diff --git a/news/2 Fixes/11687.md b/news/2 Fixes/11687.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d34a4a5bccfc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/news/2 Fixes/11687.md	
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Do not execute shebang as an interpreter until user has clicked on the codelens enclosing the shebang.
diff --git a/src/client/interpreter/configuration/interpreterSelector/commands/setShebangInterpreter.ts b/src/client/interpreter/configuration/interpreterSelector/commands/setShebangInterpreter.ts
index 82834395f976..e3e63b299f83 100644
--- a/src/client/interpreter/configuration/interpreterSelector/commands/setShebangInterpreter.ts
+++ b/src/client/interpreter/configuration/interpreterSelector/commands/setShebangInterpreter.ts
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ export class SetShebangInterpreterCommand extends BaseInterpreterSelectorCommand
 
     protected async setShebangInterpreter(): Promise<void> {
         const shebang = await this.shebangCodeLensProvider.detectShebang(
-            this.documentManager.activeTextEditor!.document
+            this.documentManager.activeTextEditor!.document,
+            true
         );
         if (!shebang) {
             return;
diff --git a/src/client/interpreter/contracts.ts b/src/client/interpreter/contracts.ts
index 6013ff504bd2..55b203667ab7 100644
--- a/src/client/interpreter/contracts.ts
+++ b/src/client/interpreter/contracts.ts
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ export interface IInterpreterDisplay {
 
 export const IShebangCodeLensProvider = Symbol('IShebangCodeLensProvider');
 export interface IShebangCodeLensProvider extends CodeLensProvider {
-    detectShebang(document: TextDocument): Promise<string | undefined>;
+    detectShebang(document: TextDocument, resolveShebangAsInterpreter?: boolean): Promise<string | undefined>;
 }
 
 export const IInterpreterHelper = Symbol('IInterpreterHelper');
diff --git a/src/client/interpreter/display/shebangCodeLensProvider.ts b/src/client/interpreter/display/shebangCodeLensProvider.ts
index f545abe86de9..8737981c8369 100644
--- a/src/client/interpreter/display/shebangCodeLensProvider.ts
+++ b/src/client/interpreter/display/shebangCodeLensProvider.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,10 @@ export class ShebangCodeLensProvider implements IShebangCodeLensProvider {
         // tslint:disable-next-line:no-any
         this.onDidChangeCodeLenses = (workspaceService.onDidChangeConfiguration as any) as Event<void>;
     }
-    public async detectShebang(document: TextDocument): Promise<string | undefined> {
+    public async detectShebang(
+        document: TextDocument,
+        resolveShebangAsInterpreter: boolean = false
+    ): Promise<string | undefined> {
         const firstLine = document.lineAt(0);
         if (firstLine.isEmptyOrWhitespace) {
             return;
@@ -30,8 +33,12 @@ export class ShebangCodeLensProvider implements IShebangCodeLensProvider {
         }
 
         const shebang = firstLine.text.substr(2).trim();
-        const pythonPath = await this.getFullyQualifiedPathToInterpreter(shebang, document.uri);
-        return typeof pythonPath === 'string' && pythonPath.length > 0 ? pythonPath : undefined;
+        if (resolveShebangAsInterpreter) {
+            const pythonPath = await this.getFullyQualifiedPathToInterpreter(shebang, document.uri);
+            return typeof pythonPath === 'string' && pythonPath.length > 0 ? pythonPath : undefined;
+        } else {
+            return typeof shebang === 'string' && shebang.length > 0 ? shebang : undefined;
+        }
     }
     public async provideCodeLenses(document: TextDocument, _token?: CancellationToken): Promise<CodeLens[]> {
         return this.createShebangCodeLens(document);
diff --git a/src/test/providers/shebangCodeLenseProvider.unit.test.ts b/src/test/providers/shebangCodeLenseProvider.unit.test.ts
index 76edd0facae4..c878cb34a9fa 100644
--- a/src/test/providers/shebangCodeLenseProvider.unit.test.ts
+++ b/src/test/providers/shebangCodeLenseProvider.unit.test.ts
@@ -63,15 +63,33 @@ suite('Shebang detection', () => {
 
         return [doc, line];
     }
-    test('Shebang should be empty when first line is empty', async () => {
+    test('Shebang should be empty when first line is empty when resolving shebang as interpreter', async () => {
         const [document, line] = createDocument('');
 
-        const shebang = await provider.detectShebang(document.object);
+        const shebang = await provider.detectShebang(document.object, true);
 
         document.verifyAll();
         line.verifyAll();
         expect(shebang).to.be.equal(undefined, 'Shebang should be undefined');
     });
+    test('Shebang should be empty when first line is empty when not resolving shebang as interpreter', async () => {
+        const [document, line] = createDocument('');
+
+        const shebang = await provider.detectShebang(document.object, false);
+
+        document.verifyAll();
+        line.verifyAll();
+        expect(shebang).to.be.equal(undefined, 'Shebang should be undefined');
+    });
+    test('Shebang should be returned as it is when not resolving shebang as interpreter', async () => {
+        const [document, line] = createDocument('#!HELLO');
+
+        const shebang = await provider.detectShebang(document.object, false);
+
+        document.verifyAll();
+        line.verifyAll();
+        expect(shebang).to.be.equal('HELLO', 'Shebang should be HELLO');
+    });
     test('Shebang should be empty when python path is invalid in shebang', async () => {
         const [document, line] = createDocument('#!HELLO');
 
@@ -80,7 +98,7 @@ suite('Shebang detection', () => {
             .returns(() => Promise.reject())
             .verifiable(typemoq.Times.once());
 
-        const shebang = await provider.detectShebang(document.object);
+        const shebang = await provider.detectShebang(document.object, true);
 
         document.verifyAll();
         line.verifyAll();
@@ -95,7 +113,7 @@ suite('Shebang detection', () => {
             .returns(() => Promise.resolve({ stdout: 'THIS_IS_IT' }))
             .verifiable(typemoq.Times.once());
 
-        const shebang = await provider.detectShebang(document.object);
+        const shebang = await provider.detectShebang(document.object, true);
 
         document.verifyAll();
         line.verifyAll();
@@ -113,7 +131,7 @@ suite('Shebang detection', () => {
             .returns(() => Promise.resolve({ stdout: 'THIS_IS_IT' }))
             .verifiable(typemoq.Times.once());
 
-        const shebang = await provider.detectShebang(document.object);
+        const shebang = await provider.detectShebang(document.object, true);
 
         document.verifyAll();
         line.verifyAll();
@@ -132,7 +150,7 @@ suite('Shebang detection', () => {
             .returns(() => Promise.resolve({ stdout: 'THIS_IS_IT' }))
             .verifiable(typemoq.Times.once());
 
-        const shebang = await provider.detectShebang(document.object);
+        const shebang = await provider.detectShebang(document.object, true);
 
         document.verifyAll();
         line.verifyAll();