diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/scm/browser/scmActivity.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/scm/browser/scmActivity.ts
index df200b989100f5fbacd3482ce4c720b05e6b0c05..214b25850b0c3dc2463cc12926f661fea845fcd4 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/scm/browser/scmActivity.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/scm/browser/scmActivity.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
 import { localize } from 'vs/nls';
-import { IDisposable, dispose, empty as EmptyDisposable } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
+import { IDisposable, dispose, empty as EmptyDisposable, OneDisposable } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
 import { VIEWLET_ID } from 'vs/workbench/parts/scm/common/scm';
 import { ISCMService, ISCMProvider } from 'vs/workbench/services/scm/common/scm';
 import { IActivityBarService, NumberBadge } from 'vs/workbench/services/activity/common/activityBarService';
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ export class StatusUpdater implements IWorkbenchContribution {
 	static ID = 'vs.scm.statusUpdater';
 
 	private providerChangeDisposable: IDisposable = EmptyDisposable;
+	private badgeHandle = new OneDisposable();
 	private disposables: IDisposable[] = [];
 
 	constructor(
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ export class StatusUpdater implements IWorkbenchContribution {
 	) {
 		this.scmService.onDidChangeProvider(this.setActiveProvider, this, this.disposables);
 		this.setActiveProvider(this.scmService.activeProvider);
+		this.disposables.push(this.badgeHandle);
 	}
 
 	getId(): string {
@@ -40,9 +42,14 @@ export class StatusUpdater implements IWorkbenchContribution {
 	private update(): void {
 		const provider = this.scmService.activeProvider;
 		const count = provider ? provider.resources.reduce<number>((r, g) => r + g.resources.length, 0) : 0;
-		const badge = count > 0 ? new NumberBadge(count, num => localize('scmPendingChangesBadge', '{0} pending changes', num)) : null;
 
-		this.activityBarService.showActivity(VIEWLET_ID, badge, 'scm-viewlet-label');
+
+		if (count > 0) {
+			const badge = new NumberBadge(count, num => localize('scmPendingChangesBadge', '{0} pending changes', num));
+			this.badgeHandle.value = this.activityBarService.showActivity(VIEWLET_ID, badge, 'scm-viewlet-label');
+		} else {
+			this.badgeHandle.value = null;
+		}
 	}
 
 	dispose(): void {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/scm/browser/scmViewlet.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/scm/browser/scmViewlet.ts
index d8423aeb85d2b7ebdb85be28a0ce420d7f7b50f7..57473df6374b04a16dfc8bde85f2fb04c38ef8b8 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/scm/browser/scmViewlet.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/scm/browser/scmViewlet.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import { TPromise } from 'vs/base/common/winjs.base';
 import { chain } from 'vs/base/common/event';
 import { Throttler } from 'vs/base/common/async';
 import { domEvent } from 'vs/base/browser/event';
-import { IDisposable, dispose, empty as EmptyDisposable, OneDisposable } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
+import { IDisposable, dispose, empty as EmptyDisposable } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
 import { Builder, Dimension } from 'vs/base/browser/builder';
 import { Viewlet } from 'vs/workbench/browser/viewlet';
 import { append, $, toggleClass } from 'vs/base/browser/dom';
@@ -156,7 +156,6 @@ export class SCMViewlet extends Viewlet {
 	private list: List<ISCMResourceGroup | ISCMResource>;
 	private menus: SCMMenus;
 	private providerChangeDisposable: IDisposable = EmptyDisposable;
-	private badgeHandle = new OneDisposable();
 	private disposables: IDisposable[] = [];
 
 	constructor(
@@ -174,7 +173,7 @@ export class SCMViewlet extends Viewlet {
 		super(VIEWLET_ID, telemetryService);
 
 		this.menus = this.instantiationService.createInstance(SCMMenus);
-		this.disposables.push(this.menus, this.badgeHandle);
+		this.disposables.push(this.menus);
 	}
 
 	private setActiveProvider(activeProvider: ISCMProvider | undefined): void {