diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/rawDebugSession.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/rawDebugSession.ts
index 9194cd7686c..e925e77850e 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/rawDebugSession.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/rawDebugSession.ts
@@ -670,7 +670,7 @@ export class RawDebugSession implements IDisposable {
 			});
 		}
 		if (error && error.format && error.showUser) {
-			this.notificationService.error(error.format);
+			this.notificationService.error(userMessage);
 		}
 
 		return new Error(userMessage);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/test/common/debugUtils.test.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/test/common/debugUtils.test.ts
index b61e16b4ebe..c588b76cf0e 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/test/common/debugUtils.test.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/test/common/debugUtils.test.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ suite('Debug - Utils', () => {
 		assert.strictEqual(formatPII('Foo {0} Bar {1}{2}', false, { '0': 'yes', '1': 'undefined' }), 'Foo yes Bar undefined{2}');
 		assert.strictEqual(formatPII('Foo {_key0} Bar {key1}{key2}', true, { '_key0': 'yes', 'key1': '5', 'key2': 'false' }), 'Foo yes Bar {key1}{key2}');
 		assert.strictEqual(formatPII('Foo {_key0} Bar {key1}{key2}', false, { '_key0': 'yes', 'key1': '5', 'key2': 'false' }), 'Foo yes Bar 5false');
+		assert.strictEqual(formatPII('Unable to display threads:"{e}"', false, { 'e': 'detached from process' }), 'Unable to display threads:"detached from process"');
 	});
 
 	test('getExactExpressionStartAndEnd', () => {