils from '../utils';
+
+suite('Notebook Editor', function () {
+
+	const contentProvider = new class implements vscode.NotebookContentProvider {
+		async openNotebook(uri: vscode.Uri, _openContext: vscode.NotebookDocumentOpenContext): Promise<vscode.NotebookData> {
+			return {
+				cells: [{ cellKind: vscode.NotebookCellKind.Code, source: uri.toString(), language: 'javascript', metadata: new vscode.NotebookCellMetadata(), outputs: [] }],
+				metadata: new vscode.NotebookDocumentMetadata()
+			};
+		}
+		async resolveNotebook(_document: vscode.NotebookDocument, _webview: vscode.NotebookCommunication) {
+			//
+		}
+		async saveNotebook(_document: vscode.NotebookDocument, _cancellation: vscode.CancellationToken) {
+			//
+		}
+		async saveNotebookAs(_targetResource: vscode.Uri, _document: vscode.NotebookDocument, _cancellation: vscode.CancellationToken) {
+			//
+		}
+		async backupNotebook(_document: vscode.NotebookDocument, _context: vscode.NotebookDocumentBackupContext, _cancellation: vscode.CancellationToken) {
+			return { id: '', delete() { } };
+		}
+	};
+
+	const disposables: vscode.Disposable[] = [];
+
+	suiteTeardown(async function () {
+		utils.assertNoRpc();
+		await utils.revertAllDirty();
+		await utils.closeAllEditors();
+		utils.disposeAll(disposables);
+		disposables.length = 0;
+
+		for (let doc of vscode.notebook.notebookDocuments) {
+			assert.strictEqual(doc.isDirty, false, doc.uri.toString());
+		}
+	});
+
+	suiteSetup(function () {
+		disposables.push(vscode.notebook.registerNotebookContentProvider('notebook.nbdtest', contentProvider));
+	});
+
+
+	test('showNotebookDocment', async function () {
+
+		const count1 = vscode.notebook.notebookDocuments.length;
+
+		const p = utils.asPromise(vscode.notebook.onDidOpenNotebookDocument);
+		const uri = await utils.createRandomFile(undefined, undefined, '.nbdtest');
+
+		const editor = await vscode.window.showNotebookDocument(uri);
+		assert.strictEqual(uri.toString(), editor.document.uri.toString());
+
+		const event = await p;
+		assert.strictEqual(event.uri.toString(), uri.toString());
+
+		const count2 = vscode.notebook.notebookDocuments.length;
+		assert.strictEqual(count1 + 1, count2);
+
+	});
+});
diff --git a/src/vs/vscode.proposed.d.ts b/src/vs/vscode.proposed.d.ts
index ca1dd42280b..6f67a259b84 100644
--- a/src/vs/vscode.proposed.d.ts
+++ b/src/vs/vscode.proposed.d.ts
@@ -1447,7 +1447,8 @@ declare module 'vscode' {
 		export const onDidChangeActiveNotebookEditor: Event<NotebookEditor | undefined>;
 		export const onDidChangeNotebookEditorSelection: Event<NotebookEditorSelectionChangeEvent>;
 		export const onDidChangeNotebookEditorVisibleRanges: Event<NotebookEditorVisibleRangesChangeEvent>;
-		// TODO@API add overload for just a URI
+
+		export function showNotebookDocument(uri: Uri, options?: NotebookDocumentShowOptions): Thenable<NotebookEditor>;
 		export function showNotebookDocument(document: NotebookDocument, options?: NotebookDocumentShowOptions): Thenable<NotebookEditor>;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.api.impl.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.api.impl.ts
index 20f662c6f2e..2cf40bc81e2 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.api.impl.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.api.impl.ts
@@ -702,9 +702,9 @@ export function createApiFactoryAndRegisterActors(accessor: ServicesAccessor): I
 				checkProposedApiEnabled(extension);
 				return extHostNotebook.onDidChangeNotebookEditorVisibleRanges(listener, thisArgs, disposables);
 			},
-			showNotebookDocument(document, options?) {
+			showNotebookDocument(uriOrDocument, options?) {
 				checkProposedApiEnabled(extension);
-				return extHostNotebook.showNotebookDocument(document, options);
+				return extHostNotebook.showNotebookDocument(uriOrDocument, options);
 			},
 			registerExternalUriOpener(id: string, opener: vscode.ExternalUriOpener, metadata: vscode.ExternalUriOpenerMetadata) {
 				checkProposedApiEnabled(extension);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostNotebook.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostNotebook.ts
index 74d4b4f4ebd..59a14474356 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostNotebook.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostNotebook.ts
@@ -408,7 +408,12 @@ export class ExtHostNotebookController implements ExtHostNotebookShape {
 		return callback(provider, document);
 	}
 
-	async showNotebookDocument(notebookDocument: vscode.NotebookDocument, options?: vscode.NotebookDocumentShowOptions): Promise<vscode.NotebookEditor> {
+	async showNotebookDocument(notebookOrUri: vscode.NotebookDocument | URI, options?: vscode.NotebookDocumentShowOptions): Promise<vscode.NotebookEditor> {
+
+		if (URI.isUri(notebookOrUri)) {
+			notebookOrUri = await this.openNotebookDocument(notebookOrUri);
+		}
+
 		let resolvedOptions: INotebookDocumentShowOptions;
 		if (typeof options === 'object') {
 			resolvedOptions = {
@@ -423,7 +428,7 @@ export class ExtHostNotebookController implements ExtHostNotebookShape {
 			};
 		}
 
-		const editorId = await this._proxy.$tryShowNotebookDocument(notebookDocument.uri, notebookDocument.viewType, resolvedOptions);
+		const editorId = await this._proxy.$tryShowNotebookDocument(notebookOrUri.uri, notebookOrUri.viewType, resolvedOptions);
 		const editor = editorId && this._editors.get(editorId)?.editor;
 
 		if (editor) {
@@ -431,9 +436,9 @@ export class ExtHostNotebookController implements ExtHostNotebookShape {
 		}
 
 		if (editorId) {
-			throw new Error(`Could NOT open editor for "${notebookDocument.toString()}" because another editor opened in the meantime.`);
+			throw new Error(`Could NOT open editor for "${notebookOrUri.toString()}" because another editor opened in the meantime.`);
 		} else {
-			throw new Error(`Could NOT open editor for "${notebookDocument.toString()}".`);
+			throw new Error(`Could NOT open editor for "${notebookOrUri.toString()}".`);
 		}
 	}