diff --git a/test/smoke/package.json b/test/smoke/package.json
index 292850b6a0e..9ef1a50f778 100644
--- a/test/smoke/package.json
+++ b/test/smoke/package.json
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
     "typescript": "^2.2.2",
     "rimraf": "^2.6.1",
     "commander": "^2.9.0",
-    "simple-git": "^1.73.0"
+    "simple-git": "^1.73.0",
+    "strip-json-comments": "^2.0.1"
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/smoke/src/areas/javascript-debug.ts b/test/smoke/src/areas/javascript-debug.ts
index 948594945d7..7326e9be1a2 100644
--- a/test/smoke/src/areas/javascript-debug.ts
+++ b/test/smoke/src/areas/javascript-debug.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
  *--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
 import { SpectronApplication } from '../spectron/application';
+var stripJsonComments = require('strip-json-comments');
 
 export class JavaScriptDebug {
 	private readonly sidebarSelector = '.margin-view-overlays';
@@ -17,14 +18,20 @@ export class JavaScriptDebug {
 	}
 
 	public async pressConfigureLaunchJson(): Promise<any> {
-		await this.spectron.waitFor(this.spectron.client.click, 'ul[aria-label="Debug actions"] .action-label.icon.debug-action.configure');
+		try {
+			await this.spectron.waitFor(this.spectron.client.click, 'ul[aria-label="Debug actions"] .action-label.icon.debug-action.configure');
+		} catch (e) {
+			return Promise.reject('Clicking on debug configuration gear failed.');
+		}
 		await this.spectron.wait();
 		await this.spectron.client.keys(['ArrowDown', 'NULL', 'Enter']);
 		return this.spectron.wait();
 	}
 
-	public getProgramConfigValue(): Promise<any> {
-		return this.spectron.client.getText('.view-lines>:nth-child(11) .mtk7');
+	public async getProgramConfigValue(): Promise<any> {
+		const lines = stripJsonComments(await this.spectron.client.getText('.view-lines'));
+		const json = JSON.parse(lines);
+		return json.configurations[0].program;
 	}
 
 	public setBreakpointOnLine(lineNumber: number): Promise<any> {
diff --git a/test/smoke/src/tests/javascript-debug.ts b/test/smoke/src/tests/javascript-debug.ts
index 801543f539a..8d647a68b98 100644
--- a/test/smoke/src/tests/javascript-debug.ts
+++ b/test/smoke/src/tests/javascript-debug.ts
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ export function testJavaScriptDebug() {
 			await jsDebug.openDebugViewlet();
 			await jsDebug.pressConfigureLaunchJson();
 			const value = await jsDebug.getProgramConfigValue();
-			process.platform === 'win32' ? assert.equal(value, '"${workspaceRoot}\\\\bin\\\\www"') : assert.equal(value, '"${workspaceRoot}/bin/www"');
+			process.platform === 'win32' ? assert.equal(value, '${workspaceRoot}\\bin\\www') : assert.equal(value, '${workspaceRoot}/bin/www');
 		});
 
 		it(`can set a breakpoint and verify if it's set`, async function () {