diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/tasks/electron-browser/jsonSchema_v2.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/tasks/electron-browser/jsonSchema_v2.ts
index 191204144ef34a95f23ba542d1535a0b64bdbdad..4f3218fda3712056f065d93844893c1f503cd641 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/tasks/electron-browser/jsonSchema_v2.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/tasks/electron-browser/jsonSchema_v2.ts
@@ -152,14 +152,36 @@ const taskType: IJSONSchema = {
 const command: IJSONSchema = {
 	oneOf: [
 		{
-			type: 'string',
+			oneOf: [
+				{
+					type: 'string'
+				},
+				{
+					type: 'array',
+					items: {
+						type: 'string'
+					},
+					description: nls.localize('JsonSchema.commandArray', 'The shell command to be executed. Array items will be joined using a space character')
+				}
+			]
 		},
 		{
 			type: 'object',
 			required: ['value', 'quoting'],
 			properties: {
 				value: {
-					type: 'string',
+					oneOf: [
+						{
+							type: 'string'
+						},
+						{
+							type: 'array',
+							items: {
+								type: 'string'
+							},
+							description: nls.localize('JsonSchema.commandArray', 'The shell command to be executed. Array items will be joined using a space character')
+						}
+					],
 					description: nls.localize('JsonSchema.command.quotedString.value', 'The actual command value')
 				},
 				quoting: {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/tasks/node/taskConfiguration.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/tasks/node/taskConfiguration.ts
index 1e7e48d3ad0fbf8943d9389725d01db83a844ded..70046911938f3b6034996f292cc7ef5f1b6d5c4e 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/tasks/node/taskConfiguration.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/tasks/node/taskConfiguration.ts
@@ -182,14 +182,20 @@ export interface LegacyCommandProperties {
 	isShellCommand?: boolean | ShellConfiguration;
 }
 
-export type CommandString = string | { value: string, quoting: 'escape' | 'strong' | 'weak' };
+export type CommandString = string | string[] | { value: string | string[], quoting: 'escape' | 'strong' | 'weak' };
 
 export namespace CommandString {
 	export function value(value: CommandString): string {
 		if (Types.isString(value)) {
 			return value;
+		} else if (Types.isStringArray(value)) {
+			return value.join(' ');
 		} else {
-			return value.value;
+			if (Types.isString(value.value)) {
+				return value.value;
+			} else {
+				return value.value.join(' ');
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -787,14 +793,20 @@ namespace CommandConfiguration {
 			}
 			if (Types.isString(value)) {
 				return value;
+			} else if (Types.isStringArray(value)) {
+				return value.join(' ');
+			} else {
+				let quoting = Tasks.ShellQuoting.from(value.quoting);
+				let result = Types.isString(value.value) ? value.value : Types.isStringArray(value.value) ? value.value.join(' ') : undefined;
+				if (result) {
+					return {
+						value: result,
+						quoting: quoting
+					};
+				} else {
+					return undefined;
+				}
 			}
-			if (Types.isString(value.value)) {
-				return {
-					value: value.value,
-					quoting: Tasks.ShellQuoting.from(value.quoting)
-				};
-			}
-			return undefined;
 		}
 	}