diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadDebugService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadDebugService.ts
index c0ec9d1b550..1b0e0389246 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadDebugService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadDebugService.ts
@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@ export class MainThreadDebugService implements MainThreadDebugServiceShape, IDeb
 		const folderUri = folder ? uri.revive(folder) : undefined;
 		const launch = this.debugService.getConfigurationManager().getLaunch(folderUri);
 		const parentSession = this.getSession(options.parentSessionID);
+		const saveBeforeStart = typeof options.suppressSaveBeforeStart === 'boolean' ? !options.suppressSaveBeforeStart : undefined;
 		const debugOptions: IDebugSessionOptions = {
 			noDebug: options.noDebug,
 			parentSession,
@@ -230,11 +231,11 @@ export class MainThreadDebugService implements MainThreadDebugServiceShape, IDeb
 			repl: options.repl,
 			compact: options.compact,
 			debugUI: options.debugUI,
-			compoundRoot: parentSession?.compoundRoot
+			compoundRoot: parentSession?.compoundRoot,
+			saveBeforeStart: saveBeforeStart
 		};
 		try {
-			const saveBeforeStart = typeof options.suppressSaveBeforeStart === 'boolean' ? !options.suppressSaveBeforeStart : undefined;
-			return this.debugService.startDebugging(launch, nameOrConfig, debugOptions, saveBeforeStart);
+			return this.debugService.startDebugging(launch, nameOrConfig, debugOptions);
 		} catch (err) {
 			throw new ErrorNoTelemetry(err && err.message ? err.message : 'cannot start debugging');
 		}
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debugCommands.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debugCommands.ts
index 25da3464ac6..596bbd9c32d 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debugCommands.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debugCommands.ts
@@ -723,7 +723,7 @@ KeybindingsRegistry.registerCommandAndKeybindingRule({
 		const { launch, name, getConfig } = debugService.getConfigurationManager().selectedConfiguration;
 		const config = await getConfig();
 		const configOrName = config ? Object.assign(deepClone(config), debugStartOptions?.config) : name;
-		await debugService.startDebugging(launch, configOrName, { noDebug: debugStartOptions?.noDebug, startedByUser: true }, false);
+		await debugService.startDebugging(launch, configOrName, { noDebug: debugStartOptions?.noDebug, startedByUser: true, saveBeforeStart: false });
 	}
 });
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debugService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debugService.ts
index b308716a8bb..2474922a5ad 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debugService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debugService.ts
@@ -312,7 +312,10 @@ export class DebugService implements IDebugService {
 	 * main entry point
 	 * properly manages compounds, checks for errors and handles the initializing state.
 	 */
-	async startDebugging(launch: ILaunch | undefined, configOrName?: IConfig | string, options?: IDebugSessionOptions, saveBeforeStart = !options?.parentSession): Promise<boolean> {
+	async startDebugging(launch: ILaunch | undefined, configOrName?: IConfig | string, options?: IDebugSessionOptions): Promise<boolean> {
+
+		const saveBeforeStart = options?.saveBeforeStart ?? !options?.parentSession;
+
 		const message = options && options.noDebug ? nls.localize('runTrust', "Running executes build tasks and program code from your workspace.") : nls.localize('debugTrust', "Debugging executes build tasks and program code from your workspace.");
 		const trust = await this.workspaceTrustRequestService.requestWorkspaceTrust({ message });
 		if (!trust) {
@@ -701,7 +704,10 @@ export class DebugService implements IDebugService {
 	}
 
 	async restartSession(session: IDebugSession, restartData?: any): Promise<any> {
-		await this.editorService.saveAll();
+		if (session.saveBeforeStart) {
+			await saveAllBeforeDebugStart(this.configurationService, this.editorService);
+		}
+
 		const isAutoRestart = !!restartData;
 
 		const runTasks: () => Promise<TaskRunResult> = async () => {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debugSession.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debugSession.ts
index de26f713ef0..29a568d478b 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debugSession.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debugSession.ts
@@ -164,6 +164,10 @@ export class DebugSession implements IDebugSession {
 		return !!this._options.compact;
 	}
 
+	get saveBeforeStart(): boolean {
+		return this._options.saveBeforeStart ?? !this._options?.parentSession;
+	}
+
 	get compoundRoot(): DebugCompoundRoot | undefined {
 		return this._options.compoundRoot;
 	}
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/common/debug.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/common/debug.ts
index a8397f69aef..21dc92d475c 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/common/debug.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/common/debug.ts
@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ export interface IDebugSessionOptions {
 		simple?: boolean;
 	};
 	startedByUser?: boolean;
+	saveBeforeStart?: boolean;
 }
 
 export interface IDataBreakpointInfoResponse {
@@ -296,6 +297,7 @@ export interface IDebugSession extends ITreeElement {
 	readonly subId: string | undefined;
 	readonly compact: boolean;
 	readonly compoundRoot: DebugCompoundRoot | undefined;
+	readonly saveBeforeStart: boolean;
 	readonly name: string;
 	readonly isSimpleUI: boolean;
 	readonly autoExpandLazyVariables: boolean;
@@ -1088,7 +1090,7 @@ export interface IDebugService {
 	 * Returns true if the start debugging was successful. For compound launches, all configurations have to start successfully for it to return success.
 	 * On errors the startDebugging will throw an error, however some error and cancelations are handled and in that case will simply return false.
 	 */
-	startDebugging(launch: ILaunch | undefined, configOrName?: IConfig | string, options?: IDebugSessionOptions, saveBeforeStart?: boolean): Promise<boolean>;
+	startDebugging(launch: ILaunch | undefined, configOrName?: IConfig | string, options?: IDebugSessionOptions): Promise<boolean>;
 
 	/**
 	 * Restarts a session or creates a new one if there is no active session.
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/test/browser/mockDebug.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/test/browser/mockDebug.ts
index 1bebaa31adb..1596e346e31 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/test/browser/mockDebug.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/test/browser/mockDebug.ts
@@ -190,6 +190,10 @@ export class MockSession implements IDebugSession {
 		return undefined;
 	}
 
+	get saveBeforeStart(): boolean {
+		return true;
+	}
+
 	get isSimpleUI(): boolean {
 		return false;
 	}