diff --git a/src/client/debugger/DebugClients/LocalDebugClient.ts b/src/client/debugger/DebugClients/LocalDebugClient.ts
index e785d23a11cd..1ac552a7fe9f 100644
--- a/src/client/debugger/DebugClients/LocalDebugClient.ts
+++ b/src/client/debugger/DebugClients/LocalDebugClient.ts
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ export class LocalDebugClient extends DebugClient {
         return new Promise<any>((resolve, reject) => {
             let fileDir = path.dirname(this.args.program);
             let processCwd = fileDir;
-            if (typeof this.args.cwd === 'string' && this.args.cwd.length > 0) {
+            if (typeof this.args.cwd === 'string' && this.args.cwd.length > 0 && this.args.cwd !== 'null') {
                 processCwd = this.args.cwd;
             }
             let pythonPath = 'python';
diff --git a/src/client/debugger/DebugClients/NonDebugClient.ts b/src/client/debugger/DebugClients/NonDebugClient.ts
index 5c94c3773d11..c2619d185fd5 100644
--- a/src/client/debugger/DebugClients/NonDebugClient.ts
+++ b/src/client/debugger/DebugClients/NonDebugClient.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ export class NonDebugClient extends DebugClient {
         return new Promise<any>((resolve, reject) => {
             let fileDir = path.dirname(this.args.program);
             let processCwd = fileDir;
-            if (typeof this.args.cwd === "string" && this.args.cwd.length > 0) {
+            if (typeof this.args.cwd === "string" && this.args.cwd.length > 0 && this.args.cwd !== 'null') {
                 processCwd = this.args.cwd;
             }
             let pythonPath = "python";