diff --git a/src/vs/base/common/labels.ts b/src/vs/base/common/labels.ts
index 781725e6e0ab1208b8b502cbc9c70b6cd6037349..74f71985712dc77bf50b2565c9c0cb6461dea6e3 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/common/labels.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/common/labels.ts
@@ -83,19 +83,22 @@ function getPath(arg1: URI | string | IWorkspaceProvider): string {
  */
 export function shorten(paths: string[]): string[] {
 	const ellipsis = '\u2026';
+	const separator = '/';
 	const shortenedPaths: string[] = new Array(paths.length);
 
+	paths = paths.map(path => normalize(path));
+
 	// for every path
 	let match = false;
 	for (let pathIndex = 0; pathIndex < paths.length; pathIndex++) {
-		const segments: string[] = paths[pathIndex].split(nativeSep);
+		const segments: string[] = paths[pathIndex].split(separator);
 		match = true;
 
 		// pick the first shortest subpath found
 		for (let subpathLength = 1; match && subpathLength <= segments.length; subpathLength++) {
 			for (let start = segments.length - subpathLength; match && start >= 0; start--) {
 				match = false;
-				const subpath = segments.slice(start, start + subpathLength).join(nativeSep);
+				const subpath = segments.slice(start, start + subpathLength).join(separator);
 
 				// that is unique to any other path
 				for (let otherPathIndex = 0; !match && otherPathIndex < paths.length; otherPathIndex++) {
@@ -113,11 +116,11 @@ export function shorten(paths: string[]): string[] {
 				if (!match) {
 					let result = subpath;
 					if (start + subpathLength < segments.length) {
-						result = result + nativeSep + ellipsis;
+						result = result + separator + ellipsis;
 					}
 
 					if (start > 0) {
-						result = ellipsis + nativeSep + result;
+						result = ellipsis + separator + result;
 					}
 
 					shortenedPaths[pathIndex] = result;
diff --git a/src/vs/base/test/common/labels.test.ts b/src/vs/base/test/common/labels.test.ts
index ad3a39beb78cf008340f58e9954f80a0507e8e21..fa65f0868116197325770166ec343a1f199aaa8c 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/test/common/labels.test.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/test/common/labels.test.ts
@@ -6,48 +6,45 @@
 'use strict';
 
 import * as assert from 'assert';
-// import labels = require('vs/base/common/labels');
+import labels = require('vs/base/common/labels');
 
