.env file content isn't autoloaded into a terminal, despite coresponding settings being set.

[Vitalii-Kh95]

Type: Bug

Behaviour

In my settings.json:
"python.envFile": "${workspaceFolder}/.env",
"python.terminal.activateEnvInCurrentTerminal": true,

And there's sertainly a .env file in the path I open my VS Code at. I can load .env manually via set -a; source .env; set +a command, but I believe it was done automatically before. Now it doesn't work for some reason. I believe it's a bug.

Steps to reproduce:

Besides what I wrote before, I'll notice that I use several instances of VS Code. even though I didn't really check if it's any relevant, sorry.

Extension version: 2025.17.2025110501
VS Code version: Code 1.105.1 (7d842fb85a0275a4a8e4d7e040d2625abbf7f084, 2025-10-14T22:33:36.618Z)
OS version: Linux x64 6.8.0-87-generic
Modes:

• Python version (& distribution if applicable, e.g. Anaconda): 3.12.3
• Type of virtual environment used (e.g. conda, venv, virtualenv, etc.): Venv
• Value of the python.languageServer setting: Default

User Settings

venvPath: "<placeholder>"

languageServer: "Pylance"

testing
• pytestEnabled: true

Installed Extensions

Extension Name	Extension Id	Version
autodocstring	njp	0.6.1
codeium	Cod	1.48.2
debugpy	ms-	2025.15.2025110501
even-better-toml	tam	0.21.2
git-graph	mhu	1.30.0
jinja	who	0.0.8
js-debug	ms-	1.105.0
js-debug-companion	ms-	1.1.3
jupyter	ms-	2025.9.1
jupyter-keymap	ms-	1.1.2
jupyter-renderers	ms-	1.3.0
python	ms-	2025.17.2025110501
python-environment-manager	don	1.2.7
remote-containers	ms-	0.430.0
remote-explorer	ms-	0.5.0
remote-server	ms-	1.5.3
remote-ssh	ms-	0.120.0
remote-ssh-edit	ms-	0.87.0
remote-wsl	ms-	0.104.3
ruff	cha	2025.28.0
vscode-django	bat	1.15.0
vscode-docker	ms-	2.0.0
vscode-dotnet-runtime	ms-	2.3.7
vscode-js-profile-table	ms-	1.0.10
vscode-jupyter-cell-tags	ms-	0.1.9
vscode-jupyter-slideshow	ms-	0.1.6
vscode-pylance	ms-	2025.9.100
vscode-remote-extensionpack	ms-	0.26.0
vscode-stripe	str	3.8.6

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-1125G4 @ 2.00GHz (8 x 1999)
GPU Status	2d_canvas: enabled direct_rendering_display_compositor: disabled_off_ok gpu_compositing: enabled multiple_raster_threads: enabled_on opengl: enabled_on rasterization: enabled raw_draw: disabled_off_ok skia_graphite: disabled_off trees_in_viz: disabled_off video_decode: enabled video_encode: disabled_software vulkan: disabled_off webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled webgpu: disabled_off webnn: disabled_off
Load (avg)	1, 2, 1
Memory (System)	7.53GB (1.40GB free)
Process Argv	--crash-reporter-id 13d2fa3b-1c8c-47d7-8dbe-d56358838b68
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%
DESKTOP_SESSION	plasma
XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP	KDE
XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP	KDE
XDG_SESSION_TYPE	x11

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pythonrdcb7:31342333
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nes-set-on:31351930
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envsdeactivate2:31353495
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asdad-cf:31397862
cloudbuttont:31379625
todos-1:31405332
qwen_all_req:31402696
treatment_gpt5applypatchexclusively:31412086
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defaultsignin:31399436
auto_g2946222:31414244
je187915:31407605
d5i5i512:31405346
ff8f5884:31411053

[eleanorjboyd]

can you try "python.terminal.useEnvFile": true and see if that works?

[LarsonPaul1]

I'm encountering the same issue. VSCode version 1.105.1, extension version 2025.18.0, Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS.

Toggling the value of "python.terminal.useEnvFile" appears to have no effect.

However, when I have a terminal already open in a project, re-opening the project or reloading (Developer: Reload Window) causes the environment to activate.

EDIT 2025-11-18: I believe I misunderstood the original issue, and was encountering a different issue. That being said, my issue has stopped occurring as of the latest version of VSCode (1.106.0).

[Vitalii-Kh95]

I found there were already topics on this issue. Like this one:
#25294

I also discovered I had Python Environment Manager extension marked as (deprecated) for some reason.
And now it's Python Environments that is reccomended to use.

I haven't tried testing it as a mean to load .env file though, as I decided to try using bash script loading .env instead, as it seams to be more language agnostic way to do it. Frankly I was a little bit surprised it was a PYTHON extension specific feature in the first place...
Anyway I think the issue should be closed.