diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/tasks/browser/abstractTaskService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/tasks/browser/abstractTaskService.ts
index 4dbc9e5b8d1e0..65ad6b2ac93e6 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/tasks/browser/abstractTaskService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/tasks/browser/abstractTaskService.ts
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ import { CancellationToken, CancellationTokenSource } from 'vs/base/common/cance
 const QUICKOPEN_HISTORY_LIMIT_CONFIG = 'task.quickOpen.history';
 const QUICKOPEN_DETAIL_CONFIG = 'task.quickOpen.detail';
 const PROBLEM_MATCHER_NEVER_CONFIG = 'task.problemMatchers.neverPrompt';
+const QUICKOPEN_SKIP_CONFIG = 'task.quickOpen.skip';
 
 export namespace ConfigureTaskAction {
 	export const ID = 'workbench.action.tasks.configureTaskRunner';
@@ -2022,6 +2023,8 @@ export abstract class AbstractTaskService extends Disposable implements ITaskSer
 	}
 
 	private showQuickPick(tasks: Promise<Task[]> | Task[], placeHolder: string, defaultEntry?: TaskQuickPickEntry, group: boolean = false, sort: boolean = false, selectedEntry?: TaskQuickPickEntry, additionalEntries?: TaskQuickPickEntry[]): Promise<TaskQuickPickEntry | undefined | null> {
+		const tokenSource = new CancellationTokenSource();
+		const cancellationToken: CancellationToken = tokenSource.token;
 		let _createEntries = (): Promise<QuickPickInput<TaskQuickPickEntry>[]> => {
 			if (Array.isArray(tasks)) {
 				return Promise.resolve(this.createTaskQuickPickEntries(tasks, group, sort, selectedEntry));
@@ -2029,15 +2032,18 @@ export abstract class AbstractTaskService extends Disposable implements ITaskSer
 				return tasks.then((tasks) => this.createTaskQuickPickEntries(tasks, group, sort, selectedEntry));
 			}
 		};
-		return this.quickInputService.pick(_createEntries().then((entries) => {
-			if ((entries.length === 0) && defaultEntry) {
+		const pickEntries = _createEntries().then((entries) => {
+			if ((entries.length === 1) && this.configurationService.getValue<boolean>(QUICKOPEN_SKIP_CONFIG)) {
+				tokenSource.cancel();
+			} else if ((entries.length === 0) && defaultEntry) {
 				entries.push(defaultEntry);
 			} else if (entries.length > 1 && additionalEntries && additionalEntries.length > 0) {
 				entries.push({ type: 'separator', label: '' });
 				entries.push(additionalEntries[0]);
 			}
 			return entries;
-		}), {
+		});
+		return this.quickInputService.pick(pickEntries, {
 			placeHolder,
 			matchOnDescription: true,
 			onDidTriggerItemButton: context => {
@@ -2049,6 +2055,18 @@ export abstract class AbstractTaskService extends Disposable implements ITaskSer
 					this.openConfig(task);
 				}
 			}
+		}, cancellationToken).then(async (selection) => {
+			if (cancellationToken.isCancellationRequested) {
+				// canceled when there's only one task
+				const task = (await pickEntries)[0];
+				if ((<any>task).task) {
+					selection = <TaskQuickPickEntry>task;
+				}
+			}
+			if (!selection) {
+				return;
+			}
+			return selection;
 		});
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/tasks/browser/task.contribution.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/tasks/browser/task.contribution.ts
index bb322ab609cd2..9aa46f4d6b9ef 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/tasks/browser/task.contribution.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/tasks/browser/task.contribution.ts
@@ -367,6 +367,11 @@ configurationRegistry.registerConfiguration({
 			markdownDescription: nls.localize('task.quickOpen.detail', "Controls whether to show the task detail for task that have a detail in the Run Task quick pick."),
 			type: 'boolean',
 			default: true
+		},
+		'task.quickOpen.skip': {
+			type: 'boolean',
+			description: nls.localize('task.quickOpen.skip', "Controls whether the task quick pick is skipped when there is only one task to pick from."),
+			default: false
 		}
 	}
 });