diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debug.contribution.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debug.contribution.ts
index eed05336f4061eac192d1f9f0aa6b35dc5b27606..569c6e57d25502d675b713d75c479f9d6136e484 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debug.contribution.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debug.contribution.ts
@@ -213,10 +213,9 @@ configurationRegistry.registerConfiguration({
 		},
 		'debug.internalConsoleOptions': INTERNAL_CONSOLE_OPTIONS_SCHEMA,
 		'debug.console.closeOnEnd': {
-			enum: ['never', 'always', 'whenOpenedByDebug'],
-			description: nls.localize('debug.console.closeOnEnd', "Controls what to do with the debug console when the debug session ends."),
-			enumDescriptions: [nls.localize('neverClose', "Remain it as-is"), nls.localize('alwaysClose', "Close it (if opened)"), nls.localize('closeWhenOpenedByDebug', "Close if the debugging process opened it, see debug.internalConsoleOptions")],
-			default: 'never'
+			type: 'boolean',
+			description: nls.localize('debug.console.closeOnEnd', "Controls if the debug console should be automatically closed when the debug session ends."),
+			default: false
 		},
 		'debug.openDebug': {
 			enum: ['neverOpen', 'openOnSessionStart', 'openOnFirstSessionStart', 'openOnDebugBreak'],
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debugService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debugService.ts
index a7222f4db6598f2206dafa119860aeb86de34c0f..4202fb46cc6fed4a3e53ed2e55ceaac1301c9b5f 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debugService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debugService.ts
@@ -74,9 +74,6 @@ export class DebugService implements IDebugService {
 	private initCancellationToken: CancellationTokenSource | undefined;
 	private activity: IDisposable | undefined;
 
-	// Enable undefined because that makes the test easier.
-	private replWasOpened : boolean | undefined = false;
-
 	constructor(
 		@IStorageService private readonly storageService: IStorageService,
 		@IEditorService private readonly editorService: IEditorService,
@@ -455,8 +452,6 @@ export class DebugService implements IDebugService {
 			await this.launchOrAttachToSession(session);
 
 			const internalConsoleOptions = session.configuration.internalConsoleOptions || this.configurationService.getValue<IDebugConfiguration>('debug').internalConsoleOptions;
-			const activePanel = this.panelService.getActivePanel();
-			this.replWasOpened = activePanel && activePanel.getId() === REPL_ID;
 			if (internalConsoleOptions === 'openOnSessionStart' || (this.viewModel.firstSessionStart && internalConsoleOptions === 'openOnFirstSessionStart')) {
 				this.panelService.openPanel(REPL_ID, false);
 			}
@@ -568,14 +563,11 @@ export class DebugService implements IDebugService {
 				// Data breakpoints that can not be persisted should be cleared when a session ends
 				const dataBreakpoints = this.model.getDataBreakpoints().filter(dbp => !dbp.canPersist);
 				dataBreakpoints.forEach(dbp => this.model.removeDataBreakpoints(dbp.getId()));
-			}
 
-			const closeConsoleOnEnd = this.configurationService.getValue<IDebugConfiguration>('debug').console.closeOnEnd;
-			if (this.panelService.getLastActivePanelId() === REPL_ID &&
-				(closeConsoleOnEnd === 'always' || (closeConsoleOnEnd === 'whenOpenedByDebug' && !this.replWasOpened))) {
-				this.panelService.hideActivePanel();
+				if (this.panelService.getLastActivePanelId() === REPL_ID && this.configurationService.getValue<IDebugConfiguration>('debug').console.closeOnEnd) {
+					this.panelService.hideActivePanel();
+				}
 			}
-
 		}));
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/common/debug.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/common/debug.ts
index 7f79d65778a2dd751df239bc3f5ecef96d1c38e0..6720b09c23a80d3add7ebddce588d74ba091fa31 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/common/debug.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/common/debug.ts
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ export interface IDebugConfiguration {
 		fontFamily: string;
 		lineHeight: number;
 		wordWrap: boolean;
-		closeOnEnd: 'never' | 'always' | 'whenOpenedByDebug';
+		closeOnEnd: boolean;
 	};
 	focusWindowOnBreak: boolean;
 	onTaskErrors: 'debugAnyway' | 'showErrors' | 'prompt';