diff --git a/src/client/datascience/jupyter/interpreter/jupyterCommand.ts b/src/client/datascience/jupyter/interpreter/jupyterCommand.ts
index 567fefe25218..49e5a970bd82 100644
--- a/src/client/datascience/jupyter/interpreter/jupyterCommand.ts
+++ b/src/client/datascience/jupyter/interpreter/jupyterCommand.ts
@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ export class InterpreterJupyterKernelSpecCommand extends InterpreterJupyterComma
 
         const defaultAction = () => {
             if (exception) {
+                traceError(`Exception attempting to enumerate kernelspecs: `, exception);
                 throw exception;
             }
             return output;
@@ -243,10 +244,12 @@ export class InterpreterJupyterKernelSpecCommand extends InterpreterJupyterComma
         try {
             if (args.join(' ').toLowerCase() === 'list --json') {
                 // Try getting kernels using python script, if that fails (even if there's output in stderr) rethrow original exception.
-                return this.getKernelSpecList(interpreter, options);
+                output = await this.getKernelSpecList(interpreter, options);
+                return output;
             } else if (args.join(' ').toLowerCase() === '--version') {
                 // Try getting kernelspec version using python script, if that fails (even if there's output in stderr) rethrow original exception.
-                return this.getKernelSpecVersion(interpreter, options);
+                output = await this.getKernelSpecVersion(interpreter, options);
+                return output;
             }
         } catch (innerEx) {
             traceError('Failed to get a list of the kernelspec using python script', innerEx);
diff --git a/src/client/datascience/jupyter/interpreter/jupyterInterpreterDependencyService.ts b/src/client/datascience/jupyter/interpreter/jupyterInterpreterDependencyService.ts
index d229ac181f7f..d89cd5416dc3 100644
--- a/src/client/datascience/jupyter/interpreter/jupyterInterpreterDependencyService.ts
+++ b/src/client/datascience/jupyter/interpreter/jupyterInterpreterDependencyService.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { CancellationToken } from 'vscode';
 import { IApplicationShell } from '../../../common/application/types';
 import { Cancellation, createPromiseFromCancellation, wrapCancellationTokens } from '../../../common/cancellation';
 import { ProductNames } from '../../../common/installer/productNames';
+import { traceError } from '../../../common/logger';
 import { IInstaller, InstallerResponse, Product } from '../../../common/types';
 import { Common, DataScience } from '../../../common/utils/localize';
 import { noop } from '../../../common/utils/misc';
@@ -302,7 +303,8 @@ export class JupyterInterpreterDependencyService {
         return command
             .exec(['--version'], { throwOnStdErr: true })
             .then(() => true)
-            .catch(() => {
+            .catch(e => {
+                traceError(`Kernel spec not found: `, e);
                 sendTelemetryEvent(Telemetry.KernelSpecNotFound);
                 return false;
             });
diff --git a/src/test/datascience/variableexplorer.functional.test.tsx b/src/test/datascience/variableexplorer.functional.test.tsx
index bf0e2a8d8f54..f8b1e4e6cd5e 100644
--- a/src/test/datascience/variableexplorer.functional.test.tsx
+++ b/src/test/datascience/variableexplorer.functional.test.tsx
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ myDict = {'a': 1}`;
                 {
                     name: 'mySet',
                     value: undefined,
-                    supportsDataExplorer: true,
+                    supportsDataExplorer: false,
                     type: 'set',
                     size: 54,
                     shape: '',