diff --git a/extensions/vscode-api-tests/src/commands.test.ts b/extensions/vscode-api-tests/src/commands.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fe5a4e7aa11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/vscode-api-tests/src/commands.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+/*---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ *  Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
+ *  Licensed under the MIT License. See License.txt in the project root for license information.
+ *--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+
+'use strict';
+
+import * as assert from 'assert';
+import {commands} from 'vscode';
+import {join} from 'path';
+
+suite("commands namespace tests", () => {
+
+	test('getCommands', function(done) {
+
+		let p1 = commands.getCommands().then(commands => {
+			let hasOneWithUnderscore = false;
+			for (let command of commands) {
+				if (command[0] === '_') {
+					hasOneWithUnderscore = true;
+					break;
+				}
+			}
+			assert.ok(hasOneWithUnderscore);
+		}, done);
+
+		let p2 = commands.getCommands(true).then(commands => {
+			let hasOneWithUnderscore = false;
+			for (let command of commands) {
+				if (command[0] === '_') {
+					hasOneWithUnderscore = true;
+					break;
+				}
+			}
+			assert.ok(!hasOneWithUnderscore);
+		}, done);
+
+		Promise.all([p1, p2]).then(() => {
+			done();
+		}, done);
+	});
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/vs/platform/keybinding/browser/keybindingServiceImpl.ts b/src/vs/platform/keybinding/browser/keybindingServiceImpl.ts
index 4f21cfa8b24..34c98b4e2fd 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/keybinding/browser/keybindingServiceImpl.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/keybinding/browser/keybindingServiceImpl.ts
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ export class KeybindingService extends AbstractKeybindingService implements IKey
 
 	private _getAllCommandsAsComment(): string {
 		var boundCommands = this._resolver.getDefaultBoundCommands();
-		var unboundCommands = Object.keys(KeybindingsRegistry.getCommands()).filter((commandId) => !boundCommands[commandId]);
+		var unboundCommands = Object.keys(KeybindingsRegistry.getCommands()).filter(commandId => commandId[0] !== '_' && !boundCommands[commandId]);
 		var pretty = unboundCommands.join('\n// - ');
 
 		return '// ' + nls.localize('unboundCommands', "Here are other available commands: ") + '\n// - ' + pretty;
diff --git a/src/vs/vscode.d.ts b/src/vs/vscode.d.ts
index 2b9a4eab7aa..5a840f2b0b4 100644
--- a/src/vs/vscode.d.ts
+++ b/src/vs/vscode.d.ts
@@ -2648,11 +2648,13 @@ declare namespace vscode {
 		export function executeCommand<T>(command: string, ...rest: any[]): Thenable<T>;
 
 		/**
-		 * Retrieve the list of all available commands.
+		 * Retrieve the list of all available commands. Commands starting an underscore are
+		 * treated as internal commands.
 		 *
+		 * @param filterInternal Set `true` to not see internal commands (starting with an underscore)
 		 * @return Thenable that resolves to a list of command ids.
 		 */
-		export function getCommands(): Thenable<string[]>;
+		export function getCommands(filterInternal?: boolean): Thenable<string[]>;
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/pluginHostCommands.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/pluginHostCommands.ts
index bc57ffe3992..e6867b96d4b 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/pluginHostCommands.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/pluginHostCommands.ts
@@ -110,8 +110,13 @@ export class PluginHostCommands {
 		}
 	}
 
-	getCommands(): Thenable<string[]> {
-		return this._proxy._getCommands();
+	getCommands(filterUnderscoreCommands: boolean = false): Thenable<string[]> {
+		return this._proxy._getCommands().then(result => {
+			if (filterUnderscoreCommands) {
+				result = result.filter(command => command[0] !== '_');
+			}
+			return result;
+		});
 	}
 }