Setting go.terminal.activateEnvironment setting to false does nothing

[alexbrainman]

What version of Go, VS Code & VS Code Go extension are you using?

Version Information

• Run go version to get version of Go from the VS Code integrated terminal.
  • go version go1.25.4 windows/amd64
• Run gopls -v version to get version of Gopls from the VS Code integrated terminal.

C:\Users\User\src\github.com>gopls -v version
'gopls' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

C:\Users\User\src\github.com>

• Run code -v or code-insiders -v to get version of VS Code or VS Code Insiders.

C:\Users\User\src\go\src>code -v
1.107.0
618725e67565b290ba4da6fe2d29f8fa1d4e3622
x64

C:\Users\User\src\go\src>

• Check your installed extensions to get the version of the VS Code Go extension
• Run Ctrl+Shift+P (Cmd+Shift+P on Mac OS) > Go: Locate Configured Go Tools command.

# Tools Configuration


## Environment

GOBIN: undefined
toolsGopath: 
gopath: C:\Users\User\go
GOROOT: C:\Users\User\src\go1.25.4
PATH: C:\WINDOWS\system32;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\System32\Wbem;C:\WINDOWS\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;C:\WINDOWS\System32\OpenSSH\;C:\Program Files\Git\cmd;C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps;C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Programs\Microsoft VS Code\bin

## Tools

	go:	C:\Users\User\src\go1.25.4\bin\go.exe: go version go1.25.4 windows/amd64

	gopls:	C:\Users\User\go\bin\gopls.exe	(version: v0.20.0 built with go: go1.26-devel_5241d114f5)
	gotests:	not installed
	impl:	not installed
	goplay:	not installed
	dlv:	not installed
	staticcheck:	C:\Users\User\go\bin\staticcheck.exe	(version: v0.6.1 built with go: go1.26-devel_5241d114f5)

## Go env

Workspace Folder (go): c:\Users\User\src\go

	set AR=ar
	set CC=gcc
	set CGO_CFLAGS=-O2 -g
	set CGO_CPPFLAGS=
	set CGO_CXXFLAGS=-O2 -g
	set CGO_ENABLED=0
	set CGO_FFLAGS=-O2 -g
	set CGO_LDFLAGS=-O2 -g
	set CXX=g++
	set GCCGO=gccgo
	set GO111MODULE=
	set GOAMD64=v1
	set GOARCH=amd64
	set GOAUTH=netrc
	set GOBIN=
	set GOCACHE=C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\go-build
	set GOCACHEPROG=
	set GODEBUG=
	set GOENV=C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\go\env
	set GOEXE=.exe
	set GOEXPERIMENT=
	set GOFIPS140=off
	set GOFLAGS=
	set GOGCCFLAGS=-m64 -fno-caret-diagnostics -Qunused-arguments -Wl,--no-gc-sections -fmessage-length=0 -ffile-prefix-map=C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\go-build360458620=/tmp/go-build -gno-record-gcc-switches
	set GOHOSTARCH=amd64
	set GOHOSTOS=windows
	set GOINSECURE=
	set GOMOD=NUL
	set GOMODCACHE=C:\Users\User\go\pkg\mod
	set GONOPROXY=
	set GONOSUMDB=
	set GOOS=windows
	set GOPATH=C:\Users\User\go
	set GOPRIVATE=
	set GOPROXY=https://proxy.golang.org,direct
	set GOROOT=C:\Users\User\src\go1.25.4
	set GOSUMDB=sum.golang.org
	set GOTELEMETRY=local
	set GOTELEMETRYDIR=C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\go\telemetry
	set GOTMPDIR=
	set GOTOOLCHAIN=auto
	set GOTOOLDIR=C:\Users\User\src\go1.25.4\pkg\tool\windows_amd64
	set GOVCS=
	set GOVERSION=go1.25.4
	set GOWORK=
	set PKG_CONFIG=pkg-config
	
