diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/runtimeSession/common/runtimeSession.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/runtimeSession/common/runtimeSession.ts
index 432585249ab..f3e9252f64c 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/runtimeSession/common/runtimeSession.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/runtimeSession/common/runtimeSession.ts
@@ -479,6 +479,10 @@ export class RuntimeSessionService extends Disposable implements IRuntimeSession
 			sessionMetadata.sessionMode, runtimeMetadata.runtimeId, sessionMetadata.notebookUri);
 		this._startingSessionsBySessionMapKey.set(sessionMapKey, startPromise);
 
+		// It's possible that startPromise is never awaited, so we log any errors here
+		// at the debug level since we still expect the error to be handled/logged elsewhere.
+		startPromise.p.catch((err) => this._logService.debug(`Error starting session: ${err}`));
+
 		// Add the runtime to the starting runtimes.
 		if (sessionMetadata.sessionMode === LanguageRuntimeSessionMode.Console) {
 			this._startingConsolesByLanguageId.set(runtimeMetadata.languageId, runtimeMetadata);
@@ -517,8 +521,6 @@ export class RuntimeSessionService extends Disposable implements IRuntimeSession
 		} catch (err) {
 			startPromise.error(err);
 		}
-
-		startPromise.p.catch((err) => this._logService.debug(`Error starting session: ${err}`));
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -725,6 +727,10 @@ export class RuntimeSessionService extends Disposable implements IRuntimeSession
 		const sessionMapKey = getSessionMapKey(sessionMode, metadata.runtimeId, notebookUri);
 		this._startingSessionsBySessionMapKey.set(sessionMapKey, startPromise);
 
+		// It's possible that startPromise is never awaited, so we log any errors here
+		// at the debug level since we still expect the error to be handled/logged elsewhere.
+		startPromise.p.catch(err => this._logService.debug(`Error starting runtime session: ${err}`));
+
 		// Check to see if the runtime has already been registered with the
 		// language runtime service.
 		const languageRuntime =
@@ -818,6 +824,10 @@ export class RuntimeSessionService extends Disposable implements IRuntimeSession
 		if (!startPromise || startPromise.isSettled) {
 			startPromise = new DeferredPromise<string>();
 			this._startingSessionsBySessionMapKey.set(sessionMapKey, startPromise);
+
+			// It's possible that startPromise is never awaited, so we log any errors here
+			// at the debug level since we still expect the error to be handled/logged elsewhere.
+			startPromise.p.catch(err => this._logService.debug(`Error starting runtime session: ${err}`));
 		}
 
 		const sessionManager = await this.getManagerForRuntime(runtimeMetadata);
@@ -858,10 +868,6 @@ export class RuntimeSessionService extends Disposable implements IRuntimeSession
 			startPromise.error(err);
 		}
 
-		// It's possible that startPromise is never awaited, so we log any errors here
-		// at the debug level since we still expect the error to be handled/logged elsewhere.
-		startPromise.p.catch(err => this._logService.debug(`Error starting runtime session: ${err}`));
-
 		return sessionId;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/runtimeSession/test/common/runtimeSession.test.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/runtimeSession/test/common/runtimeSession.test.ts
index 6f014646397..65ca7fd854c 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/runtimeSession/test/common/runtimeSession.test.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/runtimeSession/test/common/runtimeSession.test.ts
@@ -341,6 +341,14 @@ suite('Positron - RuntimeSessionService', () => {
 				});
 			}
 
+			const createOrRestoreMethod = action === 'restore' ? 'restoreSession' : 'createSession';
+			test(`${action} ${mode} encounters ${createOrRestoreMethod}() error`, async () => {
+				const error = new Error('Failed to create session');
+				sinon.stub(manager, createOrRestoreMethod).rejects(error);
+
+				await assert.rejects(start(), error);
+			});
+
 			test(`${action} ${mode} fires onDidFailStartRuntime if session.start() errors`, async () => {
 				// Listen to the onWillStartSession event and stub session.start() to throw an error.
 				const willStartSession = sinon.spy((e: IRuntimeSessionWillStartEvent) => {