diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostDebugService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostDebugService.ts
index ac05c037e00..f73486a4763 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostDebugService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostDebugService.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 import * as nls from 'vs/nls';
 import * as vscode from 'vscode';
+import * as env from 'vs/base/common/platform';
 import { DebugAdapterExecutable } from 'vs/workbench/api/common/extHostTypes';
 import { ExecutableDebugAdapter, SocketDebugAdapter } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/debug/node/debugAdapter';
 import { AbstractDebugAdapter } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/debug/common/abstractDebugAdapter';
@@ -23,7 +24,6 @@ import { SignService } from 'vs/platform/sign/node/signService';
 import { hasChildProcesses, prepareCommand, runInExternalTerminal } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/debug/node/terminals';
 import { IDisposable } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
 import { AbstractVariableResolverService } from 'vs/workbench/services/configurationResolver/common/variableResolver';
-import { IProcessEnvironment } from 'vs/base/common/platform';
 
 
 export class ExtHostDebugService extends ExtHostDebugServiceBase {
@@ -87,7 +87,22 @@ export class ExtHostDebugService extends ExtHostDebugServiceBase {
 			}
 
 			const configProvider = await this._configurationService.getConfigProvider();
-			const shell = this._terminalService.getDefaultShell(true, configProvider);
+			const terminalConfig = configProvider.getConfiguration('terminal');
+
+			let shell;
+			const automationShellConfig = terminalConfig.integrated.automationShell;
+			if (automationShellConfig) {
+				if (env.isWindows) {
+					shell = automationShellConfig.windows;
+				} else if (env.isLinux) {
+					shell = automationShellConfig.linux;
+				} else if (env.isMacintosh) {
+					shell = automationShellConfig.osx;
+				}
+			}
+			if (!shell) {
+				shell = this._terminalService.getDefaultShell(true, configProvider);
+			}
 
 			if (needNewTerminal || !this._integratedTerminalInstance) {
 
@@ -108,7 +123,7 @@ export class ExtHostDebugService extends ExtHostDebugServiceBase {
 			terminal.show();
 
 			const shellProcessId = await this._integratedTerminalInstance.processId;
-			const command = prepareCommand(args, shell, configProvider);
+			const command = prepareCommand(args, shell);
 			terminal.sendText(command, true);
 
 			return shellProcessId;
@@ -121,7 +136,7 @@ export class ExtHostDebugService extends ExtHostDebugServiceBase {
 	}
 
 	protected createVariableResolver(folders: vscode.WorkspaceFolder[], editorService: ExtHostDocumentsAndEditors, configurationService: ExtHostConfigProvider): AbstractVariableResolverService {
-		return new ExtHostVariableResolverService(folders, editorService, configurationService, process.env as IProcessEnvironment);
+		return new ExtHostVariableResolverService(folders, editorService, configurationService, process.env as env.IProcessEnvironment);
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/node/terminals.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/node/terminals.ts
index e4e0abd2280..a14e52c7a18 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/node/terminals.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/node/terminals.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 
 import * as cp from 'child_process';
 import * as env from 'vs/base/common/platform';
-import { getSystemShell } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/node/terminal';
 import { WindowsExternalTerminalService, MacExternalTerminalService, LinuxExternalTerminalService } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/externalTerminal/node/externalTerminalService';
 import { IConfigurationService } from 'vs/platform/configuration/common/configuration';
 import { IExternalTerminalService } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/externalTerminal/common/externalTerminal';
@@ -76,35 +75,22 @@ export function hasChildProcesses(processId: number | undefined): Promise<boolea
 
 const enum ShellType { cmd, powershell, bash }
 
-export function prepareCommand(args: DebugProtocol.RunInTerminalRequestArguments, shell: string, configProvider: ExtHostConfigProvider): string {
+export function prepareCommand(args: DebugProtocol.RunInTerminalRequestArguments, shell: string): string {
 
-	let shellType = env.isWindows ? ShellType.cmd : ShellType.bash;	// pick a good default
-
-	if (shell) {
-
-		const config = configProvider.getConfiguration('terminal');
-
-		// get the shell configuration for the current platform
-		const shell_config = config.integrated.shell;
-		if (env.isWindows) {
-			shell = shell_config.windows || getSystemShell(env.Platform.Windows);
-		} else if (env.isLinux) {
-			shell = shell_config.linux || getSystemShell(env.Platform.Linux);
-		} else if (env.isMacintosh) {
-			shell = shell_config.osx || getSystemShell(env.Platform.Mac);
-		} else {
-			throw new Error('Unknown platform');
-		}
-	}
+	shell = shell.trim().toLowerCase();
 
 	// try to determine the shell type
-	shell = shell.trim().toLowerCase();
+	let shellType;
 	if (shell.indexOf('powershell') >= 0 || shell.indexOf('pwsh') >= 0) {
 		shellType = ShellType.powershell;
 	} else if (shell.indexOf('cmd.exe') >= 0) {
 		shellType = ShellType.cmd;
 	} else if (shell.indexOf('bash') >= 0) {
 		shellType = ShellType.bash;
+	} else if (env.isWindows) {
+		shellType = ShellType.cmd; // pick a good default for Windows
+	} else {
+		shellType = ShellType.bash;	// pick a good default for anything else
 	}
 
 	let quote: (s: string) => string;