diff --git a/extensions/vscode-api-tests/src/singlefolder-tests/editor.test.ts b/extensions/vscode-api-tests/src/singlefolder-tests/editor.test.ts
index 106ef702d6934..e2105f2e017fd 100644
--- a/extensions/vscode-api-tests/src/singlefolder-tests/editor.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/vscode-api-tests/src/singlefolder-tests/editor.test.ts
@@ -295,4 +295,19 @@ suite('vscode API - editors', () => {
 
 		assert.strictEqual(document.getText(), Buffer.from(await workspace.fs.readFile(file)).toString());
 	}
+
+	test('extEditor.selection can be empty #18075', async function () {
+		await withRandomFileEditor('foo', async editor => {
+
+			assert.ok(editor.selections.length > 0);
+
+			editor.selections = [];
+
+			assert.strictEqual(editor.selections.length, 1);
+			assert.strictEqual(editor.selections[0].start.line, 0);
+			assert.strictEqual(editor.selections[0].start.character, 0);
+			assert.strictEqual(editor.selections[0].end.line, 0);
+			assert.strictEqual(editor.selections[0].end.character, 0);
+		});
+	});
 });
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostTextEditor.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostTextEditor.ts
index 86a322348a8d2..b523bf14a8282 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostTextEditor.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostTextEditor.ts
@@ -456,6 +456,9 @@ export class ExtHostTextEditor {
 				if (!Array.isArray(value) || value.some(a => !(a instanceof Selection))) {
 					throw illegalArgument('selections');
 				}
+				if (value.length === 0) {
+					value = [new Selection(0, 0, 0, 0)];
+				}
 				that._selections = value;
 				that._trySetSelection();
 			},