diff --git a/packages/core/src/browser/storage-service.ts b/packages/core/src/browser/storage-service.ts
index 1e86823077ffa..4e2bcc9381879 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/browser/storage-service.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/browser/storage-service.ts
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ interface LocalStorage {
 export class LocalStorageService implements StorageService {
     private storage: LocalStorage;
 
-    constructor( @inject(ILogger) protected logger: ILogger) {
+    constructor(@inject(ILogger) protected logger: ILogger) {
         if (typeof window !== 'undefined' && window.localStorage) {
             this.storage = window.localStorage;
         } else {
@@ -62,6 +62,6 @@ export class LocalStorageService implements StorageService {
     }
 
     protected prefix(key: string): string {
-        return 'theia:' + key;
+        return `theia:${window.location.pathname}:${key}`;
     }
 }
diff --git a/packages/workspace/src/browser/workspace-storage-service.ts b/packages/workspace/src/browser/workspace-storage-service.ts
index d02a288fce2a6..0dcf4c4d0387c 100644
--- a/packages/workspace/src/browser/workspace-storage-service.ts
+++ b/packages/workspace/src/browser/workspace-storage-service.ts
@@ -7,9 +7,11 @@
 
 import { StorageService } from '@theia/core/lib/browser/storage-service';
 import { WorkspaceService } from './workspace-service';
-import { inject, injectable } from 'inversify';
+import { inject, injectable, postConstruct } from 'inversify';
 import { ILogger } from '@theia/core/lib/common';
 import { LocalStorageService } from '@theia/core/lib/browser/storage-service';
+import URI from '@theia/core/lib/common/uri';
+import { Deferred } from '@theia/core/lib/common/promise-util';
 
 /*
  * Prefixes any stored data with the current workspace path.
@@ -18,36 +20,40 @@ import { LocalStorageService } from '@theia/core/lib/browser/storage-service';
 export class WorkspaceStorageService implements StorageService {
 
     private prefix: string;
-    private initialized: Promise<void>;
+    protected initialized: Deferred<void>;
     protected storageService: StorageService;
 
-    constructor( @inject(WorkspaceService) protected workspaceService: WorkspaceService,
-        @inject(ILogger) protected logger: ILogger) {
-        this.initialized = this.workspaceService.root.then(stat => {
-            if (stat) {
-                this.prefix = stat.uri;
-            } else {
-                this.prefix = '_global_';
-            }
-        });
+    @inject(WorkspaceService)
+    protected workspaceService: WorkspaceService;
+
+    @inject(ILogger)
+    protected logger: ILogger;
+
+    constructor() {
         this.storageService = new LocalStorageService(this.logger);
+        this.initialized = new Deferred<void>();
+    }
+
+    @postConstruct()
+    protected async init(): Promise<void> {
+        const statFile = await this.workspaceService.root;
+        this.prefix = statFile ? new URI(statFile.uri).path.toString() : '_global_';
+        this.initialized.resolve();
     }
 
     async setData<T>(key: string, data: T): Promise<void> {
-        if (!this.prefix) {
-            await this.initialized;
-        }
+        if (!this.prefix) { await this.initialized.promise; }
         const fullKey = this.prefixWorkspaceURI(key);
         return this.storageService.setData(fullKey, data);
     }
 
     async getData<T>(key: string, defaultValue?: T): Promise<T | undefined> {
-        await this.initialized;
+        if (!this.prefix) { await this.initialized.promise; }
         const fullKey = this.prefixWorkspaceURI(key);
         return this.storageService.getData(fullKey, defaultValue);
     }
 
     protected prefixWorkspaceURI(originalKey: string): string {
-        return this.prefix + ":" + originalKey;
+        return `${this.prefix}:${originalKey}`;
     }
 }
diff --git a/packages/workspace/src/node/default-workspace-server.ts b/packages/workspace/src/node/default-workspace-server.ts
index bbaff6530a646..257e4b6600d1e 100644
--- a/packages/workspace/src/node/default-workspace-server.ts
+++ b/packages/workspace/src/node/default-workspace-server.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import * as yargs from 'yargs';
 import * as fs from 'fs-extra';
 import * as os from 'os';
 
-import { injectable, inject } from "inversify";
+import { injectable, inject, postConstruct } from "inversify";
 import { FileUri } from '@theia/core/lib/node';
 import { CliContribution } from '@theia/core/lib/node/cli';
 import { Deferred } from '@theia/core/lib/common/promise-util';
@@ -50,18 +50,18 @@ export class DefaultWorkspaceServer implements WorkspaceServer {
 
     protected root: Promise<string | undefined>;
 
-    constructor(
-        @inject(WorkspaceCliContribution) protected readonly cliParams: WorkspaceCliContribution
-    ) {
+    @inject(WorkspaceCliContribution)
+    protected readonly cliParams: WorkspaceCliContribution;
+
+    @postConstruct()
+    protected async init(): Promise<void> {
         this.root = this.getRootURIFromCli();
-        this.root.then(async root => {
-            if (!root) {
-                const data = await this.readFromUserHome();
-                if (data && data.recentRoots) {
-                    this.root = Promise.resolve(data.recentRoots[0]);
-                }
+        if (!await this.root) {
+            const data = await this.readFromUserHome();
+            if (data && data.recentRoots) {
+                this.root = Promise.resolve(data.recentRoots[0]);
             }
-        });
+        }
     }
 
     getRoot(): Promise<string | undefined> {