diff --git a/src/vs/editor/common/config/editorOptions.ts b/src/vs/editor/common/config/editorOptions.ts
index 1f89f9a51ba14040e1bac7ec5d767cf08a794d61..bb9f270b8cddf0aeaad5d2fd025606d953bfc8df 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/common/config/editorOptions.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/common/config/editorOptions.ts
@@ -1776,6 +1776,11 @@ export interface IEditorHoverOptions {
 	 * Defaults to true.
 	 */
 	sticky?: boolean;
+	/**
+	 * Should the hover be shown below the line if possible?
+	 * Defaults to false.
+	 */
+	below?: boolean;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1789,7 +1794,8 @@ class EditorHover extends BaseEditorOption<EditorOption.hover, EditorHoverOption
 		const defaults: EditorHoverOptions = {
 			enabled: true,
 			delay: 300,
-			sticky: true
+			sticky: true,
+			below: false,
 		};
 		super(
 			EditorOption.hover, 'hover', defaults,
@@ -1809,6 +1815,11 @@ class EditorHover extends BaseEditorOption<EditorOption.hover, EditorHoverOption
 					default: defaults.sticky,
 					description: nls.localize('hover.sticky', "Controls whether the hover should remain visible when mouse is moved over it.")
 				},
+				'editor.hover.below': {
+					type: 'boolean',
+					default: defaults.below,
+					description: nls.localize('hover.below', "Show hovers below the line instead of above, if there's space.")
+				},
 			}
 		);
 	}
@@ -1821,7 +1832,8 @@ class EditorHover extends BaseEditorOption<EditorOption.hover, EditorHoverOption
 		return {
 			enabled: boolean(input.enabled, this.defaultValue.enabled),
 			delay: EditorIntOption.clampedInt(input.delay, this.defaultValue.delay, 0, 10000),
-			sticky: boolean(input.sticky, this.defaultValue.sticky)
+			sticky: boolean(input.sticky, this.defaultValue.sticky),
+			below: boolean(input.below, this.defaultValue.below),
 		};
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/vs/editor/contrib/hover/modesContentHover.ts b/src/vs/editor/contrib/hover/modesContentHover.ts
index 56a2ab11bcafcb9ddb823486d1311911fac54e9a..93bffa4570c82b5d345fd32be1f7ac215e20d81f 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/contrib/hover/modesContentHover.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/contrib/hover/modesContentHover.ts
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ export class ModesContentHoverWidget extends Widget implements IContentWidget, I
 	private _shouldFocus: boolean;
 	private _colorPicker: ColorPickerWidget | null;
 	private _renderDisposable: IDisposable | null;
+	private _preferBelow: boolean;
 
 	constructor(
 		editor: ICodeEditor,
@@ -250,6 +251,7 @@ export class ModesContentHoverWidget extends Widget implements IContentWidget, I
 		this._isChangingDecorations = false;
 		this._shouldFocus = false;
 		this._colorPicker = null;
+		this._preferBelow = this._editor.getOption(EditorOption.hover).below;
 
 		this._hoverOperation = new HoverOperation(
 			this._computer,
@@ -269,6 +271,7 @@ export class ModesContentHoverWidget extends Widget implements IContentWidget, I
 		}));
 		this._register(editor.onDidChangeConfiguration(() => {
 			this._hoverOperation.setHoverTime(this._editor.getOption(EditorOption.hover).delay);
+			this._preferBelow = this._editor.getOption(EditorOption.hover).below;
 		}));
 		this._register(TokenizationRegistry.onDidChange(() => {
 			if (this._isVisible && this._lastAnchor && this._messages.length > 0) {
@@ -368,10 +371,13 @@ export class ModesContentHoverWidget extends Widget implements IContentWidget, I
 			return {
 				position: this._showAtPosition,
 				range: this._showAtRange,
-				preference: [
+				preference: this._preferBelow ? [
+					ContentWidgetPositionPreference.BELOW,
 					ContentWidgetPositionPreference.ABOVE,
-					ContentWidgetPositionPreference.BELOW
-				]
+				] : [
+					ContentWidgetPositionPreference.ABOVE,
+					ContentWidgetPositionPreference.BELOW,
+				],
 			};
 		}
 		return null;
diff --git a/src/vs/monaco.d.ts b/src/vs/monaco.d.ts
index 9ef905ca15c9fd400a018727540f636ef84c5d6f..5e96b497df7ade646ebb71375f210bc11b5f5c5c 100644
--- a/src/vs/monaco.d.ts
+++ b/src/vs/monaco.d.ts
@@ -3510,6 +3510,11 @@ declare namespace monaco.editor {
 		 * Defaults to true.
 		 */
 		sticky?: boolean;
+		/**
+		 * Should the hover be shown below the line if possible?
+		 * Defaults to false.
+		 */
+		below?: boolean;
 	}
 
 	/**