diff --git a/packages/editor/src/browser/editor-preferences.ts b/packages/editor/src/browser/editor-preferences.ts
index 48c95f6d4d4a4..4c97b6718fcd3 100644
--- a/packages/editor/src/browser/editor-preferences.ts
+++ b/packages/editor/src/browser/editor-preferences.ts
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ const codeEditorPreferenceProperties = {
         'description': nls.localizeByDefault('Controls form what documents word based completions are computed.')
     },
     'editor.semanticHighlighting.enabled': {
+        'type': ['boolean', 'string'],
         'enum': [true, false, 'configuredByTheme'],
         'markdownEnumDescriptions': [
             nls.localizeByDefault('Semantic highlighting enabled for all color themes.'),
diff --git a/packages/preferences/src/browser/views/components/preference-boolean-input.ts b/packages/preferences/src/browser/views/components/preference-boolean-input.ts
index a1cc5d2542593..bb2d2f0ce8359 100644
--- a/packages/preferences/src/browser/views/components/preference-boolean-input.ts
+++ b/packages/preferences/src/browser/views/components/preference-boolean-input.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ export class PreferenceBooleanInputRenderer extends PreferenceLeafNodeRenderer<b
         parent.appendChild(interactable);
     }
 
+    protected override getAdditionalNodeClassnames(): Iterable<string> {
+        return ['boolean'];
+    }
+
     protected getFallbackValue(): false {
         return false;
     }
diff --git a/packages/preferences/src/browser/views/components/preference-node-renderer.ts b/packages/preferences/src/browser/views/components/preference-node-renderer.ts
index 6cefa00cf52b8..9a55b440830a9 100644
--- a/packages/preferences/src/browser/views/components/preference-node-renderer.ts
+++ b/packages/preferences/src/browser/views/components/preference-node-renderer.ts
@@ -101,6 +101,10 @@ export abstract class PreferenceNodeRenderer implements Disposable, GeneralPrefe
 
     protected abstract createDomNode(): HTMLElement;
 
+    protected getAdditionalNodeClassnames(): Iterable<string> {
+        return [];
+    }
+
     insertBefore(nextSibling: HTMLElement): void {
         nextSibling.insertAdjacentElement('beforebegin', this.domNode);
         this.attached = true;
@@ -247,9 +251,8 @@ export abstract class PreferenceLeafNodeRenderer<ValueType extends JSONValue, In
         cog.title = nls.localizeByDefault('More Actions...');
         gutter.appendChild(cog);
 
-        const activeType = Array.isArray(this.preferenceNode.preference.data.type) ? this.preferenceNode.preference.data.type[0] : this.preferenceNode.preference.data.type;
         const contentWrapper = document.createElement('div');
-        contentWrapper.classList.add('pref-content-container', activeType ?? 'open-json');
+        contentWrapper.classList.add('pref-content-container', ...this.getAdditionalNodeClassnames());
         wrapper.appendChild(contentWrapper);
 
         const { description, markdownDescription } = this.preferenceNode.preference.data;