diff --git a/packages/core/src/shared/extensionUtilities.ts b/packages/core/src/shared/extensionUtilities.ts
index 9675f060951..bb29ed45238 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/shared/extensionUtilities.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/shared/extensionUtilities.ts
@@ -370,9 +370,15 @@ export async function initializeComputeRegion(
 
 export function getComputeRegion(): string | undefined {
     if (computeRegion === notInitialized) {
-        throw new Error('Attempted to get compute region without initializing.')
+        // Set a default value immediately to prevent future calls from throwing error
+        const isC9 = isCloud9()
+        const isSM = isSageMaker()
+        computeRegion = isC9 || isSM ? 'unknown' : undefined
+        // Start async initialization in the background
+        initializeComputeRegion(undefined, isC9, isSM).catch((e) => {
+            getLogger().error('Failed to initialize compute region: %s and using a default value: %s', e, computeRegion)
+        })
     }
-
     return computeRegion
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/test/shared/extensionUtilities.test.ts b/packages/core/src/test/shared/extensionUtilities.test.ts
index 0fc846f54ab..8ca4f23a3c0 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/test/shared/extensionUtilities.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/test/shared/extensionUtilities.test.ts
@@ -72,13 +72,10 @@ describe('initializeComputeRegion, getComputeRegion', async function () {
         sandbox.restore()
     })
 
-    it('throws if the region has not been set', async function () {
-        // not quite a pure test: we call activate during the test load so this value will always be set
-        // manually hack in the notInitialized value to trigger the error
-        sandbox.stub(metadataService, 'getInstanceIdentity').resolves({ region: 'notInitialized' })
-
-        await initializeComputeRegion(metadataService, true)
-        assert.throws(getComputeRegion)
+    it('returns default value when region is not initialized', function () {
+        // Test the auto-initialization behavior when getComputeRegion is called before initialization
+        const result = getComputeRegion()
+        assert.ok(result === 'unknown' || result === undefined)
     })
 
     it('returns a compute region', async function () {