diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index ce8ac8e9..92041d74 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
         "theme": "dark"
     },
     "engines": {
-        "vscode": "^1.22.0"
+        "vscode": "^1.24.0"
     },
     "license": "(MIT OR Apache-2.0)",
     "repository": {
diff --git a/src/extension.ts b/src/extension.ts
index 2d532e28..99a05c54 100644
--- a/src/extension.ts
+++ b/src/extension.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 import { runRlsViaRustup, rustupUpdate } from './rustup';
 import { startSpinner, stopSpinner } from './spinner';
 import { RLSConfiguration } from './configuration';
-import { activateTaskProvider } from './tasks';
+import { activateTaskProvider, runCommand } from './tasks';
 
 import * as child_process from 'child_process';
 import * as fs from 'fs';
@@ -170,7 +170,10 @@ class ClientWorkspace {
             synchronize: { configurationSection: 'rust' },
             // Controls when to focus the channel rather than when to reveal it in the drop-down list
             revealOutputChannelOn: this.config.revealOutputChannelOn,
-            initializationOptions: { omitInitBuild: true },
+            initializationOptions: {
+                omitInitBuild: true,
+                cmdRun: true,
+            },
             workspaceFolder: this.folder,
         };
 
@@ -236,6 +239,10 @@ class ClientWorkspace {
             return this.start(context);
         });
         context.subscriptions.push(restartServer);
+
+        context.subscriptions.push(
+            commands.registerCommand('rls.run', (cmd) => runCommand(this.folder, cmd))
+        );
     }
 
     async progressCounter() {
diff --git a/src/tasks.ts b/src/tasks.ts
index 101264e9..e6666969 100644
--- a/src/tasks.ts
+++ b/src/tasks.ts
@@ -8,20 +8,7 @@
 // option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed
 // except according to those terms.
 
-import {
-    Disposable,
-    TaskProvider,
-    Task,
-    TaskDefinition,
-    TaskGroup,
-    TaskPanelKind,
-    TaskPresentationOptions,
-    TaskRevealKind,
-    ShellExecution,
-    ShellExecutionOptions,
-    workspace,
-    WorkspaceFolder,
-} from 'vscode';
+import { Disposable, ShellExecution, ShellExecutionOptions, Task, TaskDefinition, TaskGroup, TaskPanelKind, TaskPresentationOptions, TaskProvider, TaskRevealKind, WorkspaceFolder, workspace, tasks } from 'vscode';
 
 export function activateTaskProvider(target: WorkspaceFolder): Disposable {
     const provider: TaskProvider = {
@@ -46,6 +33,7 @@ interface CargoTaskDefinition extends TaskDefinition {
     label: string;
     command: string;
     args: Array<string>;
+    env?: { [key: string]: string };
 }
 
 interface TaskConfigItem {
@@ -72,6 +60,7 @@ function createTask({ definition, group, presentationOptions, problemMatcher }:
     const execCmd = `${definition.command} ${definition.args.join(' ')}`;
     const execOption: ShellExecutionOptions = {
         cwd: target.uri.path,
+        env: definition.env,
     };
     const exec = new ShellExecution(execCmd, execOption);
 
@@ -178,3 +167,29 @@ function createTaskConfigItem(): Array<TaskConfigItem> {
 
     return taskList;
 }
+
+export interface Cmd {
+    binary: string;
+    args: string[];
+    env: { [key: string]: string };
+}
+
+export function runCommand(folder: WorkspaceFolder, cmd: Cmd) {
+    const config: TaskConfigItem = {
+        definition: {
+            label: 'run Cargo command',
+            type: 'shell',
+            command: cmd.binary,
+            args: cmd.args,
+            env: cmd.env,
+        },
+        problemMatcher: ['$rustc'],
+        group: TaskGroup.Build,
+        presentationOptions: {
+            reveal: TaskRevealKind.Always,
+            panel: TaskPanelKind.New,
+        },
+    };
+    const task = createTask(config, folder);
+    tasks.executeTask(task);
+}