diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/interactive/browser/interactive.contribution.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/interactive/browser/interactive.contribution.ts
index cedf455a287..cb3332a8abb 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/interactive/browser/interactive.contribution.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/interactive/browser/interactive.contribution.ts
@@ -386,7 +386,7 @@ registerAction2(class extends Action2 {
 			const allKernels = kernelService.getMatchingKernel({ uri: notebookUri, viewType: 'interactive' }).all;
 			const preferredKernel = allKernels.find(kernel => kernel.id === id);
 			if (preferredKernel) {
-				kernelService.selectKernelForNotebook(preferredKernel, { uri: notebookUri, viewType: 'interactive' });
+				kernelService.preselectKernelForNotebook(preferredKernel, { uri: notebookUri, viewType: 'interactive' });
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookKernelServiceImpl.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookKernelServiceImpl.ts
index 250e502801f..1f2e2e72032 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookKernelServiceImpl.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookKernelServiceImpl.ts
@@ -225,6 +225,15 @@ export class NotebookKernelService extends Disposable implements INotebookKernel
 		}
 	}
 
+	preselectKernelForNotebook(kernel: INotebookKernel, notebook: INotebookTextModelLike): void {
+		const key = NotebookTextModelLikeId.str(notebook);
+		const oldKernel = this._notebookBindings.get(key);
+		if (oldKernel !== kernel?.id) {
+			this._notebookBindings.set(key, kernel.id);
+			this._persistMementos();
+		}
+	}
+
 	updateKernelNotebookAffinity(kernel: INotebookKernel, notebook: URI, preference: number | undefined): void {
 		const info = this._kernels.get(kernel.id);
 		if (!info) {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/common/notebookKernelService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/common/notebookKernelService.ts
index 2ca0bbd0ac9..6610fe7177d 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/common/notebookKernelService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/common/notebookKernelService.ts
@@ -81,6 +81,11 @@ export interface INotebookKernelService {
 	 */
 	selectKernelForNotebook(kernel: INotebookKernel, notebook: INotebookTextModelLike): void;
 
+	/**
+	 * Set the kernel that a notebook should use when it starts up
+	 */
+	preselectKernelForNotebook(kernel: INotebookKernel, notebook: INotebookTextModelLike): void;
+
 	/**
 	 * Bind a notebook type to a kernel.
 	 * @param viewType