diff --git a/src/vs/editor/common/services/languagesRegistry.ts b/src/vs/editor/common/services/languagesRegistry.ts
index 194afe1fac821..1b39d594b48e5 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/common/services/languagesRegistry.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/common/services/languagesRegistry.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import { NULL_LANGUAGE_IDENTIFIER, NULL_MODE_ID } from 'vs/editor/common/modes/n
 import { ILanguageExtensionPoint } from 'vs/editor/common/services/modeService';
 import { Extensions, IConfigurationRegistry } from 'vs/platform/configuration/common/configurationRegistry';
 import { Registry } from 'vs/platform/registry/common/platform';
+import { ThemeIcon } from 'vs/platform/theme/common/themeService';
 
 const hasOwnProperty = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty;
 
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ export interface IResolvedLanguage {
 	extensions: string[];
 	filenames: string[];
 	configurationFiles: URI[];
-	icons: string[];
+	icons: ThemeIcon[];
 }
 
 export class LanguagesRegistry extends Disposable {
@@ -231,7 +232,7 @@ export class LanguagesRegistry extends Disposable {
 		}
 
 		if (lang.icon) {
-			resolvedLanguage.icons.push(lang.icon);
+			resolvedLanguage.icons.push({ id: lang.icon });
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -281,7 +282,7 @@ export class LanguagesRegistry extends Disposable {
 		return (language.mimetypes[0] || null);
 	}
 
-	public getIconForMode(modeId: string): string | null {
+	public getIconForMode(modeId: string): ThemeIcon | null {
 		if (!hasOwnProperty.call(this._languages, modeId)) {
 			return null;
 		}
diff --git a/src/vs/editor/common/services/modeService.ts b/src/vs/editor/common/services/modeService.ts
index 7b66fe0b7c1f5..df6759376378b 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/common/services/modeService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/common/services/modeService.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { Event } from 'vs/base/common/event';
 import { URI } from 'vs/base/common/uri';
 import { IMode, LanguageId, LanguageIdentifier } from 'vs/editor/common/modes';
 import { createDecorator } from 'vs/platform/instantiation/common/instantiation';
+import { ThemeIcon } from 'vs/platform/theme/common/themeService';
 
 export const IModeService = createDecorator<IModeService>('modeService');
 
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ export interface IModeService {
 	getExtensions(alias: string): string[];
 	getFilenames(alias: string): string[];
 	getMimeForMode(modeId: string): string | null;
-	getIconForMode(modeId: string): string | null;
+	getIconForMode(modeId: string): ThemeIcon | null;
 	getLanguageName(modeId: string): string | null;
 	getModeIdForLanguageName(alias: string): string | null;
 	getModeIdByFilepathOrFirstLine(resource: URI, firstLine?: string): string | null;
diff --git a/src/vs/editor/common/services/modeServiceImpl.ts b/src/vs/editor/common/services/modeServiceImpl.ts
index 38db18e569cd3..e61b81a383cd2 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/common/services/modeServiceImpl.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/common/services/modeServiceImpl.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { NULL_LANGUAGE_IDENTIFIER } from 'vs/editor/common/modes/nullMode';
 import { LanguagesRegistry } from 'vs/editor/common/services/languagesRegistry';
 import { ILanguageSelection, IModeService } from 'vs/editor/common/services/modeService';
 import { firstOrDefault } from 'vs/base/common/arrays';
+import { ThemeIcon } from 'vs/platform/theme/common/themeService';
 
 class LanguageSelection implements ILanguageSelection {
 
@@ -96,7 +97,7 @@ export class ModeServiceImpl extends Disposable implements IModeService {
 		return this._registry.getMimeForMode(modeId);
 	}
 
-	public getIconForMode(modeId: string): string | null {
+	public getIconForMode(modeId: string): ThemeIcon | null {
 		return this._registry.getIconForMode(modeId);
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/themes/browser/fileIconThemeData.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/themes/browser/fileIconThemeData.ts
index ff95f1d075841..51cbb89969b18 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/themes/browser/fileIconThemeData.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/themes/browser/fileIconThemeData.ts
@@ -386,8 +386,8 @@ class FileIconThemeLoader {
 		}
 
 		for (let languageId in selectorByModeIdForMissingLanguages) {
-			const iconName = modeService.getIconForMode(languageId);
-			const contribution = getIconRegistry().getIcon(iconName!);
+			const themeIcon = modeService.getIconForMode(languageId);
+			const contribution = getIconRegistry().getIcon(themeIcon!.id!);
 			if (contribution) {
 				let definition: IconDefaults | null = contribution.defaults;
 				while (ThemeIcon.isThemeIcon(definition)) {