diff --git a/src/vs/code/electron-main/window.ts b/src/vs/code/electron-main/window.ts
index 289c61b7d88..e805498205d 100644
--- a/src/vs/code/electron-main/window.ts
+++ b/src/vs/code/electron-main/window.ts
@@ -89,20 +89,21 @@ export interface IPath {
 }
 
 export interface IWindowConfiguration extends ICommandLineArguments {
+	appRoot: string;
+	execPath: string;
+
+	userEnv: IProcessEnvironment;
 
-	// Used to configure the workbench when opening
 	workspacePath?: string;
+
 	recentFiles: string[];
 	recentFolders: string[];
+
 	filesToOpen?: IPath[];
 	filesToCreate?: IPath[];
 	filesToDiff?: IPath[];
-	extensionsToInstall: string[];
 
-	// Used to send the main process environment over to the renderer
-	appRoot: string;
-	execPath: string;
-	userEnv: IProcessEnvironment;
+	extensionsToInstall: string[];
 }
 
 export class VSCodeWindow {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/common/options.ts b/src/vs/workbench/common/options.ts
index 02c6033da83..0f8a0b614af 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/common/options.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/common/options.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,12 @@ export interface IOptions {
 	 */
 	editor?: IEditorOptions;
 
+	/**
+	 * Recent files and folders
+	 */
+	recentFiles?: string[];
+	recentFolders?: string[];
+
 	/**
 	 * The global application settings if any.
 	 */
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/actions.ts b/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/actions.ts
index 67e340e4ae1..8e0feb63e8c 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/actions.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/actions.ts
@@ -382,8 +382,8 @@ export class OpenRecentAction extends Action {
 	}
 
 	public run(): TPromise<boolean> {
-		const recentFolders = this.contextService.getConfiguration().env.recentFolders;
-		const recentFiles = this.contextService.getConfiguration().env.recentFiles;
+		const recentFolders = this.contextService.getOptions().recentFolders;
+		const recentFiles =  this.contextService.getOptions().recentFiles;
 
 		const folderPicks: IPickOpenEntry[] = recentFolders.map((p, index) => {
 			return {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/main.ts b/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/main.ts
index 59daeb13aff..66b06436453 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/main.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/main.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import {EventService} from 'vs/platform/event/common/eventService';
 import {WorkspaceContextService} from 'vs/workbench/services/workspace/common/contextService';
 import {IWorkspace} from 'vs/platform/workspace/common/workspace';
 import {ConfigurationService} from 'vs/workbench/services/configuration/node/configurationService';
+import {IProcessEnvironment} from 'vs/code/electron-main/env';
 import {EnvironmentService, IEnvironment} from 'vs/platform/environment/node/environmentService';
 import path = require('path');
 import fs = require('fs');
@@ -45,15 +46,25 @@ export interface IPath {
 	columnNumber?: number;
 }
 
-export interface IConfiguration extends IEnvironment {
+export interface IWindowConfiguration extends IEnvironment {
+	appRoot: string;
+	execPath: string;
+
+	userEnv: IProcessEnvironment;
+
 	workspacePath?: string;
+
+	recentFiles?: string[];
+	recentFolders?: string[];
+
 	filesToOpen?: IPath[];
 	filesToCreate?: IPath[];
 	filesToDiff?: IPath[];
+
 	extensionsToInstall?: string[];
 }
 
-export function startup(configuration: IConfiguration, globalSettings: IGlobalSettings): winjs.TPromise<void> {
+export function startup(configuration: IWindowConfiguration, globalSettings: IGlobalSettings): winjs.TPromise<void> {
 
 	// Shell Options
 	const filesToOpen = configuration.filesToOpen && configuration.filesToOpen.length ? toInputs(configuration.filesToOpen) : null;
@@ -61,11 +72,13 @@ export function startup(configuration: IConfiguration, globalSettings: IGlobalSe
 	const filesToDiff = configuration.filesToDiff && configuration.filesToDiff.length ? toInputs(configuration.filesToDiff) : null;
 	const shellOptions: IOptions = {
 		singleFileMode: !configuration.workspacePath,
-		filesToOpen: filesToOpen,
-		filesToCreate: filesToCreate,
-		filesToDiff: filesToDiff,
+		filesToOpen,
+		filesToCreate,
+		filesToDiff,
+		recentFiles: configuration.recentFiles,
+		recentFolders: configuration.recentFolders,
 		extensionsToInstall: configuration.extensionsToInstall,
-		globalSettings: globalSettings
+		globalSettings
 	};
 
 	if (configuration.performance) {