diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/browser/part.ts b/src/vs/workbench/browser/part.ts
index f3c89df68fc9bb6addec2d2ca444a401f78ab2e4..73f7e68d58a0a7a30e2f6addae7da03f500ab393 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/browser/part.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/browser/part.ts
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ export abstract class Part extends Component {
 		}
 	}
 
+	protected updateStyles(): void {
+		// Subclasses to override
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Note: Clients should not call this method, the workbench calls this
 	 * method. Calling it otherwise may result in unexpected behavior.
@@ -52,6 +56,8 @@ export abstract class Part extends Component {
 		this.contentArea = this.createContentArea(parent);
 
 		this.partLayout = new PartLayout(this.parent, this.options, this.titleArea, this.contentArea);
+
+		this.updateStyles();
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -68,6 +74,13 @@ export abstract class Part extends Component {
 		return null;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Returns the title area container.
+	 */
+	protected getTitleArea(): Builder {
+		return this.titleArea;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Subclasses override to provide a content area implementation.
 	 */
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/editor/editorPart.ts b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/editor/editorPart.ts
index 99a5657711326c23b2705ebf22550c399e5acffb..509d66edfeace57ff4b55205bf51b873ee51d790 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/editor/editorPart.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/editor/editorPart.ts
@@ -901,8 +901,6 @@ export class EditorPart extends Part implements IEditorPart, IEditorGroupService
 			.div()
 			.addClass('content');
 
-		this.updateStyles();
-
 		// get settings
 		this.memento = this.getMemento(this.storageService, MementoScope.WORKSPACE);
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/panel/media/panelpart.css b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/panel/media/panelpart.css
index 5df1755a733d7cbc89d3fb04e37ccf7eb2c23ebe..e0fd512989e511804b7d4a1acdcae0546bab2017 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/panel/media/panelpart.css
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/panel/media/panelpart.css
@@ -93,16 +93,7 @@
 	background: url('close-inverse.svg') center center no-repeat;
 }
 
-/** TODO@theme */
-
-.vs .monaco-workbench > .part.panel .title,
-.vs-dark .monaco-workbench > .part.panel .title {
-	border-top-color: rgba(128, 128, 128, 0.35);
-}
-
-.hc-black .monaco-workbench > .part.panel .title {
-	border-top-color: #6FC3DF;
-}
+/** TODO@theme (widgets) */
 
 .vs .monaco-workbench > .part.panel > .title > .panel-switcher-container > .monaco-action-bar .action-item .action-label {
 	color: rgba(66, 66, 66, 0.75);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/panel/panelPart.ts b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/panel/panelPart.ts
index 2a62f7857cca8e4553f7de981b2da9f8e295b9cc..1e700343b9e7edee64e244b55679d005d2b7488d 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/panel/panelPart.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/panel/panelPart.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import { IInstantiationService } from 'vs/platform/instantiation/common/instanti
 import { ActionsOrientation, ActionBar } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/actionbar/actionbar';
 import { ClosePanelAction, PanelAction, ToggleMaximizedPanelAction } from 'vs/workbench/browser/parts/panel/panelActions';
 import { IThemeService } from 'vs/platform/theme/common/themeService';
-import { PANEL_BACKGROUND } from 'vs/workbench/common/theme';
+import { PANEL_BACKGROUND, PANEL_BORDER_TOP_COLOR } from 'vs/workbench/common/theme';
 
 export class PanelPart extends CompositePart<Panel> implements IPanelService {
 
@@ -95,16 +95,12 @@ export class PanelPart extends CompositePart<Panel> implements IPanelService {
 		return this._onDidCompositeClose.event;
 	}
 
-	public createContentArea(parent: Builder): Builder {
-		const contentArea = super.createContentArea(parent);
-		this.updateStyles();
-
-		return contentArea;
-	}
-
 	protected updateStyles(): void {
 		const container = this.getContainer();
 		container.style('background-color', this.getColor(PANEL_BACKGROUND));
+
+		const title = this.getTitleArea();
+		title.style('border-top-color', this.getColor(PANEL_BORDER_TOP_COLOR));
 	}
 
 	public openPanel(id: string, focus?: boolean): TPromise<Panel> {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/statusbar/statusbarPart.ts b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/statusbar/statusbarPart.ts
index ebe7b2d44c852b0fe61bfe28c4e8a18a49ff17db..baa5c6c3122c195420b4392a026de081bd7d45f9 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/statusbar/statusbarPart.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/browser/parts/statusbar/statusbarPart.ts
@@ -127,8 +127,6 @@ export class StatusbarPart extends Part implements IStatusbarService {
 			return dispose;
 		}));
 
-		this.updateStyles();
-
 		return this.statusItemsContainer;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/common/theme.ts b/src/vs/workbench/common/theme.ts
index a9bc928e9f7b5e98085e549717c8af126236f6c7..17a8d96c7c0eb887ad9e0d6b67831caf09c17539 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/common/theme.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/common/theme.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,12 @@ export const PANEL_BACKGROUND = registerColor('panelBackground', {
 	hc: editorBackground
 }, nls.localize('panelBackground', "Panel background color. Panels are shown below the editor area and contain views like output and integrated terminal."));
 
+export const PANEL_BORDER_TOP_COLOR = registerColor('panelBorderTopColor', {
+	dark: '#80808059', // rgba(128, 128, 128, 0.35)
+	light: '#80808059', // rgba(128, 128, 128, 0.35)
+	hc: '#6FC3DF'
+}, nls.localize('panelBorderTopColor', "Panel border color on the top separating to the editor. Panels are shown below the editor area and contain views like output and integrated terminal."));
+
 
 // < --- Status --- >