Workspace Folder (github.com): c:\Users\User\src\github.com

	set AR=ar
	set CC=gcc
	set CGO_CFLAGS=-O2 -g
	set CGO_CPPFLAGS=
	set CGO_CXXFLAGS=-O2 -g
	set CGO_ENABLED=0
	set CGO_FFLAGS=-O2 -g
	set CGO_LDFLAGS=-O2 -g
	set CXX=g++
	set GCCGO=gccgo
	set GO111MODULE=
	set GOAMD64=v1
	set GOARCH=amd64
	set GOAUTH=netrc
	set GOBIN=
	set GOCACHE=C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\go-build
	set GOCACHEPROG=
	set GODEBUG=
	set GOENV=C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\go\env
	set GOEXE=.exe
	set GOEXPERIMENT=
	set GOFIPS140=off
	set GOFLAGS=
	set GOGCCFLAGS=-m64 -fno-caret-diagnostics -Qunused-arguments -Wl,--no-gc-sections -fmessage-length=0 -ffile-prefix-map=C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\go-build1172021910=/tmp/go-build -gno-record-gcc-switches
	set GOHOSTARCH=amd64
	set GOHOSTOS=windows
	set GOINSECURE=
	set GOMOD=NUL
	set GOMODCACHE=C:\Users\User\go\pkg\mod
	set GONOPROXY=
	set GONOSUMDB=
	set GOOS=windows
	set GOPATH=C:\Users\User\go
	set GOPRIVATE=
	set GOPROXY=https://proxy.golang.org,direct
	set GOROOT=C:\Users\User\src\go1.25.4
	set GOSUMDB=sum.golang.org
	set GOTELEMETRY=local
	set GOTELEMETRYDIR=C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\go\telemetry
	set GOTMPDIR=
	set GOTOOLCHAIN=auto
	set GOTOOLDIR=C:\Users\User\src\go1.25.4\pkg\tool\windows_amd64
	set GOVCS=
	set GOVERSION=go1.25.4
	set GOWORK=
	set PKG_CONFIG=pkg-config
	

Share the Go related settings you have added/edited

Run Preferences: Open Settings (JSON) command to open your settings.json file.
Share all the settings with the go. or ["go"] or gopls prefixes.

{
    "go.delveConfig": {},
    "go.terminal.activateEnvironment": false,
    "go.logging.level": "verbose"
}

Describe the bug

I am trying to use go.terminal.activateEnvironment flag that I discovered in https://go-review.googlesource.com/c/vscode-go/+/336409 to prevent VS Code from adding my GOROOT value in front of my PATH.

Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. My go env command before starting VS Code outputs this:

C:\Users\User\src>go env
set AR=ar
set CC=gcc
set CGO_CFLAGS=-O2 -g
set CGO_CPPFLAGS=
set CGO_CXXFLAGS=-O2 -g
set CGO_ENABLED=0
set CGO_FFLAGS=-O2 -g
set CGO_LDFLAGS=-O2 -g
set CXX=g++
set GCCGO=gccgo
set GO111MODULE=
set GOAMD64=v1
set GOARCH=amd64
set GOAUTH=netrc
set GOBIN=
set GOCACHE=C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\go-build
set GOCACHEPROG=
set GODEBUG=
set GOENV=C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\go\env
set GOEXE=.exe
set GOEXPERIMENT=
set GOFIPS140=off
set GOFLAGS=
set GOGCCFLAGS=-m64 -fno-caret-diagnostics -Qunused-arguments -Wl,--no-gc-sections -fmessage-length=0 -ffile-prefix-map=C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\go-build2284039207=/tmp/go-build -gno-record-gcc-switches
set GOHOSTARCH=amd64
set GOHOSTOS=windows
set GOINSECURE=
set GOMOD=NUL
set GOMODCACHE=C:\Users\User\go\pkg\mod
set GONOPROXY=
set GONOSUMDB=
set GOOS=windows
set GOPATH=C:\Users\User\go
set GOPRIVATE=
set GOPROXY=https://proxy.golang.org,direct
set GOROOT=C:\Users\User\src\go1.25.4
set GOSUMDB=sum.golang.org
set GOTELEMETRY=local
set GOTELEMETRYDIR=C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\go\telemetry
set GOTMPDIR=
set GOTOOLCHAIN=auto
set GOTOOLDIR=C:\Users\User\src\go1.25.4\pkg\tool\windows_amd64
set GOVCS=
set GOVERSION=go1.25.4
set GOWORK=
set PKG_CONFIG=pkg-config

C:\Users\User\src>

3. My echo %PATH% command outputs this before I start VS Code:

C:\Users\User\src> echo %PATH%
C:\WINDOWS\system32;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\System32\Wbem;C:\WINDOWS\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;C:\WINDOWS\System32\OpenSSH\;C:\Program Files\Git\cmd;C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps;C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Programs\Microsoft VS Code\bin

C:\Users\User\src

4. I start VS Code by running code command.
5. I start Command Prompt terminal. and I run echo %PATH% command inside terminal, and see this:

C:\Users\User\src\github.com>echo %PATH%
C:\Users\User\src\go1.25.4\bin;C:\WINDOWS\system32;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\System32\Wbem;C:\WINDOWS\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;C:\WINDOWS\System32\OpenSSH\;C:\Program Files\Git\cmd;C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps;C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Programs\Microsoft VS Code\bin

C:\Users\User\src\github.com>

6. I expected the command in 5. to output the same output as in 3. But the output is different - this is my bug.

Screenshots or recordings

None.

Do you have any suggestions on how I can debug this problem?

Thank you.

Alex