diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/terminalConfigHelper.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/terminalConfigHelper.ts
index 899cbf7f5249b675fa19b670e24e3dd2934aa33c..48d1cd513b4a63e5a6a9d29ee100c31763a7d567 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/terminalConfigHelper.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/terminalConfigHelper.ts
@@ -8,12 +8,15 @@ import * as platform from 'vs/base/common/platform';
 import { EDITOR_FONT_DEFAULTS, IEditorOptions } from 'vs/editor/common/config/editorOptions';
 import { IConfigurationService } from 'vs/platform/configuration/common/configuration';
 import { IStorageService, StorageScope } from 'vs/platform/storage/common/storage';
-import { ITerminalConfiguration, ITerminalFont, IS_WORKSPACE_SHELL_ALLOWED_STORAGE_KEY, TERMINAL_CONFIG_SECTION, DEFAULT_LETTER_SPACING, DEFAULT_LINE_HEIGHT, MINIMUM_LETTER_SPACING, LinuxDistro } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/common/terminal';
+import { ITerminalConfiguration, ITerminalFont, IS_WORKSPACE_SHELL_ALLOWED_STORAGE_KEY, TERMINAL_CONFIG_SECTION, DEFAULT_LETTER_SPACING, DEFAULT_LINE_HEIGHT, MINIMUM_LETTER_SPACING, LinuxDistro, IShellLaunchConfig } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/common/terminal';
 import Severity from 'vs/base/common/severity';
 import { Terminal as XTermTerminal } from 'xterm';
 import { INotificationService } from 'vs/platform/notification/common/notification';
 import { IBrowserTerminalConfigHelper } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/terminal';
 import { Emitter, Event } from 'vs/base/common/event';
+import { basename } from 'vs/base/common/path';
+import { IExtensionManagementService } from 'vs/platform/extensionManagement/common/extensionManagement';
+import { ExtensionType } from 'vs/platform/extensions/common/extensions';
 
 const MINIMUM_FONT_SIZE = 6;
 const MAXIMUM_FONT_SIZE = 25;
@@ -35,7 +38,7 @@ export class TerminalConfigHelper implements IBrowserTerminalConfigHelper {
 	public constructor(
 		private readonly _linuxDistro: LinuxDistro,
 		@IConfigurationService private readonly _configurationService: IConfigurationService,
-		@IConfigurationService private readonly _workspaceConfigurationService: IConfigurationService,
+		@IExtensionManagementService private readonly _extensionManagementService: IExtensionManagementService,
 		@INotificationService private readonly _notificationService: INotificationService,
 		@IStorageService private readonly _storageService: IStorageService
 	) {
@@ -174,9 +177,9 @@ export class TerminalConfigHelper implements IBrowserTerminalConfigHelper {
 	public checkWorkspaceShellPermissions(osOverride: platform.OperatingSystem = platform.OS): boolean {
 		// Check whether there is a workspace setting
 		const platformKey = osOverride === platform.OperatingSystem.Windows ? 'windows' : osOverride === platform.OperatingSystem.Macintosh ? 'osx' : 'linux';
-		const shellConfigValue = this._workspaceConfigurationService.inspect<string>(`terminal.integrated.shell.${platformKey}`);
-		const shellArgsConfigValue = this._workspaceConfigurationService.inspect<string[]>(`terminal.integrated.shellArgs.${platformKey}`);
-		const envConfigValue = this._workspaceConfigurationService.inspect<{ [key: string]: string }>(`terminal.integrated.env.${platformKey}`);
+		const shellConfigValue = this._configurationService.inspect<string>(`terminal.integrated.shell.${platformKey}`);
+		const shellArgsConfigValue = this._configurationService.inspect<string[]>(`terminal.integrated.shellArgs.${platformKey}`);
+		const envConfigValue = this._configurationService.inspect<{ [key: string]: string }>(`terminal.integrated.env.${platformKey}`);
 
 		// Check if workspace setting exists and whether it's whitelisted
 		let isWorkspaceShellAllowed: boolean | undefined = false;
@@ -244,4 +247,48 @@ export class TerminalConfigHelper implements IBrowserTerminalConfigHelper {
 		}
 		return r;
 	}
+
+	private readonly NO_RECOMMENDATIONS_KEY = 'terminalConfigHelper/launchRecommendationsIgnore';
+	private recommendationsShown = false;
+
+	public async showRecommendations(shellLaunchConfig: IShellLaunchConfig): Promise<void> {
+		if (this.recommendationsShown) {
+			return;
+		}
+		this.recommendationsShown = true;
+
+		if (platform.isWindows && shellLaunchConfig.executable && basename(shellLaunchConfig.executable).toLowerCase() === 'wsl.exe') {
+			if (this._storageService.getBoolean(this.NO_RECOMMENDATIONS_KEY, StorageScope.WORKSPACE, false)) {
+				return;
+			}
+
+			if (! await this.isExtensionInstalled('ms-vscode-remote.remote-wsl')) {
+				this._notificationService.prompt(
+					Severity.Info,
+					nls.localize(
+						'useWslExtension.title',
+						"Use the 'Remote WSL' extension for developping in WSL . Click [here]({0}) to learn more.",
+						'https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2097212'
+					),
+					[
+						{
+							label: nls.localize('doNotShowAgain', "Don't Show Again"),
+							run: () => {
+								this._storageService.store(this.NO_RECOMMENDATIONS_KEY, true, StorageScope.WORKSPACE);
+							}
+						}
+					],
+					{
+						sticky: true
+					}
+				);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	private isExtensionInstalled(id: string): Promise<boolean> {
+		return this._extensionManagementService.getInstalled(ExtensionType.User).then(extensions => {
+			return extensions.some(e => e.identifier.id === id);
+		});
+	}
 }
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/terminalProcessManager.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/terminalProcessManager.ts
index 5bbb0612709505165f3a25c27d1b34d79a42bd73..3d6317a6078510f1e3c87dc6b9fbfb4a9b2d82ff 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/terminalProcessManager.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/terminalProcessManager.ts
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ export class TerminalProcessManager implements ITerminalProcessManager {
 		const lastActiveWorkspace = activeWorkspaceRootUri ? this._workspaceContextService.getWorkspaceFolder(activeWorkspaceRootUri) : null;
 		const envFromConfigValue = this._workspaceConfigurationService.inspect<ITerminalEnvironment | undefined>(`terminal.integrated.env.${platformKey}`);
 		const isWorkspaceShellAllowed = this._configHelper.checkWorkspaceShellPermissions();
+		this._configHelper.showRecommendations(shellLaunchConfig);
 		const baseEnv = this._configHelper.config.inheritEnv ? process.env as platform.IProcessEnvironment : await this._terminalInstanceService.getMainProcessParentEnv();
 		const env = terminalEnvironment.createTerminalEnvironment(shellLaunchConfig, lastActiveWorkspace, envFromConfigValue, this._configurationResolverService, isWorkspaceShellAllowed, this._productService.version, this._configHelper.config.setLocaleVariables, baseEnv);
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/common/terminal.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/common/terminal.ts
index dfd828343974dfa781ce492a834253e836fd42d4..c126bf709783bdbc38ab7faa6fd74380c3891287 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/common/terminal.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/common/terminal.ts
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ export interface ITerminalConfigHelper {
 	/** Sets whether a workspace shell configuration is allowed or not */
 	setWorkspaceShellAllowed(isAllowed: boolean): void;
 	checkWorkspaceShellPermissions(osOverride?: OperatingSystem): boolean;
+	showRecommendations(shellLaunchConfig: IShellLaunchConfig): void;
 }
 
 export interface ITerminalFont {