Duplicate select python interpreter in status bar

[ltan10]

Vscode Version: 1.109.5

vscode python extension ms-python.python version: 2026.2.0

Problem:

vscode-python-environments version: 1.20.1
Duplicate python interpreters available in status bar, and only one of them effectively changes the interpreter.
Unsure if there are other collisions happening.

Reproduce:

Install vscode-python-environments==1.20.1

• Duplicate interpreter selector visible

Downgrade vscode-python-environments==1.16.0

• No duplicate interpretor selector

[septatrix]

I also get two source activations when I open a terminal, the first one very quick, and the second one a bit later when I already typed stuff, messing up the input (which can be dangerous because the extension also directly executes the line afterwards). I think the second activation comes from this extension as disabling it resolved this issue. I can only assume that there is now some weird kind of incompatibility with the primary python extension

[eleanorjboyd]

this is very interesting- I haven't seen this problem before. Let me investigate further- thanks!

[eleanorjboyd]

If you set python.useEnvsExtension explicitly to true do you see the duplicate go away?

[eleanorjboyd]

also Nils K (@septatrix) - can you try changing "python-envs.terminal.autoActivationType": "shellStartup" this may fix that issue

[shoucandanghehe]

The problem was solved after I added the following configuration items, but a new problem emerged:

{
    "python.useEnvironmentsExtension": true,
    "python.terminal.activateEnvInCurrentTerminal": true,
    "python-envs.terminal.autoActivationType": "shellStartup"
}

The correct venv path cannot be obtained for some extensions(such as basedpyright).
It will Received pythonPath from Python extension: /path/to/default/python.
It is necessary to use >python.setInterpreter to explicitly configure the venv for the Python extension.

[eleanorjboyd]

glad those worked but sorry the integration / communication with basedpyright still isn't working. I will investigate there

[Unturned3]

What does this Python Environments extension do, in addition to the official Python vscode extension? I also noticed the two source activations when I open a terminal, and two Python interpreters shown in the status bar. I just disabled this Python Environments extension and the issue is gone. Seems like I can select interpreters through the Python extension just fine.

[github-actions]

Hey Eleanor Boyd (@eleanorjboyd), this issue might need further attention.

ltan10, you can help us out by closing this issue if the problem no longer exists, or adding more information.

[eleanorjboyd]

Hi! Check out our blog here on the new extension and its use cases: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/python/python-in-visual-studio-code-february-2026-release/

then the most recent release of the python envs extension has a fix for double activation so let me know if you are still seeing that problem!

[wRAR]

let me know if you are still seeing that problem!

I do, with 1.22.0. I haven't tried any of the workarounds above, as I'm reading the last message as saying that it should work correctly out of the box.

[wRAR]

After further tests I now have a workspace with one selector shown (but two selectors, both checked, listed in the status bar context menu), and the environment shown there as selected is not the environment returned from environments.getActiveEnvironmentPath(), as seen e.g. in the Ruff extension logs. I assume it's the one selected in the second selector, the one that is not shown.

[andrewspiers]

I have just upgraded to the pre-release version ( 1.23.1079107 ) and I still have the virtual env appearing twice.
This might have fixed something else though, previously some modules installed in the virtual env were being reported as
unfindable by pylance.

[laikoni]

I'm on the most recent version 1.26.0 and the status bar shows my venv interpreter twice:

Potentially related error: Pylance complains about an unresolvable import in the editor, even though the package is part of the venv, the interpreter is set to the respective venv (in both places ...) and the script also runs through without complaining.

VS Code Version:

Version: 1.114.0 (Universal)
Commit: e7fb5e96c0730b9deb70b33781f98e2f35975036
Date: 2026-04-01T09:27:11Z
Electron: 39.8.3
ElectronBuildId: 13658728
Chromium: 142.0.7444.265
Node.js: 22.22.1
V8: 14.2.231.22-electron.0
OS: Darwin arm64 24.6.0