fixes #12943

src/vs/code/electron-main/menus.ts

@@ -644,7 +644,7 @@ export class VSCodeMenu {
 
 		arrays.coalesce([
 			this.envService.product.documentationUrl ? new MenuItem({ label: mnemonicLabel(nls.localize({ key: 'miDocumentation', comment: ['&& denotes a mnemonic'] }, "&&Documentation")), click: () => this.openUrl(this.envService.product.documentationUrl, 'openDocumentationUrl') }) : null,
-			this.envService.product.releaseNotesUrl ? new MenuItem({ label: mnemonicLabel(nls.localize({ key: 'miReleaseNotes', comment: ['&& denotes a mnemonic'] }, "&&Release Notes")), click: () => this.openUrl(this.envService.product.releaseNotesUrl, 'openReleaseNotesUrl') }) : null,
+			this.envService.product.releaseNotesUrl ? new MenuItem({ label: mnemonicLabel(nls.localize({ key: 'miReleaseNotes', comment: ['&& denotes a mnemonic'] }, "&&Release Notes")), click: () => this.windowsService.sendToFocused('vscode:runAction', 'update.showCurrentReleaseNotes') }) : null,
 			(this.envService.product.documentationUrl || this.envService.product.releaseNotesUrl) ? __separator__() : null,
 			this.envService.product.twitterUrl ? new MenuItem({ label: mnemonicLabel(nls.localize({ key: 'miTwitter', comment: ['&& denotes a mnemonic'] }, "&&Join us on Twitter")), click: () => this.openUrl(this.envService.product.twitterUrl, 'openTwitterUrl') }) : null,
 			this.envService.product.requestFeatureUrl ? new MenuItem({ label: mnemonicLabel(nls.localize({ key: 'miUserVoice', comment: ['&& denotes a mnemonic'] }, "&&Search Feature Requests")), click: () => this.openUrl(this.envService.product.requestFeatureUrl, 'openUserVoiceUrl') }) : null,

src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/update.ts

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {TPromise} from 'vs/base/common/winjs.base';
 import {Action} from 'vs/base/common/actions';
 import {ipcRenderer as ipc, shell} from 'electron';
 import {IMessageService} from 'vs/platform/message/common/message';
+import pkg from 'vs/platform/package';
 import product from 'vs/platform/product';
 import { IWorkbenchEditorService } from 'vs/workbench/services/editor/common/editorService';
 import { IInstantiationService } from 'vs/platform/instantiation/common/instantiation';
@@ -38,15 +39,17 @@ const NotNowAction = new Action(
 	() => TPromise.as(true)
 );
 
-export class ShowReleaseNotesAction extends Action {
+export abstract class AbstractShowReleaseNotesAction extends Action {
 
 	constructor(
+		id,
+		label,
 		private returnValue: boolean,
 		private version: string,
 		@IWorkbenchEditorService private editorService: IWorkbenchEditorService,
 		@IInstantiationService private instantiationService: IInstantiationService
 	) {
-		super('update.showReleaseNotes', nls.localize('releaseNotes', "Release Notes"), null, true);
+		super(id, label, null, true);
 	}
 
 	run(): TPromise<boolean> {
@@ -55,6 +58,33 @@ export class ShowReleaseNotesAction extends Action {
 	}
 }
 
+export class ShowReleaseNotesAction extends AbstractShowReleaseNotesAction {
+
+	constructor(
+		returnValue: boolean,
+		version: string,
+		@IWorkbenchEditorService editorService: IWorkbenchEditorService,
+		@IInstantiationService instantiationService: IInstantiationService
+	) {
+		super('update.showReleaseNotes', nls.localize('releaseNotes', "Release Notes"), returnValue, version, editorService, instantiationService);
+	}
+}
+
+export class ShowCurrentReleaseNotesAction extends AbstractShowReleaseNotesAction {
+
+	static ID = 'update.showCurrentReleaseNotes';
+	static LABEL = nls.localize('showReleaseNotes', "Show Release Notes");
+
+	constructor(
+		id = ShowCurrentReleaseNotesAction.ID,
+		label = ShowCurrentReleaseNotesAction.LABEL,
+		@IWorkbenchEditorService editorService: IWorkbenchEditorService,
+		@IInstantiationService instantiationService: IInstantiationService
+	) {
+		super(id, label, true, pkg.version, editorService, instantiationService);
+	}
+}
+
 export const DownloadAction = (url: string) => new Action(
 	'update.download',
 	nls.localize('downloadNow', "Download Now"),

src/vs/workbench/parts/update/electron-browser/update.contribution.ts

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import { IWorkbenchContributionsRegistry, Extensions as WorkbenchExtensions } f
 import { IStorageService, StorageScope } from 'vs/platform/storage/common/storage';
 import { IMessageService } from 'vs/platform/message/common/message';
 import Severity from 'vs/base/common/severity';
-import { ShowReleaseNotesAction } from 'vs/workbench/electron-browser/update';
+import { ShowReleaseNotesAction, ShowCurrentReleaseNotesAction } from 'vs/workbench/electron-browser/update';
 import { IInstantiationService } from 'vs/platform/instantiation/common/instantiation';
 import { Action } from 'vs/base/common/actions';
 import { shell } from 'electron';
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ import * as semver from 'semver';
 import { EditorDescriptor } from 'vs/workbench/browser/parts/editor/baseEditor';
 import { IEditorRegistry, Extensions as EditorExtensions } from 'vs/workbench/common/editor';
 import { SyncDescriptor } from 'vs/platform/instantiation/common/descriptors';
+import {IWorkbenchActionRegistry, Extensions as ActionExtensions} from 'vs/workbench/common/actionRegistry';
+import {SyncActionDescriptor} from 'vs/platform/actions/common/actions';
 
 const CloseAction = new Action('close', nls.localize('close', "Close"), '', true, () => null);
 
@@ -113,4 +115,7 @@ const editorDescriptor = new EditorDescriptor(
 );
 
 Registry.as<IEditorRegistry>(EditorExtensions.Editors)
-	.registerEditor(editorDescriptor, [new SyncDescriptor(ReleaseNotesInput)]);
\ No newline at end of file
+	.registerEditor(editorDescriptor, [new SyncDescriptor(ReleaseNotesInput)]);
+
+Registry.as<IWorkbenchActionRegistry>(ActionExtensions.WorkbenchActions)
+	.registerWorkbenchAction(new SyncActionDescriptor(ShowCurrentReleaseNotesAction, ShowCurrentReleaseNotesAction.ID, ShowCurrentReleaseNotesAction.LABEL), 'Open Release Notes');
\ No newline at end of file