diff --git a/build/ci/templates/globals.yml b/build/ci/templates/globals.yml
index 03457023e99e..98bd51685dd0 100644
--- a/build/ci/templates/globals.yml
+++ b/build/ci/templates/globals.yml
@@ -11,3 +11,4 @@ variables:
   npm_config_cache: $(Pipeline.Workspace)/.npm
   vmImageMacOS: 'macOS-10.15'
   TS_NODE_FILES: true # Temporarily enabled to allow using types from vscode.proposed.d.ts from ts-node (for tests).
+  VSC_PYTHON_CI_TEST_VSC_CHANNEL: '1.48.0' # Enforce this until https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-test/issues/73 is fixed
diff --git a/src/test/debuggerTest.ts b/src/test/debuggerTest.ts
index c7fc3e1058d1..3720b0e662ed 100644
--- a/src/test/debuggerTest.ts
+++ b/src/test/debuggerTest.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import { EXTENSION_ROOT_DIR_FOR_TESTS } from './constants';
 const workspacePath = path.join(__dirname, '..', '..', 'src', 'testMultiRootWkspc', 'multi.code-workspace');
 process.env.IS_CI_SERVER_TEST_DEBUGGER = '1';
 process.env.VSC_PYTHON_CI_TEST = '1';
+const channel = process.env.VSC_PYTHON_CI_TEST_VSC_CHANNEL || 'stable';
 
 function start() {
     console.log('*'.repeat(100));
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ function start() {
         extensionDevelopmentPath: EXTENSION_ROOT_DIR_FOR_TESTS,
         extensionTestsPath: path.join(EXTENSION_ROOT_DIR_FOR_TESTS, 'out', 'test', 'index'),
         launchArgs: [workspacePath],
-        version: 'stable',
+        version: channel,
         extensionTestsEnv: { ...process.env, UITEST_DISABLE_INSIDERS: '1' }
     }).catch((ex) => {
         console.error('End Debugger tests (with errors)', ex);
diff --git a/src/test/multiRootTest.ts b/src/test/multiRootTest.ts
index 5859708a8e99..04631bd1b2ca 100644
--- a/src/test/multiRootTest.ts
+++ b/src/test/multiRootTest.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ process.env.VSC_PYTHON_CI_TEST = '1';
 
 initializeLogger();
 
+const channel = process.env.VSC_PYTHON_CI_TEST_VSC_CHANNEL || 'stable';
+
 function start() {
     console.log('*'.repeat(100));
     console.log('Start Multiroot tests');
@@ -18,7 +20,7 @@ function start() {
         extensionDevelopmentPath: EXTENSION_ROOT_DIR_FOR_TESTS,
         extensionTestsPath: path.join(EXTENSION_ROOT_DIR_FOR_TESTS, 'out', 'test', 'index'),
         launchArgs: [workspacePath],
-        version: 'stable',
+        version: channel,
         extensionTestsEnv: { ...process.env, UITEST_DISABLE_INSIDERS: '1' }
     }).catch((ex) => {
         console.error('End Multiroot tests (with errors)', ex);
diff --git a/src/test/standardTest.ts b/src/test/standardTest.ts
index 4a6dd9f2e287..76739ae4b667 100644
--- a/src/test/standardTest.ts
+++ b/src/test/standardTest.ts
@@ -16,9 +16,7 @@ const extensionDevelopmentPath = process.env.CODE_EXTENSIONS_PATH
     ? process.env.CODE_EXTENSIONS_PATH
     : EXTENSION_ROOT_DIR_FOR_TESTS;
 
-const channel = (process.env.VSC_PYTHON_CI_TEST_VSC_CHANNEL || '').toLowerCase().includes('insiders')
-    ? 'insiders'
-    : 'stable';
+const channel = process.env.VSC_PYTHON_CI_TEST_VSC_CHANNEL || 'stable';
 
 function start() {
     console.log('*'.repeat(100));