diff --git a/crates/repl/src/components/kernel_options.rs b/crates/repl/src/components/kernel_options.rs
index 45e55f0d5f8a17d66a76d206216c07ba7cc36e8a..b6d4f39c0ccb75619a7e4efd6a532202893c8722 100644
--- a/crates/repl/src/components/kernel_options.rs
+++ b/crates/repl/src/components/kernel_options.rs
@@ -448,7 +448,9 @@ where
     TT: Fn(&mut Window, &mut App) -> AnyView + 'static,
 {
     fn render(self, window: &mut Window, cx: &mut App) -> impl IntoElement {
-        let store = ReplStore::global(cx).read(cx);
+        let store = ReplStore::global(cx);
+        store.update(cx, |store, cx| store.ensure_kernelspecs(cx));
+        let store = store.read(cx);
 
         let all_entries = build_grouped_entries(store, self.worktree_id);
         let selected_kernelspec = store.active_kernelspec(self.worktree_id, None, cx);
diff --git a/crates/repl/src/repl_editor.rs b/crates/repl/src/repl_editor.rs
index 56b79e20ffca74ab3f9f9c7948a7caeffc4ad4ce..cf1493000edb5881bff412224f7e44dbfbf88b25 100644
--- a/crates/repl/src/repl_editor.rs
+++ b/crates/repl/src/repl_editor.rs
@@ -191,6 +191,7 @@ pub fn run(
     if !store.read(cx).is_enabled() {
         return Ok(());
     }
+    store.update(cx, |store, cx| store.ensure_kernelspecs(cx));
 
     let editor = editor.upgrade().context("editor was dropped")?;
     let selected_range = editor
diff --git a/crates/repl/src/repl_sessions_ui.rs b/crates/repl/src/repl_sessions_ui.rs
index 1dc2107adde84d4625ffee489805570cd7e5f791..9781382fc85d5da549a65dce2ca06fef4a3bff15 100644
--- a/crates/repl/src/repl_sessions_ui.rs
+++ b/crates/repl/src/repl_sessions_ui.rs
@@ -204,7 +204,8 @@ impl Render for ReplSessionsPage {
     fn render(&mut self, _: &mut Window, cx: &mut Context<Self>) -> impl IntoElement {
         let store = ReplStore::global(cx);
 
-        let (kernel_specifications, sessions) = store.update(cx, |store, _cx| {
+        let (kernel_specifications, sessions) = store.update(cx, |store, cx| {
+            store.ensure_kernelspecs(cx);
             (
                 store
                     .pure_jupyter_kernel_specifications()
diff --git a/crates/repl/src/repl_store.rs b/crates/repl/src/repl_store.rs
index ff0a2793617982e75d6c81d6c3a180d2f9b3c8ee..800bab030143de70f08ce2c020bd3095b6767e16 100644
--- a/crates/repl/src/repl_store.rs
+++ b/crates/repl/src/repl_store.rs
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ pub struct ReplStore {
     enabled: bool,
     sessions: HashMap<EntityId, Entity<Session>>,
     kernel_specifications: Vec<KernelSpecification>,
+    kernelspecs_initialized: bool,
     selected_kernel_for_worktree: HashMap<WorktreeId, KernelSpecification>,
     kernel_specifications_for_worktree: HashMap<WorktreeId, Vec<KernelSpecification>>,
     active_python_toolchain_for_worktree: HashMap<WorktreeId, SharedString>,
@@ -39,12 +40,6 @@ impl ReplStore {
 
     pub(crate) fn init(fs: Arc<dyn Fs>, cx: &mut App) {
         let store = cx.new(move |cx| Self::new(fs, cx));
-
-        #[cfg(not(feature = "test-support"))]
-        store
-            .update(cx, |store, cx| store.refresh_kernelspecs(cx))
-            .detach_and_log_err(cx);
-
         cx.set_global(GlobalReplStore(store))
     }
 
@@ -65,6 +60,7 @@ impl ReplStore {
             enabled: JupyterSettings::enabled(cx),
             sessions: HashMap::default(),
             kernel_specifications: Vec::new(),
+            kernelspecs_initialized: false,
             _subscriptions: subscriptions,
             kernel_specifications_for_worktree: HashMap::default(),
             selected_kernel_for_worktree: HashMap::default(),
@@ -216,10 +212,17 @@ impl ReplStore {
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn ensure_kernelspecs(&mut self, cx: &mut Context<Self>) {
+        if self.kernelspecs_initialized {
+            return;
+        }
+        self.kernelspecs_initialized = true;
+        self.refresh_kernelspecs(cx).detach_and_log_err(cx);
+    }
+
     pub fn refresh_kernelspecs(&mut self, cx: &mut Context<Self>) -> Task<Result<()>> {
         let local_kernel_specifications = local_kernel_specifications(self.fs.clone());
         let wsl_kernel_specifications = wsl_kernel_specifications(cx.background_executor().clone());
-
         let remote_kernel_specifications = self.get_remote_kernel_specifications(cx);
 
         let all_specs = cx.background_spawn(async move {