 suite('Labels', () => {
 	test('shorten', () => {
-		assert.ok(true);
-
 		// nothing to shorten
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a']), ['a']);
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a', 'b']), ['a', 'b']);
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a', 'b', 'c']), ['a', 'b', 'c']);
-
-		// // completely different paths
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a\\b', 'c\\d', 'e\\f']), ['…\\b', '…\\d', '…\\f']);
-
-		// // same beginning
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a', 'a\\b']), ['a', '…\\b']);
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a\\b', 'a\\b\\c']), ['…\\b', '…\\c']);
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a', 'a\\b', 'a\\b\\c']), ['a', '…\\b', '…\\c']);
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['x:\\a\\b', 'x:\\a\\c']), ['…\\b', '…\\c'], 'TODO: drive letter (or schema) should be preserved');
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['\\\\a\\b', '\\\\a\\c']), ['…\\b', '…\\c'], 'TODO: root uri should be preserved');
-
-		// // same ending
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a', 'b\\a']), ['a', 'b\\…']);
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a\\b\\c', 'd\\b\\c']), ['a\\…', 'd\\…']);
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a\\b\\c\\d', 'f\\b\\c\\d']), ['a\\…', 'f\\…']);
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['d\\e\\a\\b\\c', 'd\\b\\c']), ['…\\a\\…', 'd\\b\\…']);
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a\\b\\c\\d', 'a\\f\\b\\c\\d']), ['a\\b\\…', '…\\f\\…']);
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a\\b\\a', 'b\\b\\a']), ['a\\b\\…', 'b\\b\\…']);
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['d\\f\\a\\b\\c', 'h\\d\\b\\c']), ['…\\a\\…', 'h\\…']);
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a\\b\\c', 'x:\\0\\a\\b\\c']), ['a\\b\\c', '…\\0\\…'], 'TODO: drive letter (or schema) should be always preserved');
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['x:\\a\\b', 'y:\\a\\b']), ['x:\\…', 'y:\\…']);
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['\\\\x\\b', '\\\\y\\b']), ['…\\x\\…', '…\\y\\…'], 'TODO: \\\\x instead of …\\x');
-
-		// // same in the middle
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a\\b\\c', 'd\\b\\e']), ['…\\c', '…\\e']);
-
-		// // case-sensetive
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a\\b\\c', 'd\\b\\C']), ['…\\c', '…\\C']);
-
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a', 'a\\b', 'a\\b\\c', 'd\\b\\c', 'd\\b']), ['a', 'a\\b', 'a\\b\\c', 'd\\b\\c', 'd\\b']);
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a', 'a\\b', 'b']), ['a', 'a\\b', 'b']);
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['', 'a', 'b', 'b\\c', 'a\\c']), ['', 'a', 'b', 'b\\c', 'a\\c']);
-		// assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['src\\vs\\workbench\\parts\\execution\\electron-browser', 'src\\vs\\workbench\\parts\\execution\\electron-browser\\something', 'src\\vs\\workbench\\parts\\terminal\\electron-browser']), ['…\\execution\\electron-browser', '…\\something', '…\\terminal\\…']);
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a']), ['a']);
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a', 'b']), ['a', 'b']);
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a', 'b', 'c']), ['a', 'b', 'c']);
+
+		// completely different paths
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a/b', 'c/d', 'e/f']), ['…/b', '…/d', '…/f']);
+
+		// same beginning
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a', 'a/b']), ['a', '…/b']);
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a/b', 'a/b/c']), ['…/b', '…/c']);
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a', 'a/b', 'a/b/c']), ['a', '…/b', '…/c']);
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['x:/a/b', 'x:/a/c']), ['…/b', '…/c'], 'TODO: drive letter (or schema) should be preserved');
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['//a/b', '//a/c']), ['…/b', '…/c'], 'TODO: root uri should be preserved');
+
+		// same ending
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a', 'b/a']), ['a', 'b/…']);
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a/b/c', 'd/b/c']), ['a/…', 'd/…']);
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a/b/c/d', 'f/b/c/d']), ['a/…', 'f/…']);
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['d/e/a/b/c', 'd/b/c']), ['…/a/…', 'd/b/…']);
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a/b/c/d', 'a/f/b/c/d']), ['a/b/…', '…/f/…']);
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a/b/a', 'b/b/a']), ['a/b/…', 'b/b/…']);
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['d/f/a/b/c', 'h/d/b/c']), ['…/a/…', 'h/…']);
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a/b/c', 'x:/0/a/b/c']), ['a/b/c', '…/0/…'], 'TODO: drive letter (or schema) should be always preserved');
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['x:/a/b', 'y:/a/b']), ['x:/…', 'y:/…']);
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['//x/b', '//y/b']), ['…/x/…', '…/y/…'], 'TODO: //x instead of …/x');
+
+		// same in the middle
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a/b/c', 'd/b/e']), ['…/c', '…/e']);
+
+		// case-sensitive
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a/b/c', 'd/b/C']), ['…/c', '…/C']);
+
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a', 'a/b', 'a/b/c', 'd/b/c', 'd/b']), ['a', 'a/b', 'a/b/c', 'd/b/c', 'd/b']);
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['a', 'a/b', 'b']), ['a', 'a/b', 'b']);
+		assert.deepEqual(labels.shorten(['', 'a', 'b', 'b/c', 'a/c']), ['.', 'a', 'b', 'b/c', 'a/c']);
 	});
 });
\ No newline at end of file