diff --git a/src/vs/editor/common/languages.ts b/src/vs/editor/common/languages.ts
index 126f4bf63351c..79e1c5ce4b701 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/common/languages.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/common/languages.ts
@@ -1716,7 +1716,7 @@ export interface Comment {
 	readonly commentReactions?: CommentReaction[];
 	readonly label?: string;
 	readonly mode?: CommentMode;
-	readonly detail?: Date | string;
+	readonly timestamp?: Date;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadComments.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadComments.ts
index d85214116b91f..6eec5fccee4ce 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadComments.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadComments.ts
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ export class MainThreadCommentThread implements modes.CommentThread {
 				userName: comment.userName,
 				commentReactions: comment.commentReactions,
 				contextValue: comment.contextValue,
-				detail: comment.detail ? <Date | string>revive<Date | string>(comment.detail) : undefined,
+				timestamp: comment.timestamp ? <Date>revive<Date>(comment.timestamp) : undefined,
 				label: comment.label,
 				mode: comment.mode,
 				userIconPath: comment.userIconPath
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.protocol.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.protocol.ts
index 624036b610041..f1060481b3fb2 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.protocol.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.protocol.ts
@@ -169,9 +169,9 @@ export interface CommentChanges {
 	readonly commentReactions?: modes.CommentReaction[];
 	readonly label?: string;
 	readonly mode?: modes.CommentMode;
-	readonly detail?: {
+	readonly timestamp?: {
 		$mid: MarshalledId.Date
-	} | string;
+	};
 }
 
 export type CommentThreadChanges = Partial<{
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostComments.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostComments.ts
index 915d28eb86633..fb020efd71e8b 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostComments.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostComments.ts
@@ -618,18 +618,16 @@ export function createExtHostComments(mainContext: IMainContext, commands: ExtHo
 
 		const iconPath = vscodeComment.author && vscodeComment.author.iconPath ? vscodeComment.author.iconPath.toString() : undefined;
 
-		if (vscodeComment.detail) {
+		if (vscodeComment.timestamp) {
 			checkProposedApiEnabled(thread.extensionDescription, 'commentTimestamp');
 		}
 
-		let detail: { $mid: MarshalledId.Date, source: any } | string | undefined;
-		if (vscodeComment.detail && (typeof vscodeComment.detail !== 'string')) {
-			detail = {
-				source: vscodeComment.detail,
+		let timestamp: { $mid: MarshalledId.Date, source: any } | undefined;
+		if (vscodeComment.timestamp) {
+			timestamp = {
+				source: vscodeComment.timestamp,
 				$mid: MarshalledId.Date
 			};
-		} else {
-			detail = vscodeComment.detail;
 		}
 
 		return {
@@ -641,7 +639,7 @@ export function createExtHostComments(mainContext: IMainContext, commands: ExtHo
 			userIconPath: iconPath,
 			label: vscodeComment.label,
 			commentReactions: vscodeComment.reactions ? vscodeComment.reactions.map(reaction => convertToReaction(reaction)) : undefined,
-			detail: detail
+			timestamp
 		};
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/comments/browser/commentNode.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/comments/browser/commentNode.ts
index bae1f3ed23fbd..eecab0f8712fe 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/comments/browser/commentNode.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/comments/browser/commentNode.ts
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ export class CommentNode extends Disposable {
 	private _commentEditorDisposables: IDisposable[] = [];
 	private _commentEditorModel: ITextModel | null = null;
 	private _isPendingLabel!: HTMLElement;
-	private _detail: HTMLElement | undefined;
-	private _timestamp: TimestampWidget | undefined;
+	private _timestamp: HTMLElement | undefined;
+	private _timestampWidget: TimestampWidget | undefined;
 	private _contextKeyService: IContextKeyService;
 	private _commentContextValue: IContextKey<string>;
 
@@ -126,29 +126,24 @@ export class CommentNode extends Disposable {
 		return this._onDidClick.event;
 	}
 
-	private createDetail(container: HTMLElement) {
-		this._detail = dom.append(container, dom.$('span.detail'));
-		this.updateDetail(this.comment.detail);
+	private createTimestamp(container: HTMLElement) {
+		this._timestamp = dom.append(container, dom.$('span.timestamp-container'));
+		this.updateTimestamp(this.comment.timestamp);
 	}
 
-	private updateDetail(detail?: Date | string) {
-		if (!this._detail) {
+	private updateTimestamp(timestamp?: Date) {
+		if (!this._timestamp) {
 			return;
 		}
 
-		if (!detail) {
-			this._timestamp?.dispose();
-			this._detail.innerText = '';
-		} else if (typeof detail === 'string') {
-			this._timestamp?.dispose();
-			this._detail.innerText = detail;
+		if (!timestamp) {
+			this._timestampWidget?.dispose();
 		} else {
-			this._detail.innerText = '';
-			if (!this._timestamp) {
-				this._timestamp = new TimestampWidget(this.configurationService, this._detail, detail);
-				this._register(this._timestamp);
+			if (!this._timestampWidget) {
+				this._timestampWidget = new TimestampWidget(this.configurationService, this._timestamp, timestamp);
+				this._register(this._timestampWidget);
 			} else {
-				this._timestamp.setTimestamp(detail);
+				this._timestampWidget.setTimestamp(timestamp);
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -157,7 +152,7 @@ export class CommentNode extends Disposable {
 		const header = dom.append(commentDetailsContainer, dom.$(`div.comment-title.${MOUSE_CURSOR_TEXT_CSS_CLASS_NAME}`));
 		const author = dom.append(header, dom.$('strong.author'));
 		author.innerText = this.comment.userName;
-		this.createDetail(header);
+		this.createTimestamp(header);
 		this._isPendingLabel = dom.append(header, dom.$('span.isPending'));
 
 		if (this.comment.label) {
@@ -549,8 +544,8 @@ export class CommentNode extends Disposable {
 			this._commentContextValue.reset();
 		}
 
-		if (this.comment.detail) {
-			this.updateDetail(this.comment.detail);
+		if (this.comment.timestamp) {
+			this.updateTimestamp(this.comment.timestamp);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/vscode-dts/vscode.proposed.commentTimestamp.d.ts b/src/vscode-dts/vscode.proposed.commentTimestamp.d.ts
index 1039db61b9824..2867dcbfeabfc 100644
--- a/src/vscode-dts/vscode.proposed.commentTimestamp.d.ts
+++ b/src/vscode-dts/vscode.proposed.commentTimestamp.d.ts
@@ -6,10 +6,9 @@
 declare module 'vscode' {
 	export interface Comment {
 		/**
-		 * An optional detail that will be displayed less prominently than the `author`.
-		 * If a date is provided, then the date will be formatted according to the user's
-		 * locale and settings.
+		 * An optional timestamp that will be displayed in comments.
+		 * The date will be formatted according to the user's locale and settings.
 		 */
-		detail?: Date | string
+		timestamp?: Date;
 	}
 }