diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/relauncher/common/relauncher.contribution.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/relauncher/common/relauncher.contribution.ts
index 080e6d741e7e49bd82dd6cf91eedffa775c255ae..d3c0d4f064f6952f606bc2a06e44504b19fc02e3 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/relauncher/common/relauncher.contribution.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/relauncher/common/relauncher.contribution.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import { IWorkbenchEnvironmentService } from 'vs/workbench/services/environment/
 interface IConfiguration extends IWindowsConfiguration {
 	update: { mode: string; };
 	telemetry: { enableCrashReporter: boolean };
-	keyboard: { touchbar: { enabled: boolean } };
 	workbench: { list: { horizontalScrolling: boolean }, useExperimentalGridLayout: boolean };
 	debug: { console: { wordWrap: boolean } };
 }
@@ -36,7 +35,6 @@ export class SettingsChangeRelauncher extends Disposable implements IWorkbenchCo
 	private clickThroughInactive: boolean;
 	private updateMode: string;
 	private enableCrashReporter: boolean;
-	private touchbarEnabled: boolean;
 	private treeHorizontalScrolling: boolean;
 	private useGridLayout: boolean;
 	private debugConsoleWordWrap: boolean;
@@ -112,12 +110,6 @@ export class SettingsChangeRelauncher extends Disposable implements IWorkbenchCo
 				this.enableCrashReporter = config.telemetry.enableCrashReporter;
 				changed = true;
 			}
-
-			// macOS: Touchbar config
-			if (isMacintosh && config.keyboard && config.keyboard.touchbar && typeof config.keyboard.touchbar.enabled === 'boolean' && config.keyboard.touchbar.enabled !== this.touchbarEnabled) {
-				this.touchbarEnabled = config.keyboard.touchbar.enabled;
-				changed = true;
-			}
 		}
 
 		// Notify only when changed and we are the focused window (avoids notification spam across windows)
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/window.ts b/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/window.ts
index 8391373c4fb8d4f018b6839a5517d39946ec71a3..bfc7916011e5d81e23a5d760da45f6bc0c562fc1 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/window.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/window.ts
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ export class ElectronWindow extends Disposable {
 		this._register(this.configurationService.onDidChangeConfiguration(e => {
 			if (e.affectsConfiguration('window.zoomLevel')) {
 				this.updateWindowZoomLevel();
-			} else if (e.affectsConfiguration('keyboard.touchbar.ignored')) {
+			} else if (e.affectsConfiguration('keyboard.touchbar.enabled') || e.affectsConfiguration('keyboard.touchbar.ignored')) {
 				this.updateTouchbarMenu();
 			}
 		}));
@@ -342,11 +342,8 @@ export class ElectronWindow extends Disposable {
 	}
 
 	private updateTouchbarMenu(): void {
-		if (
-			!isMacintosh || // macOS only
-			!this.configurationService.getValue<boolean>('keyboard.touchbar.enabled') // disabled via setting
-		) {
-			return;
+		if (!isMacintosh) {
+			return; // macOS only
 		}
 
 		// Dispose old
@@ -368,36 +365,40 @@ export class ElectronWindow extends Disposable {
 
 		const actions: Array<MenuItemAction | Separator> = [];
 
+		const disabled = this.configurationService.getValue<boolean>('keyboard.touchbar.enabled') === false;
+		const ignoredItems = this.configurationService.getValue<string[]>('keyboard.touchbar.ignored') || [];
+
 		// Fill actions into groups respecting order
 		this.touchBarDisposables.add(createAndFillInActionBarActions(this.touchBarMenu, undefined, actions));
 
 		// Convert into command action multi array
 		const items: ICommandAction[][] = [];
 		let group: ICommandAction[] = [];
-		const ignoredItems = this.configurationService.getValue<string[]>('keyboard.touchbar.ignored') || [];
-		for (const action of actions) {
+		if (!disabled) {
+			for (const action of actions) {
+
+				// Command
+				if (action instanceof MenuItemAction) {
+					if (ignoredItems.indexOf(action.item.id) >= 0) {
+						continue; // ignored
+					}
 
-			// Command
-			if (action instanceof MenuItemAction) {
-				if (ignoredItems.indexOf(action.item.id) >= 0) {
-					continue; // ignored
+					group.push(action.item);
 				}
 
-				group.push(action.item);
-			}
+				// Separator
+				else if (action instanceof Separator) {
+					if (group.length) {
+						items.push(group);
+					}
 
-			// Separator
-			else if (action instanceof Separator) {
-				if (group.length) {
-					items.push(group);
+					group = [];
 				}
-
-				group = [];
 			}
-		}
 
-		if (group.length) {
-			items.push(group);
+			if (group.length) {
+				items.push(group);
+			}
 		}
 
 		// Only update if the actions have changed