diff --git a/src/client/activation/node/languageServerProxy.ts b/src/client/activation/node/languageServerProxy.ts
index dea261514702..035f50ea7035 100644
--- a/src/client/activation/node/languageServerProxy.ts
+++ b/src/client/activation/node/languageServerProxy.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,14 @@ namespace GetExperimentValue {
     }
 }
 
+interface PylanceApi {
+    client?: {
+        isEnabled(): boolean;
+        start(): Promise<void>;
+        stop(): Promise<void>;
+    };
+}
+
 export class NodeLanguageServerProxy implements ILanguageServerProxy {
     public languageClient: LanguageClient | undefined;
 
@@ -56,6 +64,8 @@ export class NodeLanguageServerProxy implements ILanguageServerProxy {
 
     private lsVersion: string | undefined;
 
+    private pylanceApi: PylanceApi | undefined;
+
     constructor(
         private readonly factory: ILanguageClientFactory,
         private readonly experimentService: IExperimentService,
@@ -63,7 +73,9 @@ export class NodeLanguageServerProxy implements ILanguageServerProxy {
         private readonly environmentService: IEnvironmentVariablesProvider,
         private readonly workspace: IWorkspaceService,
         private readonly extensions: IExtensions,
-    ) {}
+    ) {
+        // Empty
+    }
 
     private static versionTelemetryProps(instance: NodeLanguageServerProxy) {
         return {
@@ -89,9 +101,16 @@ export class NodeLanguageServerProxy implements ILanguageServerProxy {
         interpreter: PythonEnvironment | undefined,
         options: LanguageClientOptions,
     ): Promise<void> {
-        const extension = this.extensions.getExtension(PYLANCE_EXTENSION_ID);
+        const extension = await this.getPylanceExtension();
         this.lsVersion = extension?.packageJSON.version || '0';
 
+        const api = extension?.exports as PylanceApi | undefined;
+        if (api && api.client && api.client.isEnabled()) {
+            this.pylanceApi = api;
+            await api.client.start();
+            return;
+        }
+
         this.cancellationStrategy = new FileBasedCancellationStrategy();
         options.connectionOptions = { cancellationStrategy: this.cancellationStrategy };
 
@@ -105,12 +124,17 @@ export class NodeLanguageServerProxy implements ILanguageServerProxy {
         );
 
         await client.start();
-
         this.languageClient = client;
     }
 
     @traceDecoratorVerbose('Disposing language server')
     public async stop(): Promise<void> {
+        if (this.pylanceApi) {
+            const api = this.pylanceApi;
+            this.pylanceApi = undefined;
+            await api.client!.stop();
+        }
+
         while (this.disposables.length > 0) {
             const d = this.disposables.shift()!;
             d.dispose();
@@ -203,4 +227,17 @@ export class NodeLanguageServerProxy implements ILanguageServerProxy {
             })),
         );
     }
+
+    private async getPylanceExtension() {
+        const extension = this.extensions.getExtension(PYLANCE_EXTENSION_ID);
+        if (!extension) {
+            return undefined;
+        }
+
+        if (!extension.isActive) {
+            await extension.activate();
+        }
+
+        return extension;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/client/browser/extension.ts b/src/client/browser/extension.ts
index febaee24d652..590b5941a4f8 100644
--- a/src/client/browser/extension.ts
+++ b/src/client/browser/extension.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,16 @@ interface BrowserConfig {
     distUrl: string; // URL to Pylance's dist folder.
 }
 
+interface PylanceApi {
+    client?: {
+        isEnabled(): boolean;
+        start(): Promise<void>;
+        stop(): Promise<void>;
+    };
+}
+
 let languageClient: LanguageClient | undefined;
+let pylanceApi: PylanceApi | undefined;
 
 export async function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext): Promise<void> {
     const pylanceExtension = vscode.extensions.getExtension(PYLANCE_EXTENSION_ID);
@@ -35,6 +44,12 @@ export async function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext): Promise<void>
 }
 
 export async function deactivate(): Promise<void> {
+    if (pylanceApi) {
+        const api = pylanceApi;
+        pylanceApi = undefined;
+        await api.client!.stop();
+    }
+
     const client = languageClient;
     languageClient = undefined;
 
@@ -46,6 +61,16 @@ async function runPylance(
     context: vscode.ExtensionContext,
     pylanceExtension: vscode.Extension<unknown>,
 ): Promise<void> {
+    context.subscriptions.push(createStatusItem());
+
+    pylanceExtension = await getActivatedExtension(pylanceExtension);
+    const api = pylanceExtension.exports as PylanceApi;
+    if (api.client && api.client.isEnabled()) {
+        pylanceApi = api;
+        await api.client.start();
+        return;
+    }
+
     const { extensionUri, packageJSON } = pylanceExtension;
     const distUrl = vscode.Uri.joinPath(extensionUri, 'dist');
 
@@ -112,8 +137,6 @@ async function runPylance(
         );
 
         await client.start();
-
-        context.subscriptions.push(createStatusItem());
     } catch (e) {
         console.log(e);
     }
@@ -204,3 +227,11 @@ function sendTelemetryEventBrowser(
         reporter.sendTelemetryEvent(eventNameSent, customProperties, measures);
     }
 }
+
+async function getActivatedExtension<T>(extension: vscode.Extension<T>): Promise<vscode.Extension<T>> {
+    if (!extension.isActive) {
+        await extension.activate();
+    }
+
+    return extension;
+}
diff --git a/src/client/languageServer/watcher.ts b/src/client/languageServer/watcher.ts
index f7c4193bde90..2c29709ef681 100644
--- a/src/client/languageServer/watcher.ts
+++ b/src/client/languageServer/watcher.ts
@@ -265,11 +265,11 @@ export class LanguageServerWatcher implements IExtensionActivationService, ILang
         return lsManager;
     }
 
-    private async refreshLanguageServer(resource?: Resource): Promise<void> {
+    private async refreshLanguageServer(resource?: Resource, forced?: boolean): Promise<void> {
         const lsResource = this.getWorkspaceUri(resource);
         const languageServerType = this.configurationService.getSettings(lsResource).languageServer;
 
-        if (languageServerType !== this.languageServerType) {
+        if (languageServerType !== this.languageServerType || forced) {
             await this.stopLanguageServer(resource);
             await this.startLanguageServer(languageServerType, lsResource);
         }
@@ -286,6 +286,8 @@ export class LanguageServerWatcher implements IExtensionActivationService, ILang
         workspacesUris.forEach(async (resource) => {
             if (event.affectsConfiguration(`python.languageServer`, resource)) {
                 await this.refreshLanguageServer(resource);
+            } else if (event.affectsConfiguration(`python.analysis.pylanceLspClientEnabled`, resource)) {
+                await this.refreshLanguageServer(resource, /* forced */ true);
             }
         });
     }