diff --git a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/selectBox/selectBox.ts b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/selectBox/selectBox.ts
index cf7daf6ee794b5d4b1dd61eed7b384ce04a8ba90..f84f5fc4372d646aae2ff10bc9277f9eaa688ed8 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/selectBox/selectBox.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/selectBox/selectBox.ts
@@ -62,6 +62,10 @@ export class SelectBox extends Widget {
 		this.select.disabled = !value;
 	}
 
+	public get enabled(): boolean {
+		return !this.select.disabled;
+	}
+
 	public blur(): void {
 		if (this.select) {
 			this.select.blur();
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/browser/debugActionItems.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/browser/debugActionItems.ts
index 7216de86de53828ff1716d7642437a72031b17f3..6c0dd58dd8455c6f20851d63b90d3c5c204c38b0 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/browser/debugActionItems.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/browser/debugActionItems.ts
@@ -52,11 +52,24 @@ export class StartDebugActionItem extends EventEmitter implements IActionItem {
 		icon.title = this.action.label;
 		icon.tabIndex = 0;
 
-		this.toDispose.push(dom.addDisposableListener(icon, 'click', () => {
+		this.toDispose.push(dom.addDisposableListener(icon, dom.EventType.CLICK, () => {
 			icon.blur();
 			this.actionRunner.run(this.action, this.context).done(null, errors.onUnexpectedError);
 		}));
-		this.toDispose.push(dom.addDisposableListener(icon, 'keyup', (e: KeyboardEvent) => {
+
+		this.toDispose.push(dom.addDisposableListener(icon, dom.EventType.MOUSE_DOWN, () => {
+			if (this.selectBox.enabled) {
+				dom.addClass(icon, 'active');
+			}
+		}));
+		this.toDispose.push(dom.addDisposableListener(icon, dom.EventType.MOUSE_UP, () => {
+			dom.removeClass(icon, 'active');
+		}));
+		this.toDispose.push(dom.addDisposableListener(icon, dom.EventType.MOUSE_OUT, () => {
+			dom.removeClass(icon, 'active');
+		}));
+
+		this.toDispose.push(dom.addDisposableListener(icon, dom.EventType.KEY_UP, (e: KeyboardEvent) => {
 			let event = new StandardKeyboardEvent(e);
 			if (event.equals(KeyCode.Enter)) {
 				this.actionRunner.run(this.action, this.context).done(null, errors.onUnexpectedError);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/browser/media/debugViewlet.css b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/browser/media/debugViewlet.css
index 8e0ff75ab5236bcac3f14ec6d801472449857b22..4284ee4412737c8129e3495c16fe1a278932c7b5 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/browser/media/debugViewlet.css
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/browser/media/debugViewlet.css
@@ -48,26 +48,32 @@
 	margin-right: 0.3em;
 	height: 20px;
 	flex-shrink: 1;
-	height: 35px;
+	border: 1px solid #dddddd;
+	margin-top: 7px;
 }
 
+.vs-dark .monaco-workbench > .part > .title > .title-actions .start-debug-action-item,
+.hc-black .monaco-workbench > .part > .title > .title-actions .start-debug-action-item {
+	border-color: #3c3c3c;
+}
+
+
 .monaco-workbench > .part > .title > .title-actions .start-debug-action-item .icon {
 	height: 20px;
 	width: 20px;
 	background: url('continue.svg') center center no-repeat;
 	flex-shrink: 0;
-	border: 1px solid #dddddd;
-	border-right: none;
+	transition: transform 50ms ease;
+	-webkit-transition: -webkit-transform 50ms ease;
 }
 
 .vs-dark .monaco-workbench > .part > .title > .title-actions .start-debug-action-item .icon,
 .hc-black .monaco-workbench > .part > .title > .title-actions .start-debug-action-item .icon {
 	background: url('continue-inverse.svg') center center no-repeat;
-	border-color: #3c3c3c;
 }
 
 .monaco-workbench > .part > .title > .title-actions .start-debug-action-item .configuration {
-	border: 1px solid #dddddd;
+	border-left: 1px solid #dddddd;
 }
 
 .vs-dark .monaco-workbench > .part > .title > .title-actions .start-debug-action-item .configuration,
@@ -93,17 +99,9 @@
 	cursor: initial;
 }
 
-/* Hover feedback for start debug action item */
-.monaco-workbench > .part > .title > .title-actions .start-debug-action-item .icon:hover,
-.monaco-workbench > .part > .title > .title-actions .start-debug-action-item .configuration:hover:not(.disabled) {
-	background-color: #ECECEC;
-}
-
-.vs-dark .monaco-workbench > .part > .title > .title-actions .start-debug-action-item .icon:hover,
-.vs-dark .monaco-workbench > .part > .title > .title-actions .start-debug-action-item .configuration:hover:not(.disabled),
-.hc-black .monaco-workbench > .part > .title > .title-actions .start-debug-action-item .icon:hover,
-.hc-black .monaco-workbench > .part > .title > .title-actions .start-debug-action-item .configuration:hover:not(.disabled) {
-	background-color: #2D2D2D
+.monaco-workbench > .part > .title > .title-actions .start-debug-action-item .icon.active {
+	-webkit-transform: scale(1.272019649, 1.272019649);
+	transform: scale(1.272019649, 1.272019649);
 }
 
 /* Debug viewlet trees */