diff --git a/src/vs/platform/storage/node/storageService.ts b/src/vs/platform/storage/node/storageService.ts
index 6219b67317aa30e70bd15ccf30c4fe5e776958c0..7cd48b4d7cf05d03e7692ac5da0a966c4500b351 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/storage/node/storageService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/storage/node/storageService.ts
@@ -199,7 +199,6 @@ export class StorageService extends Disposable implements IStorageService {
 						'workbench.panelpart.activepanelid',
 						'workbench.zenmode.active',
 						'workbench.centerededitorlayout.active',
-						'workbench.sidebar.restore',
 						'workbench.sidebar.hidden',
 						'workbench.panel.hidden',
 						'workbench.panel.location',
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/workbench.ts b/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/workbench.ts
index 0aaba8ded7b3ee63450c2c588be516cd5fa8e0f7..5a0672cf2152e830bcc467fd829d30b0ac56bdf6 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/workbench.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/workbench.ts
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ import { ProgressService2 } from 'vs/workbench/services/progress/browser/progres
 import { TextModelResolverService } from 'vs/workbench/services/textmodelResolver/common/textModelResolverService';
 import { ITextModelService } from 'vs/editor/common/services/resolverService';
 import { ServiceCollection } from 'vs/platform/instantiation/common/serviceCollection';
-import { ShutdownReason, LifecyclePhase } from 'vs/platform/lifecycle/common/lifecycle';
+import { LifecyclePhase, StartupKind } from 'vs/platform/lifecycle/common/lifecycle';
 import { LifecycleService } from 'vs/platform/lifecycle/electron-browser/lifecycleService';
 import { IWindowService, IWindowConfiguration, IPath, MenuBarVisibility, getTitleBarStyle } from 'vs/platform/windows/common/windows';
 import { IStatusbarService } from 'vs/platform/statusbar/common/statusbar';
@@ -171,7 +171,6 @@ export class Workbench extends Disposable implements IPartService {
 
 	private static readonly sidebarHiddenStorageKey = 'workbench.sidebar.hidden';
 	private static readonly menubarVisibilityConfigurationKey = 'window.menuBarVisibility';
-	private static readonly sidebarRestoreStorageKey = 'workbench.sidebar.restore';
 	private static readonly panelHiddenStorageKey = 'workbench.panel.hidden';
 	private static readonly zenModeActiveStorageKey = 'workbench.zenmode.active';
 	private static readonly centeredEditorLayoutActiveStorageKey = 'workbench.centerededitorlayout.active';
@@ -476,8 +475,8 @@ export class Workbench extends Disposable implements IPartService {
 
 	private registerListeners(): void {
 
-		// Lifecycle
-		this._register(this.lifecycleService.onBeforeShutdown(e => this.saveState(e.reason)));
+		// Storage
+		this._register(this.storageService.onWillSaveState(() => this.saveState()));
 
 		// Listen to visible editor changes
 		this._register(this.editorService.onDidVisibleEditorsChange(() => this.onDidVisibleEditorsChange()));
@@ -758,8 +757,10 @@ export class Workbench extends Disposable implements IPartService {
 			perf.mark('didRestorePanel');
 		}
 
-		// Restore Zen Mode if active
-		if (this.storageService.getBoolean(Workbench.zenModeActiveStorageKey, StorageScope.WORKSPACE, false)) {
+		// Restore Zen Mode if active and supported for restore on startup
+		const zenConfig = this.configurationService.getValue<IZenModeSettings>('zenMode');
+		const wasZenActive = this.storageService.getBoolean(Workbench.zenModeActiveStorageKey, StorageScope.WORKSPACE, false);
+		if (wasZenActive && (zenConfig.restore || this.lifecycleService.startupKind === StartupKind.ReloadedWindow)) {
 			this.toggleZenMode(true, true);
 		}
 
@@ -802,12 +803,8 @@ export class Workbench extends Disposable implements IPartService {
 			return true; // always restore sidebar when we are in development mode
 		}
 
-		const restore = this.storageService.getBoolean(Workbench.sidebarRestoreStorageKey, StorageScope.WORKSPACE);
-		if (restore) {
-			this.storageService.remove(Workbench.sidebarRestoreStorageKey, StorageScope.WORKSPACE); // only support once
-		}
-
-		return restore;
+		// always restore sidebar when the window was reloaded
+		return this.lifecycleService.startupKind === StartupKind.ReloadedWindow;
 	}
 
 	private resolveEditorsToOpen(): Thenable<IResourceEditor[]> | IResourceEditor[] {
@@ -1121,23 +1118,10 @@ export class Workbench extends Disposable implements IPartService {
 		return this.instantiationService;
 	}
 
-	private saveState(reason: ShutdownReason): void {
-
-		// Restore sidebar if we are being shutdown as a matter of a reload
-		if (reason === ShutdownReason.RELOAD) {
-			this.storageService.store(Workbench.sidebarRestoreStorageKey, true, StorageScope.WORKSPACE);
-		}
-
-		// Preserve zen mode only on reload. Real quit gets out of zen mode so novice users do not get stuck in zen mode.
-		const zenConfig = this.configurationService.getValue<IZenModeSettings>('zenMode');
-		const restoreZenMode = this.zenMode.active && (zenConfig.restore || reason === ShutdownReason.RELOAD);
-		if (restoreZenMode) {
+	private saveState(): void {
+		if (this.zenMode.active) {
 			this.storageService.store(Workbench.zenModeActiveStorageKey, true, StorageScope.WORKSPACE);
 		} else {
-			if (this.zenMode.active) {
-				this.toggleZenMode(true);
-			}
-
 			this.storageService.remove(Workbench.zenModeActiveStorageKey, StorageScope.WORKSPACE);
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/history/electron-browser/history.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/history/electron-browser/history.ts
index fd453024d03b7751395b7cf3b53c7f14d3353e20..a77deb474c0e66db62332caae07344c043d6a584 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/history/electron-browser/history.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/history/electron-browser/history.ts
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ export class HistoryService extends Disposable implements IHistoryService {
 		this._register(this.editorService.onDidActiveEditorChange(() => this.onActiveEditorChanged()));
 		this._register(this.editorService.onDidOpenEditorFail(event => this.remove(event.editor)));
 		this._register(this.editorService.onDidCloseEditor(event => this.onEditorClosed(event)));
-		this._register(this.storageService.onWillSaveState(reason => this.saveState()));
+		this._register(this.storageService.onWillSaveState(() => this.saveState()));
 		this._register(this.fileService.onFileChanges(event => this.onFileChanges(event)));
 		this._register(this.resourceFilter.onExpressionChange(() => this.handleExcludesChange()));
 	}