python.terminal.executeInFileDir no longer uses "cd" to switch the working directory

[sblauth]

Type: Bug

Behaviour

With previous versions of vs code, whenever I ran a python file in a terminal, there clearly was a "cd" command running, which changed the working directory to the files' directory, when python.terminal.executeInFileDir was enabled.
Now, when I run a file and a new terminal gets launched, it correctly opens in the selected files' directory. However, when I manually cd into a different dir and try to re-run the script, the working directory is no longer changed

Steps to reproduce:

1. Run a python file
2. Manually switch to a different folder with cd
3. Run the same python file again
4. The working directory stays at the one manually switched to.

Diagnostic data

Output for Python in the Output panel (View→Output, change the drop-down the upper-right of the Output panel to Python)

2026-04-24 09:25:11.139 [debug] Delay Trigger[Test Configuration Change]: triggered=164, called=25
2026-04-24 09:25:13.518 [debug] Attempting to run Python file undefined
2026-04-24 09:25:17.229 [debug] Received shell integration sequence for bash
2026-04-24 09:25:17.505 [debug] Extension unknown accessed getActiveEnvironmentPath with args: undefined
2026-04-24 09:25:17.505 [debug] Extension unknown accessed resolveEnvironment with args: {"id":"/p/tv/local/miniforge/miniforge_blauths/envs/cashocs/bin/python","path":"/p/tv/local/miniforge/miniforge_blauths/envs/cashocs/bin/python"}
2026-04-24 09:25:17.899 [debug] Delay Trigger[Test Configuration Change]: triggered=169, called=26
2026-04-24 09:25:21.410 [debug] Received shell integration sequence for bash
2026-04-24 09:25:25.309 [debug] Received shell integration sequence for bash
2026-04-24 09:25:25.334 [debug] Extension unknown accessed getActiveEnvironmentPath with args: undefined
2026-04-24 09:25:25.334 [debug] Extension unknown accessed resolveEnvironment with args: {"id":"/p/tv/local/miniforge/miniforge_blauths/envs/cashocs/bin/python","path":"/p/tv/local/miniforge/miniforge_blauths/envs/cashocs/bin/python"}
2026-04-24 09:25:29.945 [debug] Received shell integration sequence for bash
2026-04-24 09:25:35.859 [debug] Received shell integration sequence for bash
2026-04-24 09:25:49.842 [debug] Received shell integration sequence for bash
2026-04-24 09:26:18.362 [debug] Attempting to run Python file undefined
2026-04-24 09:26:19.141 [debug] Delay Trigger[Test Configuration Change]: triggered=174, called=27
2026-04-24 09:26:22.736 [debug] Received shell integration sequence for bash
2026-04-24 09:26:27.494 [debug] Received shell integration sequence for bash

Extension version: 2026.4.0
VS Code version: Code 1.117.0 (10c8e557c8b9f9ed0a87f61f1c9a44bde731c409, 2026-04-21T16:12:14-07:00)
OS version: Linux x64 5.14.0-611.49.1.el9_7.x86_64
Modes:

• Python version (& distribution if applicable, e.g. Anaconda): 3.13.13.final.0
• Type of virtual environment used (e.g. conda, venv, virtualenv, etc.): System
• Value of the python.languageServer setting: Default

User Settings

Multiroot scenario, following user settings may not apply:

condaPath: "<placeholder>"

languageServer: "Pylance"

testing
• pytestArgs: "<placeholder>"
• pytestEnabled: true
• autoTestDiscoverOnSaveEnabled: false

terminal
• executeInFileDir: "<placeholder>"

Installed Extensions

Extension Name	Extension Id	Version
autodocstring	njp	0.6.1
copilot-chat	Git	0.45.1
debugpy	ms-	2025.18.0
even-better-toml	tam	0.21.2
gitlab-workflow	Git	6.75.1
isort	ms-	2025.0.0
js-debug-companion	ms-	1.1.3
jsts-chat-features	Typ	0.0.2
path-intellisense	chr	2.10.0
python	ms-	2026.4.0
ruff	cha	2026.40.0
vscode-icons	vsc	12.18.0
vscode-js-profile-table	ms-	1.0.10
vscode-pull-request-github	Git	0.138.0
vscode-pylance	ms-	2026.2.1
vscode-python-envs	ms-	1.29.2026042301

[sblauth]

Moreover, if my memory does not play tricks on me, also the following happens: After I have successfully ran a python file, switch to a different terminal, and then re-run the file, previous versions would jump back to the terminal, where the python file is being run. This does not happen anymore, although the code gets executed as expected.

[eleanorjboyd]

🤖 Triage: the current dedicated-terminal code sets cwd when it first creates a terminal and then reuses that terminal; it does not, by itself, reset a directory the user changed later. To pin down ownership and intended behavior, does this still reproduce on current Python/Python Environments releases using Run Python File in Terminal, and is python.terminal.executeInFileDir explicitly enabled? Please include the Python and Python Environments output from both runs, including the command sent to the reused terminal.