diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/common/debugModel.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/common/debugModel.ts
index b9984cd5db50b38fbafced665f32090ece910ea9..d4f0de1a26d724c966f2e59795b36d1c84f2eb73 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/common/debugModel.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/common/debugModel.ts
@@ -505,13 +505,7 @@ export class Model extends ee.EventEmitter implements debug.IModel {
 	public appendReplOutput(value: string, severity?: severity): void {
 		const elements: OutputElement[] = [];
 		let previousOutput = this.replElements.length && (<ValueOutputElement>this.replElements[this.replElements.length - 1]);
-		let lines = value.split('\n');
-		// preserve last new line in case more output gets appended
-		if (lines.length > 1 && lines[lines.length - 1] === '') {
-			lines[lines.length - 2] += '\n';
-			lines.pop();
-		}
-
+		let lines = value.trim().split('\n');
 		let groupTogether = !!previousOutput && previousOutput.category === 'output' && severity === previousOutput.severity;
 
 		if (groupTogether) {