diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadTunnelService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadTunnelService.ts
index 1d198877f0e..b09d08fab27 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadTunnelService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/browser/mainThreadTunnelService.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ import { ITunnelProvider, ITunnelService, TunnelCreationOptions, TunnelProviderF
 import { Disposable } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
 import type { TunnelDescription } from 'vs/platform/remote/common/remoteAuthorityResolver';
 import { INotificationService, Severity } from 'vs/platform/notification/common/notification';
+import { IConfigurationService } from 'vs/platform/configuration/common/configuration';
+import { PORT_AUTO_FORWARD_SETTING } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/remote/browser/tunnelView';
 
 @extHostNamedCustomer(MainContext.MainThreadTunnelService)
 export class MainThreadTunnelService extends Disposable implements MainThreadTunnelServiceShape {
@@ -22,7 +24,8 @@ export class MainThreadTunnelService extends Disposable implements MainThreadTun
 		extHostContext: IExtHostContext,
 		@IRemoteExplorerService private readonly remoteExplorerService: IRemoteExplorerService,
 		@ITunnelService private readonly tunnelService: ITunnelService,
-		@INotificationService private readonly notificationService: INotificationService
+		@INotificationService private readonly notificationService: INotificationService,
+		@IConfigurationService private readonly configurationService: IConfigurationService
 	) {
 		super();
 		this._proxy = extHostContext.getProxy(ExtHostContext.ExtHostTunnelService);
@@ -32,10 +35,15 @@ export class MainThreadTunnelService extends Disposable implements MainThreadTun
 
 	async $setCandidateFinder(): Promise<void> {
 		if (this.remoteExplorerService.portsFeaturesEnabled) {
-			this._proxy.$registerCandidateFinder();
+			this._proxy.$registerCandidateFinder(true);
 		} else {
-			this._register(this.remoteExplorerService.onEnabledPortsFeatures(() => this._proxy.$registerCandidateFinder()));
+			this._register(this.remoteExplorerService.onEnabledPortsFeatures(() => this._proxy.$registerCandidateFinder(true)));
 		}
+		this._register(this.configurationService.onDidChangeConfiguration(async (e) => {
+			if (e.affectsConfiguration(PORT_AUTO_FORWARD_SETTING)) {
+				return this._proxy.$registerCandidateFinder((this.configurationService.getValue(PORT_AUTO_FORWARD_SETTING)));
+			}
+		}));
 	}
 
 	async $openTunnel(tunnelOptions: TunnelOptions, source: string): Promise<TunnelDto | undefined> {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.protocol.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.protocol.ts
index 5da7b6f3761..8cdc92b4a5e 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.protocol.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHost.protocol.ts
@@ -1810,7 +1810,7 @@ export interface ExtHostTunnelServiceShape {
 	$forwardPort(tunnelOptions: TunnelOptions, tunnelCreationOptions: TunnelCreationOptions): Promise<TunnelDto | undefined>;
 	$closeTunnel(remote: { host: string, port: number }, silent?: boolean): Promise<void>;
 	$onDidTunnelsChange(): Promise<void>;
-	$registerCandidateFinder(): Promise<void>;
+	$registerCandidateFinder(enable: boolean): Promise<void>;
 	$applyCandidateFilter(candidates: CandidatePort[]): Promise<CandidatePort[]>;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostTunnelService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostTunnelService.ts
index f3e5ae5ff5f..8075d654f89 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostTunnelService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostTunnelService.ts
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ export class ExtHostTunnelService extends Disposable implements IExtHostTunnelSe
 	private _extensionTunnels: Map<string, Map<number, { tunnel: vscode.Tunnel, disposeListener: IDisposable }>> = new Map();
 	private _onDidChangeTunnels: Emitter<void> = new Emitter<void>();
 	onDidChangeTunnels: vscode.Event<void> = this._onDidChangeTunnels.event;
+	private _candidateFindingEnabled: boolean = false;
 
 	constructor(
 		@IExtHostRpcService extHostRpc: IExtHostRpcService,
@@ -171,11 +172,16 @@ export class ExtHostTunnelService extends Disposable implements IExtHostTunnelSe
 		return Math.max(movingAverage * 20, 2000);
 	}
 
-	async $registerCandidateFinder(): Promise<void> {
+	async $registerCandidateFinder(enable: boolean): Promise<void> {
+		if (enable && this._candidateFindingEnabled) {
+			// already enabled
+			return;
+		}
+		this._candidateFindingEnabled = enable;
 		// Regularly scan to see if the candidate ports have changed.
 		let movingAverage = new MovingAverage();
 		let oldPorts: { host: string, port: number, detail: string }[] | undefined = undefined;
-		while (1) {
+		while (this._candidateFindingEnabled) {
 			const startTime = new Date().getTime();
 			const newPorts = await this.findCandidatePorts();
 			const timeTaken = new Date().getTime() - startTime;