diff --git a/src/client/datascience/jupyter/jupyterDebugger.ts b/src/client/datascience/jupyter/jupyterDebugger.ts
index e1c27677eb2..e2ea69f6deb 100644
--- a/src/client/datascience/jupyter/jupyterDebugger.ts
+++ b/src/client/datascience/jupyter/jupyterDebugger.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import { traceInfo, traceWarning } from '../../common/logger';
 import { IPlatformService } from '../../common/platform/types';
 import { IConfigurationService } from '../../common/types';
 import * as localize from '../../common/utils/localize';
-import { isUsingIpykernel6OrLater } from '../../debugger/jupyter/helper';
+import { IpykernelCheckResult, isUsingIpykernel6OrLater } from '../../debugger/jupyter/helper';
 import { Identifiers } from '../constants';
 import {
     ICellHashListener,
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ export class JupyterDebugger implements IJupyterDebugger, ICellHashListener {
         }
 
         const settings = this.configService.getSettings(notebook.resource);
-        this.isUsingPyKernel6OrLater = await isUsingIpykernel6OrLater(kernel);
+        this.isUsingPyKernel6OrLater = (await isUsingIpykernel6OrLater(kernel)) === IpykernelCheckResult.Ok;
         return this.startDebugSession(
             (c) => this.debugService.startDebugging(undefined, c),
             notebook,
diff --git a/src/client/debugger/jupyter/debuggingManager.ts b/src/client/debugger/jupyter/debuggingManager.ts
index fbf9ada3f63..5fb60bf3fb4 100644
--- a/src/client/debugger/jupyter/debuggingManager.ts
+++ b/src/client/debugger/jupyter/debuggingManager.ts
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ import { IDebuggingManager, IKernelDebugAdapterConfig, KernelDebugMode } from '.
 import { DebuggingTelemetry, pythonKernelDebugAdapter } from '../constants';
 import { sendTelemetryEvent } from '../../telemetry';
 import { DebugCellController, RunByLineController } from './debugControllers';
-import { assertIsDebugConfig, isUsingIpykernel6OrLater } from './helper';
+import { assertIsDebugConfig, IpykernelCheckResult, isUsingIpykernel6OrLater } from './helper';
 import { Debugger } from './debugger';
 
 /**
@@ -238,9 +238,9 @@ export class DebuggingManager implements IExtensionSingleActivationService, IDeb
             return;
         }
 
-        try {
-            this.notebookInProgress.add(editor.document);
-            if (await this.checkForIpykernel6(editor.document)) {
+        const checkIpykernelAndStart = async (allowSelectKernel = true): Promise<void> => {
+            const ipykernelResult = await this.checkForIpykernel6(editor.document);
+            if (ipykernelResult === IpykernelCheckResult.Ok) {
                 switch (mode) {
                     case KernelDebugMode.Everything:
                         await this.startDebugging(editor.document);
@@ -260,9 +260,20 @@ export class DebuggingManager implements IExtensionSingleActivationService, IDeb
                         }
                         break;
                 }
-            } else {
-                void this.installIpykernel6();
+            } else if (
+                ipykernelResult === IpykernelCheckResult.Missing ||
+                ipykernelResult === IpykernelCheckResult.Unknown
+            ) {
+                void this.promptInstallIpykernel6();
+            } else if (ipykernelResult === IpykernelCheckResult.NoKernel && allowSelectKernel) {
+                await this.commandManager.executeCommand('notebook.selectKernel', { notebookEditor: editor });
+                return checkIpykernelAndStart(false);
             }
+        };
+
+        try {
+            this.notebookInProgress.add(editor.document);
+            await checkIpykernelAndStart();
         } finally {
             this.notebookInProgress.delete(editor.document);
         }
@@ -410,7 +421,7 @@ export class DebuggingManager implements IExtensionSingleActivationService, IDeb
         return kernel;
     }
 
-    private async checkForIpykernel6(doc: NotebookDocument): Promise<boolean> {
+    private async checkForIpykernel6(doc: NotebookDocument): Promise<IpykernelCheckResult> {
         try {
             let kernel = this.kernelProvider.get(doc);
 
@@ -429,17 +440,19 @@ export class DebuggingManager implements IExtensionSingleActivationService, IDeb
             if (kernel) {
                 const result = await isUsingIpykernel6OrLater(kernel);
                 sendTelemetryEvent(DebuggingTelemetry.ipykernel6Status, undefined, {
-                    status: result ? 'installed' : 'notInstalled'
+                    status: result === IpykernelCheckResult.Ok ? 'installed' : 'notInstalled'
                 });
                 return result;
+            } else {
+                return IpykernelCheckResult.NoKernel;
             }
         } catch {
             traceError('Debugging: Could not check for ipykernel 6');
         }
-        return false;
+        return IpykernelCheckResult.Unknown;
     }
 
-    private async installIpykernel6() {
+    private async promptInstallIpykernel6() {
         const response = await this.appShell.showInformationMessage(
             DataScience.needIpykernel6(),
             { modal: true },
diff --git a/src/client/debugger/jupyter/helper.ts b/src/client/debugger/jupyter/helper.ts
index 48efd56c4fb..54338bf1065 100644
--- a/src/client/debugger/jupyter/helper.ts
+++ b/src/client/debugger/jupyter/helper.ts
@@ -5,17 +5,24 @@ import { DebugProtocol } from 'vscode-debugprotocol';
 import { IKernel } from '../../datascience/jupyter/kernels/types';
 import { IKernelDebugAdapterConfig, KernelDebugMode } from '../types';
 
-export async function isUsingIpykernel6OrLater(kernel: IKernel): Promise<boolean> {
+export enum IpykernelCheckResult {
+    Unknown,
+    Ok,
+    Missing,
+    NoKernel
+}
+
+export async function isUsingIpykernel6OrLater(kernel: IKernel): Promise<IpykernelCheckResult> {
     const code = 'import ipykernel\nprint(ipykernel.__version__)';
     const output = await kernel.executeHidden(code);
 
     if (output[0].text) {
         const version = output[0].text.toString().split('.');
         const majorVersion = Number(version[0]);
-        return majorVersion >= 6;
+        return majorVersion >= 6 ? IpykernelCheckResult.Ok : IpykernelCheckResult.Missing;
     }
 
-    return false;
+    return IpykernelCheckResult.Unknown;
 }
 
 export function assertIsDebugConfig(thing: unknown): asserts thing is IKernelDebugAdapterConfig {