diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/tasks/browser/abstractTaskService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/tasks/browser/abstractTaskService.ts
index 85be528bf38c523dbd35c0166b05aa2c33c60235..99f925360923aafa3e3ce45b86a122c6b6810d43 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/tasks/browser/abstractTaskService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/tasks/browser/abstractTaskService.ts
@@ -728,7 +728,7 @@ export abstract class AbstractTaskService extends Disposable implements ITaskSer
 
 	private isProvideTasksEnabled(): boolean {
 		const settingValue = this.configurationService.getValue('task.autoDetect');
-		return settingValue === true;
+		return settingValue === 'on';
 	}
 
 	private isProblemMatcherPromptEnabled(type?: string): boolean {
@@ -1341,7 +1341,7 @@ export abstract class AbstractTaskService extends Disposable implements ITaskSer
 				setTimeout(() => {
 					if (!isDone) {
 						const settings: IPromptChoice = { label: nls.localize('TaskSystem.slowProvider.settings', "Settings"), run: () => this.preferencesService.openSettings(false, undefined) };
-						const disableAll: IPromptChoice = { label: nls.localize('TaskSystem.slowProvider.disableAll', "Disable All"), run: () => this.configurationService.updateValue('task.autoDetect', false) };
+						const disableAll: IPromptChoice = { label: nls.localize('TaskSystem.slowProvider.disableAll', "Disable All"), run: () => this.configurationService.updateValue('task.autoDetect', 'off') };
 						const dontShow: IPromptChoice = {
 							label: nls.localize('TaskSystem.slowProvider.dontShow', "Don't warn again for {0} tasks", type), run: () => {
 								if (!Types.isStringArray(settingValue)) {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/tasks/browser/task.contribution.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/tasks/browser/task.contribution.ts
index 7d214bc8f19f072ec040a2cb1daa6a3bd5aaafc1..ab806797f1eb32456b7cf25798f1e6d553eb6c8b 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/tasks/browser/task.contribution.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/tasks/browser/task.contribution.ts
@@ -336,8 +336,9 @@ configurationRegistry.registerConfiguration({
 		},
 		'task.autoDetect': {
 			markdownDescription: nls.localize('task.autoDetect', "Controls enablement of `provideTasks` for all task provider extension. If the Tasks: Run Task command is slow, disabling auto detect for task providers may help. Individual extensions my provide settings to disabled auto detection."),
-			type: 'boolean',
-			default: true
+			type: 'string',
+			enum: ['on', 'off'],
+			default: 'on'
 		},
 		'task.slowProviderWarning': {
 			markdownDescription: nls.localize('task.slowProviderWarning', "Configures whether a warning is shown when a provider is slow"),