diff --git a/src/vs/platform/notification/common/notification.ts b/src/vs/platform/notification/common/notification.ts
index 663ba2070bfe93fd6f8e198c93297e87b49c2c04..6f10b476dc8fc9e7f2f5758d0b569ba128c64932 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/notification/common/notification.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/notification/common/notification.ts
@@ -238,7 +238,12 @@ export enum NotificationsFilter {
 	 * All notifications are configured as silent. See
 	 * `INotificationProperties.silent` for more info.
 	 */
-	SILENT
+	SILENT,
+
+	/**
+	 * All notifications are silent except error notifications.
+	*/
+	ERROR
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/browser/layout.ts b/src/vs/workbench/browser/layout.ts
index 187ee4870c860cb61cecbcb842c03b4a0fcf27c8..cd21e91bf8160ca1afc1446fa217164ce83dc17d 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/browser/layout.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/browser/layout.ts
@@ -685,7 +685,7 @@ export abstract class Layout extends Disposable implements IWorkbenchLayoutServi
 
 			this.state.zenMode.setNotificationsFilter = config.silentNotifications;
 			if (config.silentNotifications) {
-				this.notificationService.setFilter(NotificationsFilter.SILENT);
+				this.notificationService.setFilter(NotificationsFilter.ERROR);
 			}
 
 			if (config.centerLayout) {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/notifications/notificationsToasts.ts b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/notifications/notificationsToasts.ts
index 33f6f863ec277266d11cf1f22b876901824c0fb8..63d8c0847317279579b9a53938fd3d526be16d13 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/notifications/notificationsToasts.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/notifications/notificationsToasts.ts
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ export class NotificationsToasts extends Themable {
 
 		// Filter
 		this._register(this.model.onDidFilterChange(filter => {
-			if (filter === NotificationsFilter.SILENT) {
+			if (filter === NotificationsFilter.SILENT || filter === NotificationsFilter.ERROR) {
 				this.hide();
 			}
 		}));
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/common/notifications.ts b/src/vs/workbench/common/notifications.ts
index 614d1e561bdca948c9656bb67f313a7180998349..a6b19e5df2c8481bf6ebcf9889844e40b02eae59 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/common/notifications.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/common/notifications.ts
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ export class NotificationViewItem extends Disposable implements INotificationVie
 			actions = { primary: notification.message.actions };
 		}
 
-		return new NotificationViewItem(severity, notification.sticky, notification.silent || filter === NotificationsFilter.SILENT, message, notification.source, actions);
+		return new NotificationViewItem(severity, notification.sticky, notification.silent || filter === NotificationsFilter.SILENT || (filter === NotificationsFilter.ERROR && notification.severity !== Severity.Error), message, notification.source, actions);
 	}
 
 	private static parseNotificationMessage(input: NotificationMessage): INotificationMessage | undefined {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/test/common/notifications.test.ts b/src/vs/workbench/test/common/notifications.test.ts
index 5a9dd5781b7a07ce56c9fe1070418a0c5367a552..b8a5e1b1ee1a8b9dfaf9aa349b51f9aaf29c5703 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/test/common/notifications.test.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/test/common/notifications.test.ts
@@ -134,6 +134,12 @@ suite('Notifications', () => {
 
 		let item9 = NotificationViewItem.create({ severity: Severity.Error, message: 'Error Message' }, NotificationsFilter.OFF)!;
 		assert.equal(item9.silent, false);
+
+		let item10 = NotificationViewItem.create({ severity: Severity.Error, message: 'Error Message' }, NotificationsFilter.ERROR)!;
+		assert.equal(item10.silent, false);
+
+		let item11 = NotificationViewItem.create({ severity: Severity.Warning, message: 'Error Message' }, NotificationsFilter.ERROR)!;
+		assert.equal(item11.silent, true);
 	});
 
 	test('Model', () => {