diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/node/debugConfigurationManager.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/node/debugConfigurationManager.ts
index 5fbd5d2d0f6ec..774f39a2d2673 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/node/debugConfigurationManager.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/debug/node/debugConfigurationManager.ts
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ export class ConfigurationManager implements debug.IConfigurationManager {
 		@IQuickOpenService private quickOpenService: IQuickOpenService,
 		@IKeybindingService private keybindingService: IKeybindingService
 	) {
-		this.systemVariables = new ConfigVariables(this.configurationService, this.editorService, this.contextService);
+		this.systemVariables = this.contextService.getWorkspace() ? new ConfigVariables(this.configurationService, this.editorService, this.contextService) : null;
 		this._onDidConfigurationChange = new Emitter<string>();
 		this.setConfiguration(configName);
 		this.adapters = [];
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/lib/node/configVariables.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/lib/node/configVariables.ts
index 91e5dafd44e7c..0c9920b574986 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/lib/node/configVariables.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/lib/node/configVariables.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ export class ConfigVariables extends SystemVariables {
 	protected resolveString(value: string): string {
 		value = super.resolveString(value);
 
-		let regexp = /\$\{settings\.(.*?)\}/g;
+		let regexp = /\$\{config\.(.*?)\}/g;
 		return value.replace(regexp, (match: string, name: string) => {
 			let config = this.configurationService.getConfiguration();
 			let newValue = new Function('_', 'try {return _.' + name + ';} catch (ex) { return "";}')(config);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/lib/node/systemVariables.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/lib/node/systemVariables.ts
index dbec91b7d0643..a82cf595fc708 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/lib/node/systemVariables.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/lib/node/systemVariables.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export class SystemVariables extends AbstractSystemVariables {
 	constructor(private editorService: IWorkbenchEditorService, contextService: IWorkspaceContextService, workspaceRoot: URI = null, envVariables: { [key: string]: string } = process.env) {
 		super();
 		let fsPath = '';
-		if (workspaceRoot || contextService.getWorkspace()) {
+		if (workspaceRoot || (contextService && contextService.getWorkspace())) {
 			fsPath = workspaceRoot ? workspaceRoot.fsPath : contextService.getWorkspace().resource.fsPath;
 		}
 		this._workspaceRoot = Paths.normalize(fsPath, true);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/lib/test/node/configVariables.test.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/lib/test/node/configVariables.test.ts
index 98b1a2f10bbc5..825d875987eea 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/lib/test/node/configVariables.test.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/lib/test/node/configVariables.test.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ suite('ConfigVariables tests', () => {
 		});
 
 		let systemVariables: ConfigVariables = new ConfigVariables(configurationService, null, null, URI.parse('file:///VSCode/workspaceLocation'));
-		assert.strictEqual(systemVariables.resolve('abc ${settings.editor.fontFamily} xyz'), 'abc foo xyz');
+		assert.strictEqual(systemVariables.resolve('abc ${config.editor.fontFamily} xyz'), 'abc foo xyz');
 	});
 
 	test('ConfigVariables: substitute many', () => {
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ suite('ConfigVariables tests', () => {
 		});
 
 		let systemVariables: ConfigVariables = new ConfigVariables(configurationService, null, null, URI.parse('file:///VSCode/workspaceLocation'));
-		assert.strictEqual(systemVariables.resolve('abc ${settings.editor.fontFamily} ${settings.terminal.integrated.fontFamily} xyz'), 'abc foo bar xyz');
+		assert.strictEqual(systemVariables.resolve('abc ${config.editor.fontFamily} ${config.terminal.integrated.fontFamily} xyz'), 'abc foo bar xyz');
 	});
 	test('SystemVariables: substitute one env variable', () => {
 		let configurationService: IConfigurationService;
@@ -61,9 +61,9 @@ suite('ConfigVariables tests', () => {
 		let envVariables: { [key: string]: string } = { key1: 'Value for Key1', key2: 'Value for Key2' };
 		let systemVariables: ConfigVariables = new ConfigVariables(configurationService, null, null, URI.parse('file:///VSCode/workspaceLocation'), envVariables);
 		if (Platform.isWindows) {
-			assert.strictEqual(systemVariables.resolve('abc ${settings.editor.fontFamily} ${workspaceRoot} ${env.key1} xyz'), 'abc foo \\VSCode\\workspaceLocation Value for Key1 xyz');
+			assert.strictEqual(systemVariables.resolve('abc ${config.editor.fontFamily} ${workspaceRoot} ${env.key1} xyz'), 'abc foo \\VSCode\\workspaceLocation Value for Key1 xyz');
 		} else {
-			assert.strictEqual(systemVariables.resolve('abc ${settings.editor.fontFamily} ${workspaceRoot} ${env.key1} xyz'), 'abc foo /VSCode/workspaceLocation Value for Key1 xyz');
+			assert.strictEqual(systemVariables.resolve('abc ${config.editor.fontFamily} ${workspaceRoot} ${env.key1} xyz'), 'abc foo /VSCode/workspaceLocation Value for Key1 xyz');
 		}
 	});
 
@@ -83,9 +83,9 @@ suite('ConfigVariables tests', () => {
 		let envVariables: { [key: string]: string } = { key1: 'Value for Key1', key2: 'Value for Key2' };
 		let systemVariables: ConfigVariables = new ConfigVariables(configurationService, null, null, URI.parse('file:///VSCode/workspaceLocation'), envVariables);
 		if (Platform.isWindows) {
-			assert.strictEqual(systemVariables.resolve('${settings.editor.fontFamily} ${settings.terminal.integrated.fontFamily} ${workspaceRoot} - ${workspaceRoot} ${env.key1} - ${env.key2}'), 'foo bar \\VSCode\\workspaceLocation - \\VSCode\\workspaceLocation Value for Key1 - Value for Key2');
+			assert.strictEqual(systemVariables.resolve('${config.editor.fontFamily} ${config.terminal.integrated.fontFamily} ${workspaceRoot} - ${workspaceRoot} ${env.key1} - ${env.key2}'), 'foo bar \\VSCode\\workspaceLocation - \\VSCode\\workspaceLocation Value for Key1 - Value for Key2');
 		} else {
-			assert.strictEqual(systemVariables.resolve('${settings.editor.fontFamily} ${settings.terminal.integrated.fontFamily} ${workspaceRoot} - ${workspaceRoot} ${env.key1} - ${env.key2}'), 'foo bar /VSCode/workspaceLocation - /VSCode/workspaceLocation Value for Key1 - Value for Key2');
+			assert.strictEqual(systemVariables.resolve('${config.editor.fontFamily} ${config.terminal.integrated.fontFamily} ${workspaceRoot} - ${workspaceRoot} ${env.key1} - ${env.key2}'), 'foo bar /VSCode/workspaceLocation - /VSCode/workspaceLocation Value for Key1 - Value for Key2');
 		}
 	});
 });