diff --git a/src/client/common/terminal/service.ts b/src/client/common/terminal/service.ts
index e92fbd3d494f..ea2503ba6e3b 100644
--- a/src/client/common/terminal/service.ts
+++ b/src/client/common/terminal/service.ts
@@ -141,9 +141,9 @@ export class TerminalService implements ITerminalService, Disposable {
         }
     }
     // TODO: Debt switch to Promise<Terminal> ---> breaks 20 tests
-    public async ensureTerminal(preserveFocus: boolean = true): Promise<void> {
+    public async ensureTerminal(preserveFocus: boolean = true): Promise<Terminal> {
         if (this.terminal) {
-            return;
+            return this.terminal;
         }
 
         if (useEnvExtension()) {
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ export class TerminalService implements ITerminalService, Disposable {
         }
 
         this.sendTelemetry().ignoreErrors();
-        return;
+        return this.terminal;
     }
     private terminalCloseHandler(terminal: Terminal) {
         if (terminal === this.terminal) {
diff --git a/src/client/common/terminal/syncTerminalService.ts b/src/client/common/terminal/syncTerminalService.ts
index 0b46a86ee51e..c1e7a655e94d 100644
--- a/src/client/common/terminal/syncTerminalService.ts
+++ b/src/client/common/terminal/syncTerminalService.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
 import { inject } from 'inversify';
-import { CancellationToken, Disposable, Event, TerminalShellExecution } from 'vscode';
+import { CancellationToken, Disposable, Event, Terminal, TerminalShellExecution } from 'vscode';
 import { IInterpreterService } from '../../interpreter/contracts';
 import { traceVerbose } from '../../logging';
 import { PythonEnvironment } from '../../pythonEnvironments/info';
@@ -152,6 +152,17 @@ export class SynchronousTerminalService implements ITerminalService, Disposable
         return this.terminalService.show(preserveFocus);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Ensures that a terminal exists, creating one if necessary.
+     *
+     * @param {boolean} [preserveFocus] Whether the editor should keep focus after the terminal is shown. Defaults to `true`.
+     * @returns {Promise<Terminal>} The terminal instance.
+     * @memberof SynchronousTerminalService
+     */
+    public async ensureTerminal(preserveFocus: boolean = true): Promise<Terminal> {
+        return this.terminalService.ensureTerminal(preserveFocus);
+    }
+
     private createLockFile(): Promise<TemporaryFile> {
         return this.fs.createTemporaryFile('.log').then((l) => {
             this.disposables.push(l);
diff --git a/src/client/common/terminal/types.ts b/src/client/common/terminal/types.ts
index 3e54458a57fd..cbc2b6fd5a51 100644
--- a/src/client/common/terminal/types.ts
+++ b/src/client/common/terminal/types.ts
@@ -56,6 +56,14 @@ export interface ITerminalService extends IDisposable {
     sendText(text: string): Promise<void>;
     executeCommand(commandLine: string, isPythonShell: boolean): Promise<TerminalShellExecution | undefined>;
     show(preserveFocus?: boolean): Promise<void>;
+    /**
+     * Ensures that a terminal exists, creating one if necessary.
+     *
+     * @param {boolean} [preserveFocus] Whether the editor should keep focus after the terminal is shown. Defaults to `true`.
+     * @returns {Promise<Terminal>} The terminal instance.
+     * @memberof ITerminalService
+     */
+    ensureTerminal(preserveFocus?: boolean): Promise<Terminal>;
 }
 
 export const ITerminalServiceFactory = Symbol('ITerminalServiceFactory');