diff --git a/packages/task/src/browser/task-configuration-manager.ts b/packages/task/src/browser/task-configuration-manager.ts
index 6f1ba795aa0fc..58b0f06669351 100644
--- a/packages/task/src/browser/task-configuration-manager.ts
+++ b/packages/task/src/browser/task-configuration-manager.ts
@@ -225,8 +225,9 @@ export class TaskConfigurationManager {
 
     protected readonly toDisposeOnDelegateChange = new DisposableCollection();
     protected updateWorkspaceModel(): void {
-        const newDelegate = this.workspaceService.saved ? this.workspacePreferences : this.folderPreferences;
-        const effectiveScope = this.workspaceService.saved ? TaskScope.Workspace : this.workspaceService.tryGetRoots()[0]?.resource.toString();
+        const isFolderWorkspace = this.workspaceService.opened && !this.workspaceService.saved;
+        const newDelegate = isFolderWorkspace ? this.folderPreferences : this.workspacePreferences;
+        const effectiveScope = isFolderWorkspace ? this.workspaceService.tryGetRoots()[0]?.resource.toString() : TaskScope.Workspace;
         if (newDelegate !== this.workspaceDelegate) {
             this.workspaceDelegate = newDelegate;
             this.toDisposeOnDelegateChange.dispose();
diff --git a/packages/workspace/src/browser/workspace-service.ts b/packages/workspace/src/browser/workspace-service.ts
index 4214c6b560223..47dcee22b612c 100644
--- a/packages/workspace/src/browser/workspace-service.ts
+++ b/packages/workspace/src/browser/workspace-service.ts
@@ -549,6 +549,11 @@ export class WorkspaceService implements FrontendApplicationContribution {
         return false;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * `true` if the current workspace is configured using a configuration file.
+     *
+     * `false` if there is no workspace or the workspace is simply a folder.
+     */
     get saved(): boolean {
         return !!this._workspace && !this._workspace.isDirectory;
     }