diff --git a/src/tools/rust-analyzer/editors/code/src/run.ts b/src/tools/rust-analyzer/editors/code/src/run.ts
index 87f7e50b76734..4470689cd8ca2 100644
--- a/src/tools/rust-analyzer/editors/code/src/run.ts
+++ b/src/tools/rust-analyzer/editors/code/src/run.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import * as vscode from "vscode";
 import type * as lc from "vscode-languageclient";
 import * as ra from "./lsp_ext";
 import * as tasks from "./tasks";
-import * as toolchain from "./toolchain";
 
 import type { CtxInit } from "./ctx";
 import { makeDebugConfig } from "./debug";
@@ -112,22 +111,12 @@ export async function createTask(runnable: ra.Runnable, config: Config): Promise
         throw `Unexpected runnable kind: ${runnable.kind}`;
     }
 
-    let program: string;
-    let args = createArgs(runnable);
-    if (runnable.args.overrideCargo) {
-        // Split on spaces to allow overrides like "wrapper cargo".
-        const cargoParts = runnable.args.overrideCargo.split(" ");
-
-        program = unwrapUndefinable(cargoParts[0]);
-        args = [...cargoParts.slice(1), ...args];
-    } else {
-        program = await toolchain.cargoPath();
-    }
+    const args = createArgs(runnable);
 
     const definition: tasks.CargoTaskDefinition = {
         type: tasks.TASK_TYPE,
-        program,
-        args,
+        command: unwrapUndefinable(args[0]), // run, test, etc...
+        args: args.slice(1),
         cwd: runnable.args.workspaceRoot || ".",
         env: prepareEnv(runnable, config.runnablesExtraEnv),
         overrideCargo: runnable.args.overrideCargo,
diff --git a/src/tools/rust-analyzer/editors/code/src/tasks.ts b/src/tools/rust-analyzer/editors/code/src/tasks.ts
index 00b644d5cc3d9..2b3abc5d65f9d 100644
--- a/src/tools/rust-analyzer/editors/code/src/tasks.ts
+++ b/src/tools/rust-analyzer/editors/code/src/tasks.ts
@@ -2,17 +2,26 @@ import * as vscode from "vscode";
 import * as toolchain from "./toolchain";
 import type { Config } from "./config";
 import { log } from "./util";
+import { unwrapUndefinable } from "./undefinable";
 
 // This ends up as the `type` key in tasks.json. RLS also uses `cargo` and
 // our configuration should be compatible with it so use the same key.
 export const TASK_TYPE = "cargo";
+
 export const TASK_SOURCE = "rust";
 
 export interface CargoTaskDefinition extends vscode.TaskDefinition {
-    program: string;
-    args: string[];
+    // The cargo command, such as "run" or "check".
+    command: string;
+    // Additional arguments passed to the cargo command.
+    args?: string[];
+    // The working directory to run the cargo command in.
     cwd?: string;
+    // The shell environment.
     env?: { [key: string]: string };
+    // Override the cargo executable name, such as
+    // "my_custom_cargo_bin".
+    overrideCargo?: string;
 }
 
 class RustTaskProvider implements vscode.TaskProvider {
@@ -37,14 +46,12 @@ class RustTaskProvider implements vscode.TaskProvider {
             { command: "run", group: undefined },
         ];
 
-        const cargoPath = await toolchain.cargoPath();
-
         const tasks: vscode.Task[] = [];
         for (const workspaceTarget of vscode.workspace.workspaceFolders || []) {
             for (const def of defs) {
                 const vscodeTask = await buildRustTask(
                     workspaceTarget,
-                    { type: TASK_TYPE, program: cargoPath, args: [def.command] },
+                    { type: TASK_TYPE, command: def.command },
                     `cargo ${def.command}`,
                     this.config.problemMatcher,
                     this.config.cargoRunner,
@@ -86,10 +93,28 @@ export async function buildRustTask(
     customRunner?: string,
     throwOnError: boolean = false,
 ): Promise<vscode.Task> {
-    let exec: vscode.ProcessExecution | vscode.ShellExecution | undefined = undefined;
+    const exec = await cargoToExecution(definition, customRunner, throwOnError);
 
+    return new vscode.Task(
+        definition,
+        // scope can sometimes be undefined. in these situations we default to the workspace taskscope as
+        // recommended by the official docs: https://code.visualstudio.com/api/extension-guides/task-provider#task-provider)
+        scope ?? vscode.TaskScope.Workspace,
+        name,
+        TASK_SOURCE,
+        exec,
+        problemMatcher,
+    );
+}
+
+async function cargoToExecution(
+    definition: CargoTaskDefinition,
+    customRunner: string | undefined,
+    throwOnError: boolean,
+): Promise<vscode.ProcessExecution | vscode.ShellExecution> {
     if (customRunner) {
         const runnerCommand = `${customRunner}.buildShellExecution`;
+
         try {
             const runnerArgs = {
                 kind: TASK_TYPE,
@@ -100,7 +125,7 @@ export async function buildRustTask(
             const customExec = await vscode.commands.executeCommand(runnerCommand, runnerArgs);
             if (customExec) {
                 if (customExec instanceof vscode.ShellExecution) {
-                    exec = customExec;
+                    return customExec;
                 } else {
                     log.debug("Invalid cargo ShellExecution", customExec);
                     throw "Invalid cargo ShellExecution.";
@@ -113,20 +138,20 @@ export async function buildRustTask(
         }
     }
 
-    if (!exec) {
-        exec = new vscode.ProcessExecution(definition.program, definition.args, definition);
-    }
+    // Check whether we must use a user-defined substitute for cargo.
+    // Split on spaces to allow overrides like "wrapper cargo".
+    const cargoPath = await toolchain.cargoPath();
+    const cargoCommand = definition.overrideCargo?.split(" ") ?? [cargoPath];
 
-    return new vscode.Task(
-        definition,
-        // scope can sometimes be undefined. in these situations we default to the workspace taskscope as
-        // recommended by the official docs: https://code.visualstudio.com/api/extension-guides/task-provider#task-provider)
-        scope ?? vscode.TaskScope.Workspace,
-        name,
-        TASK_SOURCE,
-        exec,
-        problemMatcher,
-    );
+    const args = [definition.command].concat(definition.args ?? []);
+    const fullCommand = [...cargoCommand, ...args];
+
+    const processName = unwrapUndefinable(fullCommand[0]);
+
+    return new vscode.ProcessExecution(processName, fullCommand.slice(1), {
+        cwd: definition.cwd,
+        env: definition.env,
+    });
 }
 
 export function activateTaskProvider(config: Config): vscode.Disposable {