diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 71267c7c8..dacfe9780 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -508,7 +508,7 @@
         "r.helpPanel.rpath": {
           "type": "string",
           "default": "",
-          "markdownDescription": "Path to an R executable. Defaults to `r.rterm.XXX`. Must be \"vanilla\" R, not radian etc.! "
+          "markdownDescription": "Path to an R executable. Must be \"vanilla\" R, not radian etc.! Will be read from registry or path if not set."
         },
         "r.helpPanel.helpProvider": {
           "type": "string",
diff --git a/src/extension.ts b/src/extension.ts
index 7c174e7ef..5333e8d83 100644
--- a/src/extension.ts
+++ b/src/extension.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import { createRTerm, deleteTerminal,
          runSelectionInTerm, runTextInTerm } from './rTerminal';
 import { getWordOrSelection, surroundSelection } from './selection';
 import { attachActive, deploySessionWatcher, globalenv, showPlotHistory, startRequestWatcher } from './session';
-import { config, ToRStringLiteral, getRpath } from './util';
+import { config, ToRStringLiteral, getRpath, getRpathFromSystem } from './util';
 import { launchAddinPicker, trackLastActiveTextEditor } from './rstudioapi';
 import { RMarkdownCodeLensProvider, RMarkdownCompletionItemProvider, runCurrentChunk, runAboveChunks } from './rmarkdown';
 
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ export async function activate(context: ExtensionContext) {
     const rExtension = new RExtension();
 
     // get the "vanilla" R path from config
-    let rPath = config().get('helpPanel.rPath', '') || await getRpath();
+    let rPath = config().get<string>('helpPanel.rpath', '') || await getRpathFromSystem();
     if(rPath.match(/^[^'"].* .*[^'"]$/)){
         rPath = `"${rPath}"`;
     }
diff --git a/src/util.ts b/src/util.ts
index 2f8b27116..eaf138471 100644
--- a/src/util.ts
+++ b/src/util.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,31 @@ function getRfromEnvPath(platform: string) {
     return '';
 }
 
+export async function getRpathFromSystem() {
+    
+    let rpath: string = '';
+    const platform: string = process.platform;
+    
+    if ( platform === 'win32') {
+        // Find path from registry
+        try {
+            const key = new winreg({
+                hive: winreg.HKLM,
+                key: '\\Software\\R-Core\\R',
+            });
+            const item: winreg.RegistryItem = await new Promise((c, e) =>
+                key.get('InstallPath', (err, result) => err === null ? c(result) : e(err)));
+            rpath = path.join(item.value, 'bin', 'R.exe');
+        } catch (e) {
+            rpath = '';
+        }
+    }
+
+    rpath ||= getRfromEnvPath(platform);
+
+    return rpath;
+}
+
 export async function getRpath() {
     
     let rpath: string = '';
@@ -36,36 +61,23 @@ export async function getRpath() {
     
     if ( platform === 'win32') {
         rpath = config().get<string>('rterm.windows');
-        if (rpath === '') {
-            // Find path from registry
-            try {
-                const key = new winreg({
-                    hive: winreg.HKLM,
-                    key: '\\Software\\R-Core\\R',
-                });
-                const item: winreg.RegistryItem = await new Promise((c, e) =>
-                    key.get('InstallPath', (err, result) => err === null ? c(result) : e(err)));
-                rpath = path.join(item.value, 'bin', 'R.exe');
-            } catch (e) {
-                rpath = '';
-            }
-        }
     } else if (platform === 'darwin') {
         rpath = config().get<string>('rterm.mac');
     } else if (platform === 'linux') {
         rpath = config().get<string>('rterm.linux');
     }
+
+    rpath ||= await getRpathFromSystem();
     
-    if (rpath === '') {
-        rpath = getRfromEnvPath(platform);
-    }
     if (rpath !== '') {
         return rpath;
     }
+
     window.showErrorMessage(`${process.platform} can't use R`);
     return undefined;
 }
 
+
 export function ToRStringLiteral(s: string, quote: string) {
     if (s === undefined) {
         return 'NULL';