diff --git a/src/editors/vscode/src/test/suite/netfx-msbuild-kit.ts b/src/editors/vscode/src/test/suite/netfx-msbuild-kit.ts
index 3c852201..4a993ef8 100644
--- a/src/editors/vscode/src/test/suite/netfx-msbuild-kit.ts
+++ b/src/editors/vscode/src/test/suite/netfx-msbuild-kit.ts
@@ -240,6 +240,16 @@ export function fsharpSidecarLinesAbout(projectFile: string): string[] {
 export const EXIT_ON_NETFX = 48;
 export const EXIT_ON_NET = 10;
 
+/** What a console program writes its exit code to, beside its own binary. */
+const RESULT_FILE = 'exit-code.txt';
+
+/**
+ * The exit code VS Code reports when its Windows pty lost the real one:
+ * node-pty can close conout before ConPTY hands over the code, and VS Code's
+ * terminal process then fires `exitCode || 0`. These programs never return 0.
+ */
+const LOST_EXIT = 0;
+
 /** One runnable fixture project. */
 export interface RunnableProject {
   readonly name: string;
@@ -261,20 +271,25 @@ export interface RunFixture extends LoadedFixture {
 
 /**
  * A console program named `name` returning 48 on .NET Framework and 10 on
- * .NET, PLUS the number of arguments it received — so an exit code proves both
- * the framework that ran and the arguments that reached it.
+ * .NET, PLUS the number of arguments it received — so its exit code proves both
+ * the framework that ran and the arguments that reached it. It also writes that
+ * code to {@link RESULT_FILE} beside its binary, which no pty can lose.
  */
 function writeConsole(root: string, name: string, frameworks: ProjectFrameworks): string {
   const program = `${name}/Program.fs`;
-  const exits = [
+  const code = [
+    '    let code =',
     '#if NETFRAMEWORK',
-    `    ${String(EXIT_ON_NETFX)} + argv.Length`,
+    `        ${String(EXIT_ON_NETFX)} + argv.Length`,
     '#else',
-    `    ${String(EXIT_ON_NET)} + argv.Length`,
+    `        ${String(EXIT_ON_NET)} + argv.Length`,
     '#endif',
+    `    let result = System.IO.Path.Combine(System.AppContext.BaseDirectory, "${RESULT_FILE}")`,
+    '    System.IO.File.WriteAllText(result, string code)',
+    '    code',
   ];
   writeFiles(root, {
-    [program]: [`module Fx.${name}`, '', '[<EntryPoint>]', 'let main argv =', ...exits, ''].join(
+    [program]: [`module Fx.${name}`, '', '[<EntryPoint>]', 'let main argv =', ...code, ''].join(
       '\n',
     ),
   });
@@ -322,6 +337,29 @@ export async function writeRunFixture(root: string): Promise<RunFixture> {
   return { root, solution, probe, netfxOnly, ready };
 }
 
+/** Where `project`'s `tfm` build writes the code it returned. */
+export function resultFileOf(root: string, project: RunnableProject, tfm: string): string {
+  return path.join(root, project.name, 'bin', 'Debug', tfm, RESULT_FILE);
+}
+
+/**
+ * `project`'s `tfm` build really returned `code`: the code it wrote, and the
+ * ONE task exit VS Code reported — that code, or {@link LOST_EXIT} when the
+ * Windows pty dropped it.
+ */
+export function assertRanWith(
+  result: string,
+  exits: readonly number[],
+  code: number,
+  tfm: string,
+): void {
+  const why = `it really ran on ${tfm}: it returned ${String(code)}`;
+  assert.strictEqual(fs.readFileSync(result, 'utf8'), String(code), why);
+  assert.strictEqual(exits.length, 1, `one task process ended: ${exits.join(', ')}`);
+  const [reported = -1] = exits;
+  assert.ok([code, LOST_EXIT].includes(reported), `${why}; the task reported ${String(reported)}`);
+}
+
 /** A started task's definition, and whether it runs a process with no shell. */
 export interface StartedTask {
   readonly definition: vscode.TaskDefinition;
diff --git a/src/editors/vscode/src/test/suite/netfx-run-fsharp.test.ts b/src/editors/vscode/src/test/suite/netfx-run-fsharp.test.ts
index bf87c024..0f73c0b3 100644
--- a/src/editors/vscode/src/test/suite/netfx-run-fsharp.test.ts
+++ b/src/editors/vscode/src/test/suite/netfx-run-fsharp.test.ts
@@ -7,20 +7,25 @@
 // message, as a warning, starting nothing.
 //
 // Each console program returns 48 on .NET Framework and 10 on .NET, PLUS its
-// argument count, so a task's exit code proves the framework that really ran
-// and the profile arguments that really reached it. RunProbe declares two .NET
+// argument count, and writes that code beside its binary, so the code proves
+// the framework that really ran and the profile arguments that really reached
+// it — read from the file, because VS Code's Windows pty can report a lost
+// exit code as 0. RunProbe declares two .NET
 // versions, so F5's "active .NET" and "first .NET" cases are told apart.
 //
 // Covers [NETFX-DEBUG] and [NETFX-CONTEXT].
 import * as assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import * as fs from 'node:fs';
 import * as path from 'node:path';
 import type { SharpLspExtensionApi } from '../../extension.js';
 import { assertContext, frameworkContextOf, underFramework } from './netfx-context-kit';
 import { useLoadedFixture } from './netfx-language-kit';
 import {
+  assertRanWith,
   EXIT_ON_NET,
   EXIT_ON_NETFX,
   recordStartedTasks,
+  resultFileOf,
   type RunnableProject,
   type StartedTask,
   writeRunFixture,
@@ -100,13 +105,14 @@ suite('.NET Framework F# — Run on the active framework, Debug on .NET only', (
     const tasks = new TaskRecorder();
     const started = recordStartedTasks();
     const mark = logMark(api);
+    const result = resultFileOf(fixture().root, project, tfm);
+    fs.rmSync(result, { force: true });
     try {
       await focusDocument(path.join(fixture().root, project.program));
       const run = await invokeCommand(CMD_RUN_PROGRAM);
       assert.ok(!run.rejected, `${CMD_RUN_PROGRAM} runs: ${run.message}`);
       await assertRunTask(tasks, started.started, project, tfm);
-      const exits = await tasks.waitForExits(1, FIXTURE_BUILD_MS);
-      assert.deepStrictEqual(exits, [exit], `it really ran on ${tfm}: it returned ${String(exit)}`);
+      assertRanWith(result, await tasks.waitForExits(1, FIXTURE_BUILD_MS), exit, tfm);
       await awaitLogged(api, mark, `Run: ${project.name} under ${tfm}`);
     } finally {
       tasks.dispose();