diff --git a/generator/src/main.ts b/generator/src/main.ts
index 6af38d10b..43c6e1e4e 100644
--- a/generator/src/main.ts
+++ b/generator/src/main.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 import * as shell from 'shelljs'
 import * as _ from 'lodash'
 import * as yargs from 'yargs'
-import * as tosource from 'tosource'
-import * as fs from 'fs'
-import * as spec from '../../languages'
+import { languageSpecs, LanguageSpec } from '../../languages'
 
 function sourcegraphID(name: string): string {
     const toID = {
@@ -18,7 +16,7 @@ const doNotGenerate = ['python', 'typescript', 'go']
 function main(): void {
     const args = yargs
         .option('languages', {
-            describe: spec.languages
+            describe: languageSpecs
                 .map(langSpec => langSpec.handlerArgs.languageID)
                 .join(','),
             type: 'string',
@@ -27,7 +25,7 @@ function main(): void {
         .strict().argv
     const languageFilter = !args.languages
         ? () => true
-        : (langSpec: spec.LanguageSpec) =>
+        : (langSpec: LanguageSpec) =>
               args.languages
                   .split(',')
                   .includes(langSpec.handlerArgs.languageID)
@@ -52,7 +50,7 @@ function main(): void {
     shell.cp('-R', 'template/node_modules', 'temp/node_modules')
     shell.cd('temp')
 
-    for (const langSpec of spec.languages.filter(languageFilter)) {
+    for (const langSpec of languageSpecs.filter(languageFilter)) {
         const languageID = langSpec.handlerArgs.languageID
         const stylized = langSpec.stylized
         if (doNotGenerate.includes(languageID)) {
@@ -143,14 +141,11 @@ function main(): void {
             'src/extension.ts'
         )
 
-        fs.writeFileSync(
-            'src/extension.ts',
-            `import { activateBasicCodeIntel } from '@sourcegraph/basic-code-intel'
-
-export const activate = activateBasicCodeIntel(${tosource.default(
-                langSpec.handlerArgs
-            )})
-`
+        shell.sed(
+            '-i',
+            /const languageID = 'all'/,
+            `const languageID = '${languageID}'`,
+            'src/extension.ts'
         )
 
         shell.exec(
diff --git a/languages.ts b/languages.ts
index 5d4f1a604..9a8f43ee4 100644
--- a/languages.ts
+++ b/languages.ts
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ const lispStyle: CommentStyle = {
 // The set of languages come from https://madnight.github.io/githut/#/pull_requests/2018/4
 // The language names come from https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/languages/identifiers#_known-language-identifiers
 // The extensions come from shared/src/languages.ts
-export const languages: LanguageSpec[] = [
+export const languageSpecs: LanguageSpec[] = [
     {
         handlerArgs: {
             languageID: 'typescript',
diff --git a/template/src/extension.ts b/template/src/extension.ts
index e306573a4..54a57a7f5 100644
--- a/template/src/extension.ts
+++ b/template/src/extension.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,20 @@
 import { activateBasicCodeIntel } from '../../package/lib'
 import * as sourcegraph from 'sourcegraph'
-import * as spec from '../../languages'
+import { languageSpecs } from '../../languages'
 
 export function activate(ctx: sourcegraph.ExtensionContext): void {
-    for (const language of spec.languages) {
-        activateBasicCodeIntel(language.handlerArgs)(ctx)
+    // This is set to an individual language ID by the generator script.
+    const languageID = 'all'
+
+    if (languageID === 'all') {
+        for (const languageSpec of languageSpecs) {
+            activateBasicCodeIntel(languageSpec.handlerArgs)(ctx)
+        }
+    } else {
+        // TODO consider Record<LanguageID, LanguageSpec>
+        activateBasicCodeIntel(
+            languageSpecs.find(l => l.handlerArgs.languageID === languageID)!
+                .handlerArgs
+        )(ctx)
     }
 }