diff --git a/src/vs/base/node/processes.ts b/src/vs/base/node/processes.ts
index 48972b3e9bddd2520592526c560530c3aac1e2d6..b6f7742e2b3cb61e683337d69b3ecfa1449b194f 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/node/processes.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/node/processes.ts
@@ -454,6 +454,14 @@ export namespace win32 {
 		if (paths === undefined || paths.length === 0) {
 			return path.join(cwd, command);
 		}
+
+		async function fileExists(path: string): Promise<boolean> {
+			if (await promisify(fs.exists)(path)) {
+				return !((await promisify(fs.stat)(path)).isDirectory);
+			}
+			return false;
+		}
+
 		// We have a simple file name. We get the path variable from the env
 		// and try to find the executable on the path.
 		for (let pathEntry of paths) {
@@ -464,15 +472,15 @@ export namespace win32 {
 			} else {
 				fullPath = path.join(cwd, pathEntry, command);
 			}
-			if (await promisify(fs.exists)(fullPath)) {
+			if (await fileExists(fullPath)) {
 				return fullPath;
 			}
 			let withExtension = fullPath + '.com';
-			if (await promisify(fs.exists)(withExtension)) {
+			if (await fileExists(withExtension)) {
 				return withExtension;
 			}
 			withExtension = fullPath + '.exe';
-			if (await promisify(fs.exists)(withExtension)) {
+			if (await fileExists(withExtension)) {
 				return withExtension;
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/tasks/browser/terminalTaskSystem.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/tasks/browser/terminalTaskSystem.ts
index 243e94fe789e9c59c37e62e56f16d02d7ac3baec..13ccdbe484447459b73aa3cbd228bbca3f32a72e 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/tasks/browser/terminalTaskSystem.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/tasks/browser/terminalTaskSystem.ts
@@ -1420,6 +1420,14 @@ export class TerminalTaskSystem implements ITaskSystem {
 		}
 	}
 
+	private async fileExists(path: string): Promise<boolean> {
+		const uri: URI = resources.toLocalResource(URI.from({ scheme: Schemas.file, path: path }), this.environmentService.configuration.remoteAuthority);
+		if (await this.fileService.exists(uri)) {
+			return !((await this.fileService.resolve(uri)).isDirectory);
+		}
+		return false;
+	}
+
 	private async findExecutable(command: string, cwd?: string, paths?: string[]): Promise<string> {
 		// If we have an absolute path then we take it.
 		if (path.isAbsolute(command)) {
@@ -1452,15 +1460,15 @@ export class TerminalTaskSystem implements ITaskSystem {
 				fullPath = path.join(cwd, pathEntry, command);
 			}
 
-			if (await this.fileService.exists(resources.toLocalResource(URI.from({ scheme: Schemas.file, path: fullPath }), this.environmentService.configuration.remoteAuthority))) {
+			if (await this.fileExists(fullPath)) {
 				return fullPath;
 			}
 			let withExtension = fullPath + '.com';
-			if (await this.fileService.exists(resources.toLocalResource(URI.from({ scheme: Schemas.file, path: withExtension }), this.environmentService.configuration.remoteAuthority))) {
+			if (await this.fileExists(withExtension)) {
 				return withExtension;
 			}
 			withExtension = fullPath + '.exe';
-			if (await this.fileService.exists(resources.toLocalResource(URI.from({ scheme: Schemas.file, path: withExtension }), this.environmentService.configuration.remoteAuthority))) {
+			if (await this.fileExists(withExtension)) {
 				return withExtension;
 			}
 		}