diff --git a/src/JestExt/core.ts b/src/JestExt/core.ts
index 1ddf6070a..fe8638481 100644
--- a/src/JestExt/core.ts
+++ b/src/JestExt/core.ts
@@ -323,7 +323,8 @@ export class JestExt {
 
       this.events.onTestSessionStarted.fire({ ...this.extContext, session: this.processSession });
 
-      await this.updateTestFileList();
+      // Force update test file list during session initialization
+      await this.updateTestFileList(true);
 
       // update visible editors that belong to this folder
       this.updateVisibleTextEditors();
@@ -568,6 +569,11 @@ export class JestExt {
 
   //**  commands */
   public debugTests = async (debugInfo: DebugInfo): Promise<void> => {
+    // Check if test file list needs updating before debug, and update if necessary
+    if (this.testResultProvider.isTestFileListDirty()) {
+      await this.updateTestFileList();
+    }
+    
     const getDebugConfig = (
       folder?: vscode.WorkspaceFolder
     ): vscode.DebugConfiguration | undefined => {
@@ -619,6 +625,11 @@ export class JestExt {
     this.enableOutputOnRun();
     await this.exitDeferMode();
 
+    // Check if test file list needs updating, and update if necessary
+    if (this.testResultProvider.isTestFileListDirty()) {
+      await this.updateTestFileList();
+    }
+
     if (!editor) {
       if (this.processSession.scheduleProcess({ type: 'all-tests', nonBlocking: true })) {
         this.dirtyFiles.clear();
@@ -703,6 +714,7 @@ export class JestExt {
   private refreshDocumentChange(document?: vscode.TextDocument): void {
     this.updateVisibleTextEditors(document);
 
+    // Update status bar with latest stats
     this.updateStatusBar({
       stats: this.toSBStats(this.testResultProvider.getTestSuiteStats()),
     });
@@ -741,7 +753,12 @@ export class JestExt {
     this.refreshDocumentChange(document);
   }
 
-  private async updateTestFileList(): Promise<void> {
+  private async updateTestFileList(force: boolean = false): Promise<void> {
+    // Skip update if not forced and test file list isn't dirty
+    if (!force && !this.testResultProvider.isTestFileListDirty()) {
+      return;
+    }
+    
     return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
       this.processSession.scheduleProcess({
         type: 'list-test-files',
@@ -765,13 +782,13 @@ export class JestExt {
   }
 
   onDidCreateFiles(_event: vscode.FileCreateEvent): void {
-    this.updateTestFileList();
+    this.testResultProvider.markTestFileListDirty();
   }
   onDidRenameFiles(_event: vscode.FileRenameEvent): void {
-    this.updateTestFileList();
+    this.testResultProvider.markTestFileListDirty();
   }
   onDidDeleteFiles(_event: vscode.FileDeleteEvent): void {
-    this.updateTestFileList();
+    this.testResultProvider.markTestFileListDirty();
   }
 
   toggleCoverage(): Promise<void> {
diff --git a/src/TestResults/TestResultProvider.ts b/src/TestResults/TestResultProvider.ts
index 198487ff8..0a64a9492 100644
--- a/src/TestResults/TestResultProvider.ts
+++ b/src/TestResults/TestResultProvider.ts
@@ -194,6 +194,7 @@ export class TestResultProvider {
   private testFiles?: string[];
   private snapshotProvider: SnapshotProvider;
   private parser: Parser;
+  private testFileListDirty: boolean = false;
 
   constructor(
     extEvents: JestSessionEvents,
@@ -258,12 +259,21 @@ export class TestResultProvider {
 
   updateTestFileList(testFiles?: string[]): void {
     this.testFiles = testFiles;
+    this.testFileListDirty = false;
 
     // clear the cache in case we have cached some non-test files prior
     this.testSuites.clear();
 
