diff --git a/src/vs/vscode.d.ts b/src/vs/vscode.d.ts
index 3e35c909840db..60a7c72896f70 100644
--- a/src/vs/vscode.d.ts
+++ b/src/vs/vscode.d.ts
@@ -8277,6 +8277,17 @@ declare module 'vscode' {
 		 */
 		export const remoteName: string | undefined;
 
+		/**
+		 * The authority part of the current opened `vscode-remote://` URI.
+		 * Defined by extensions, e.g. `ssh-remote+${host}` for remotes using a secure shell.
+		 *
+		 * *Note* that the value is `undefined` when there is no remote extension host but that the
+		 * value is defined in all extension hosts (local and remote) in case a remote extension host
+		 * exists. Use {@link Extension.extensionKind} to know if
+		 * a specific extension runs remote or not.
+		 */
+		 export const remoteAuthority: string | undefined;
+
 		/**
 		 * The detected default shell for the extension host, this is overridden by the
 		 * `terminal.integrated.shell` setting for the extension host's platform. Note that in
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.api.impl.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.api.impl.ts
index 246b61c74e138..23e9e99b57dba 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.api.impl.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.api.impl.ts
@@ -332,6 +332,9 @@ export function createApiFactoryAndRegisterActors(accessor: ServicesAccessor): I
 			get remoteName() {
 				return getRemoteName(initData.remote.authority);
 			},
+			get remoteAuthority() {
+				return initData.remote.authority;
+			},
 			get uiKind() {
 				return initData.uiKind;
 			}