diff --git a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/iconLabel/iconlabel.css b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/iconLabel/iconlabel.css
index 259040da2c27c0f7317728f3792fa908eb400171..24ff696e27ea975645ea70081d3d8c4cfd5172db 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/iconLabel/iconlabel.css
+++ b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/iconLabel/iconlabel.css
@@ -49,10 +49,10 @@
 	height: 12px;
 	min-width: 10px;
 	line-height: 125%;
-	font-size: 80%;
+	font-size: 90%;
 	margin: 1px 15px 1px auto;
 	padding: 2px 3px;
 	border-radius: 5px;
-	font-weight: normal;
+	font-weight: 500;
 	text-align: center;
 }
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/decorations/browser/decorationsService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/decorations/browser/decorationsService.ts
index b86c53e0458df4347c8d8c722f3adf7e29001ad8..e9e7405382563e40364d97c6cb21522be168b227 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/decorations/browser/decorationsService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/decorations/browser/decorationsService.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import { LinkedList } from 'vs/base/common/linkedList';
 import { createStyleSheet, createCSSRule, removeCSSRulesContainingSelector } from 'vs/base/browser/dom';
 import { IThemeService, ITheme } from 'vs/platform/theme/common/themeService';
 import { IdGenerator } from 'vs/base/common/idGenerator';
-import { listActiveSelectionForeground } from 'vs/platform/theme/common/colorRegistry';
 import { IIterator } from 'vs/base/common/iterator';
 
 class DecorationRule {
@@ -52,10 +51,9 @@ class DecorationRule {
 		const { color, letter } = data;
 		// label
 		createCSSRule(`.${this.labelClassName}`, `color: ${theme.getColor(color) || 'inherit'};`, element);
-		createCSSRule(`.focused .selected .${this.labelClassName}`, `color: inherit; opacity: inherit;`, element);
-		// badge
+		createCSSRule(`.focused .selected .${this.labelClassName}`, `color: inherit;`, element);
+		// letter
 		if (letter) {
-			createCSSRule(`.${this.badgeClassName}`, `background-color: ${theme.getColor(color)}; color: ${theme.getColor(listActiveSelectionForeground)};`, element);
 			createCSSRule(`.${this.badgeClassName}::before`, `content: "${letter}"`, element);
 		}
 	}
@@ -68,17 +66,10 @@ class DecorationRule {
 
 		// badge
 		let letters: string[] = [];
-		let colors: string[] = [];
 		for (const deco of data) {
 			letters.push(deco.letter);
-			colors.push(`${theme.getColor(deco.color).toString()} ${100 / data.length}%`);
 		}
-		createCSSRule(`.${this.badgeClassName}::before`, `content: "${letters.join('\u2002')}"`, element);
-		createCSSRule(
-			`.${this.badgeClassName}`,
-			`background: linear-gradient(90deg, ${colors.join()}); color: ${theme.getColor(listActiveSelectionForeground)};`,
-			element
-		);
+		createCSSRule(`.${this.badgeClassName}::before`, `content: "${letters.join(', ')}"`, element);
 	}
 
 	removeCSSRules(element: HTMLStyleElement): void {