     this.events.testListUpdated.fire(testFiles);
   }
+  
+  markTestFileListDirty(): void {
+    this.testFileListDirty = true;
+  }
+  
+  isTestFileListDirty(): boolean {
+    return this.testFileListDirty;
+  }
   getTestList(): string[] {
     if (this.testFiles && this.testFiles.length > 0) {
       return this.testFiles;
diff --git a/tests/JestExt/core.test.ts b/tests/JestExt/core.test.ts
index 43f808cca..fdce91c79 100644
--- a/tests/JestExt/core.test.ts
+++ b/tests/JestExt/core.test.ts
@@ -112,12 +112,20 @@ describe('JestExt', () => {
     const coverageCodeLensProvider: any = override?.coverageCodeLensProvider ?? {
       coverageChanged: jest.fn(),
     };
-    return new JestExt(
+
+    // Make a JestExt instance
+    const jestExtInstance = new JestExt(
       context,
       workspaceFolder,
       debugConfigurationProvider,
       coverageCodeLensProvider
     );
+
+    // Mock the new methods on testResultProvider
+    jestExtInstance.testResultProvider.markTestFileListDirty = jest.fn();
+    jestExtInstance.testResultProvider.isTestFileListDirty = jest.fn().mockReturnValue(false);
+
+    return jestExtInstance;
   };
   const mockEditor = (fileName: string, languageId = 'typescript'): any => {
     return {
@@ -178,6 +186,22 @@ describe('JestExt', () => {
     let startDebugging;
     const mockShowQuickPick = jest.fn();
     let mockConfigurations = [];
+    
+    it('should update test file list if marked as dirty before debugging', async () => {
+      const sut = newJestExt();
+      // Mock that test file list is dirty
+      (sut.testResultProvider.isTestFileListDirty as jest.Mock).mockReturnValueOnce(true);
+      
+      // Set up updateTestFileList to resolve immediately when called
+      const updateTestFileListSpy = jest.spyOn(sut as any, 'updateTestFileList').mockResolvedValueOnce(undefined);
+      
+      await sut.debugTests({ testPath: document.fileName, testName: 'testName' });
+      
+      // Verify updateTestFileList was called before debugging
+      expect(updateTestFileListSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(sut.debugConfigurationProvider.prepareTestRun).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+    
     beforeEach(() => {
       startDebugging = vscode.debug.startDebugging as unknown as jest.Mock<{}>;
       (startDebugging as unknown as jest.Mock<{}>).mockImplementation(
@@ -752,6 +776,19 @@ describe('JestExt', () => {
         expect(mockTestProvider.dispose).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
         expect(JestTestProvider).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
       });
+      
+      it('forces update of test file list on session start', async () => {
+        const sut = createJestExt();
+        
+        // Set up spy to check how updateTestFileList is called
+        const updateTestFileListSpy = jest.spyOn(sut as any, 'updateTestFileList');
+        
+        await sut.startSession();
+        
+        // Verify updateTestFileList was called with force=true
+        expect(updateTestFileListSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(true);
+      });
+      
       describe('will update test file list', () => {
         it.each`
           fileNames     | error                      | expectedTestFiles
@@ -861,6 +898,21 @@ describe('JestExt', () => {
     });
   });
   describe('runAllTests', () => {
+    it('should update test file list if marked as dirty before running tests', async () => {
+      const sut = newJestExt();
+      // Mock that test file list is dirty
+      (sut.testResultProvider.isTestFileListDirty as jest.Mock).mockReturnValueOnce(true);
+      
+      // Set up updateTestFileList to resolve immediately when called
+      const updateTestFileListSpy = jest.spyOn(sut as any, 'updateTestFileList').mockResolvedValueOnce(undefined);
+      
+      await sut.runAllTests();
+      
+      // Verify updateTestFileList was called before scheduling process
+      expect(updateTestFileListSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(mockProcessSession.scheduleProcess).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+    
     describe.each`
       scheduleProcess
       ${{}}
@@ -934,29 +986,25 @@ describe('JestExt', () => {
       }
     );
   });
-  describe('refresh test file list upon file system change', () => {
-    const getProcessType = () => {
-      const { type } = mockProcessSession.scheduleProcess.mock.calls[0][0];
-      return type;
-    };
+  describe('mark test file list as dirty upon file system change', () => {
     let jestExt: any;
     beforeEach(() => {
       jestExt = newJestExt();
     });
     it('when new file is created', () => {
       jestExt.onDidCreateFiles({});
-      expect(mockProcessSession.scheduleProcess).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-      expect(getProcessType()).toEqual('list-test-files');
+      expect(jestExt.testResultProvider.markTestFileListDirty).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(mockProcessSession.scheduleProcess).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
     it('when file is renamed', () => {
       jestExt.onDidRenameFiles({});
-      expect(mockProcessSession.scheduleProcess).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-      expect(getProcessType()).toEqual('list-test-files');
+      expect(jestExt.testResultProvider.markTestFileListDirty).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(mockProcessSession.scheduleProcess).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
     it('when file is deleted', () => {
       jestExt.onDidDeleteFiles({});
-      expect(mockProcessSession.scheduleProcess).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-      expect(getProcessType()).toEqual('list-test-files');
+      expect(jestExt.testResultProvider.markTestFileListDirty).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(mockProcessSession.scheduleProcess).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
   });
   describe('triggerUpdateSettings', () => {
diff --git a/tests/TestResults/TestResultProvider.test.ts b/tests/TestResults/TestResultProvider.test.ts
index c17fd765a..d0710122e 100644
--- a/tests/TestResults/TestResultProvider.test.ts
+++ b/tests/TestResults/TestResultProvider.test.ts
@@ -570,6 +570,15 @@ describe('TestResultProvider', () => {
         sut.updateTestFileList(['test-file']);
         itBlocks = [];
       };
+      
+      it('should mark test file list as not dirty after update', () => {
+        const sut = new TestResultProvider(eventsMock);
+        expect(sut.isTestFileListDirty()).toBeFalsy();
+        sut.markTestFileListDirty();
+        expect(sut.isTestFileListDirty()).toBeTruthy();
+        sut.updateTestFileList(['test-file']);
+        expect(sut.isTestFileListDirty()).toBeFalsy();
+      });
       it.each`
         desc                         | setup              | itBlockOverride | expectedResults | statsChange
         ${'parse failed'}            | ${forceParseError} | ${undefined}    | ${[]}           | ${'fail'}