diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index eda6c623..5871ad4f 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
       "dependencies": {
         "@zero-plusplus/autohotkey-utilities": "github:zero-plusplus/node-autohotkey-utilities#develop",
         "async-lock": "^1.2.8",
+        "command-exists": "^1.2.9",
         "convert-hrtime": "^3.0.0",
         "fast-glob": "^3.2.7",
         "fast-xml-parser": "^3.16.0",
@@ -1644,6 +1645,11 @@
         "color-support": "bin.js"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/command-exists": {
+      "version": "1.2.9",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/command-exists/-/command-exists-1.2.9.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-LTQ/SGc+s0Xc0Fu5WaKnR0YiygZkm9eKFvyS+fRsU7/ZWFF8ykFM6Pc9aCVf1+xasOOZpO3BAVgVrKvsqKHV7w=="
+    },
     "node_modules/commander": {
       "version": "6.2.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/commander/-/commander-6.2.1.tgz",
@@ -10748,6 +10754,11 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-qiBjkpbMLO/HL68y+lh4q0/O1MZFj2RX6X/KmMa3+gJD3z+WwI1ZzDHysvqHGS3mP6mznPckpXmw1nI9cJjyRg==",
       "dev": true
     },
+    "command-exists": {
+      "version": "1.2.9",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/command-exists/-/command-exists-1.2.9.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-LTQ/SGc+s0Xc0Fu5WaKnR0YiygZkm9eKFvyS+fRsU7/ZWFF8ykFM6Pc9aCVf1+xasOOZpO3BAVgVrKvsqKHV7w=="
+    },
     "commander": {
       "version": "6.2.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/commander/-/commander-6.2.1.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 955e5f44..59949713 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -959,6 +959,7 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "@zero-plusplus/autohotkey-utilities": "github:zero-plusplus/node-autohotkey-utilities#develop",
     "async-lock": "^1.2.8",
+    "command-exists": "^1.2.9",
     "convert-hrtime": "^3.0.0",
     "fast-glob": "^3.2.7",
     "fast-xml-parser": "^3.16.0",
diff --git a/src/extension.ts b/src/extension.ts
index 55336d02..7ed6af0f 100644
--- a/src/extension.ts
+++ b/src/extension.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* eslint-disable require-atomic-updates */
-import { existsSync, readFileSync } from 'fs';
+import { existsSync, lstatSync, readFileSync } from 'fs';
 import * as path from 'path';
 import * as vscode from 'vscode';
 import { isArray, isBoolean, isPlainObject } from 'ts-predicates';
@@ -27,6 +27,16 @@ const ahkPathResolve = (filePath: string, cwd?: string): string => {
   return _filePath;
 };
 const normalizePath = (filePath: string): string => (filePath ? path.normalize(filePath) : filePath); // If pass in an empty string, path.normalize returns '.'
+const commandExistsSync = require('command-exists').sync;
+const existsSyncEx = (path: string): boolean => {
+  try {
+    lstatSync(path); 
+  }
+  catch (err) {
+    if ((err as any)?.code === 'ENOENT') return false;
+  }
+  return true;
+};
 
 export type ScopeName = 'Local' | 'Static' | 'Global';
 export type ScopeSelector = '*' | ScopeName;
@@ -208,7 +218,7 @@ class AhkConfigurationProvider implements vscode.DebugConfigurationProvider {
         config.runtime = ahkPathResolve(config.runtime);
       }
 
-      if (!existsSync(config.runtime)) {
+      if (!existsSyncEx(config.runtime) && !commandExistsSync(config.runtime)) {
         throw Error(`\`runtime\` must be a file path that exists.\nSpecified: "${String(normalizePath(config.runtime))}"`);
       }
     })();
@@ -356,7 +366,7 @@ class AhkConfigurationProvider implements vscode.DebugConfigurationProvider {
       if (!isString(config.program)) {
         throw Error('`program` must be a string.');
       }
-      if (config.request === 'launch' && !existsSync(config.program)) {
+      if (config.request === 'launch' && !existsSyncEx(config.program) && !commandExistsSync(config.program)) {
         throw Error(`\`program\` must be a file path that exists.\nSpecified: "${String(normalizePath(config.program))}"`);
       }
       if (config.program) {
@@ -424,7 +434,7 @@ class AhkConfigurationProvider implements vscode.DebugConfigurationProvider {
       if (!isString(config.openFileOnExit)) {
         throw Error('`openFileOnExit` must be a string.');
       }
-      if (!existsSync(config.openFileOnExit)) {
+      if (!existsSyncEx(config.openFileOnExit) && !commandExistsSync(config.openFileOnExit)) {
         throw Error(`\`openFileOnExit\` must be a file path that exists.\nSpecified: "${String(normalizePath(config.openFileOnExit))}"`);
       }
     })();