diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index de61706ff4f54d..fd934529c33ec6 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -13020,6 +13020,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "shellexpand 2.1.2",
  "smol",
  "sysinfo",
+ "task",
  "thiserror 2.0.12",
  "toml 0.8.20",
  "unindent",
diff --git a/crates/acp_thread/src/acp_thread.rs b/crates/acp_thread/src/acp_thread.rs
index 61486a475c4601..01777f81bf4c5e 100644
--- a/crates/acp_thread/src/acp_thread.rs
+++ b/crates/acp_thread/src/acp_thread.rs
@@ -2084,6 +2084,7 @@ impl AcpThread {
         output_byte_limit: Option<u64>,
         cx: &mut Context<Self>,
     ) -> Task<Result<Entity<Terminal>>> {
+        dbg!(&command, &args);
         let env = match &cwd {
             Some(dir) => self.project.update(cx, |project, cx| {
                 let worktree = project.find_worktree(dir.as_path(), cx);
@@ -2128,6 +2129,7 @@ impl AcpThread {
                 let (task_command, task_args) = ShellBuilder::new(&Shell::Program(shell))
                     .redirect_stdin_to_dev_null()
                     .build(Some(command.clone()), &args);
+                dbg!(&task_command, &task_args);
                 let terminal = project
                     .update(cx, |project, cx| {
                         project.create_terminal_task(
@@ -2135,7 +2137,7 @@ impl AcpThread {
                                 command: Some(task_command),
                                 args: task_args,
                                 cwd: cwd.clone(),
-                                env,
+                                env: dbg!(env),
                                 ..Default::default()
                             },
                             cx,
diff --git a/crates/project/src/project.rs b/crates/project/src/project.rs
index 2b6c9bfe6c45bf..f91faa54a5700a 100644
--- a/crates/project/src/project.rs
+++ b/crates/project/src/project.rs
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ pub use environment::ProjectEnvironment;
 #[cfg(test)]
 use futures::future::join_all;
 use futures::{
-    StreamExt,
+    FutureExt as _, StreamExt,
     channel::mpsc::{self, UnboundedReceiver},
     future::{Shared, try_join_all},
 };
@@ -1894,12 +1894,32 @@ impl Project {
         })
     }
 
+    // FIXME migrate project environment stuff to use proto instead of bailing when not local
+
     pub fn directory_environment(
         &self,
         shell: &Shell,
         abs_path: Arc<Path>,
         cx: &mut App,
     ) -> Shared<Task<Option<HashMap<String, String>>>> {
+        if let Some(remote_client) = self.remote_client() {
+            let response =
+                remote_client
+                    .read(cx)
+                    .proto_client()
+                    .request(proto::GetDirectoryEnvironment {
+                        // FIXME
+                        project_id: REMOTE_SERVER_PROJECT_ID,
+                        shell: Some(shell.clone().to_proto()),
+                        directory: abs_path.to_string_lossy().to_string(),
+                    });
+            return cx
+                .spawn(async move |_| {
+                    let environment = response.await.log_err()?;
+                    Some(environment.environment.into_iter().collect())
+                })
+                .shared();
+        }
         self.environment.update(cx, |environment, cx| {
             environment.get_directory_environment_for_shell(shell, abs_path, cx)
         })
diff --git a/crates/proto/proto/task.proto b/crates/proto/proto/task.proto
index 8fc3a6d18e1398..1844087d623cc3 100644
--- a/crates/proto/proto/task.proto
+++ b/crates/proto/proto/task.proto
@@ -48,3 +48,13 @@ message SpawnInTerminal {
     map<string, string> env = 4;
     optional string cwd = 5;
 }
+
+message GetDirectoryEnvironment {
+    uint64 project_id = 1;
+    Shell shell = 2;
+    string directory = 3;
+}
+
+message DirectoryEnvironment {
+    map<string, string> environment = 1;
+}
diff --git a/crates/proto/proto/zed.proto b/crates/proto/proto/zed.proto
index 2c8380661a31f3..c2fc764e819f35 100644
--- a/crates/proto/proto/zed.proto
+++ b/crates/proto/proto/zed.proto
@@ -418,7 +418,10 @@ message Envelope {
 
         GitRenameBranch git_rename_branch = 380;
 
-        RemoteStarted remote_started = 381; // current max
+        RemoteStarted remote_started = 381;
+
+        GetDirectoryEnvironment get_directory_environment = 382;
+        DirectoryEnvironment directory_environment = 383; // current max
     }
 
     reserved 87 to 88;
diff --git a/crates/proto/src/proto.rs b/crates/proto/src/proto.rs
index 2217cabbba9627..3710d77262f872 100644
--- a/crates/proto/src/proto.rs
+++ b/crates/proto/src/proto.rs
@@ -319,6 +319,8 @@ messages!(
     (GitClone, Background),
     (GitCloneResponse, Background),
     (ToggleLspLogs, Background),
+    (GetDirectoryEnvironment, Background),
+    (DirectoryEnvironment, Background),
     (GetAgentServerCommand, Background),
     (AgentServerCommand, Background),
     (ExternalAgentsUpdated, Background),
@@ -497,6 +499,7 @@ request_messages!(
     (GetDefaultBranch, GetDefaultBranchResponse),
     (GitClone, GitCloneResponse),
     (ToggleLspLogs, Ack),
+    (GetDirectoryEnvironment, DirectoryEnvironment),
     (GetProcesses, GetProcessesResponse),
     (GetAgentServerCommand, AgentServerCommand),
     (RemoteStarted, Ack),
@@ -634,6 +637,7 @@ entity_messages!(
     GitCheckoutFiles,
     SetIndexText,
     ToggleLspLogs,
+    GetDirectoryEnvironment,
 
     Push,
     Fetch,
diff --git a/crates/remote_server/Cargo.toml b/crates/remote_server/Cargo.toml
index 92777d1a5950cf..37c77299ef4657 100644
--- a/crates/remote_server/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/remote_server/Cargo.toml
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ settings.workspace = true
 shellexpand.workspace = true
 smol.workspace = true
 sysinfo.workspace = true
+task.workspace = true
 util.workspace = true
 watch.workspace = true
 worktree.workspace = true
diff --git a/crates/remote_server/src/headless_project.rs b/crates/remote_server/src/headless_project.rs
index 1d5e72ff9bd245..5008cd4efcfcbe 100644
--- a/crates/remote_server/src/headless_project.rs
+++ b/crates/remote_server/src/headless_project.rs
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ pub struct HeadlessProject {
     pub languages: Arc<LanguageRegistry>,
     pub extensions: Entity<HeadlessExtensionStore>,
     pub git_store: Entity<GitStore>,
+    pub environment: Entity<ProjectEnvironment>,
     // Used mostly to keep alive the toolchain store for RPC handlers.
     // Local variant is used within LSP store, but that's a separate entity.
     pub _toolchain_store: Entity<ToolchainStore>,
@@ -196,7 +197,7 @@ impl HeadlessProject {
 
         let agent_server_store = cx.new(|cx| {
             let mut agent_server_store =
-                AgentServerStore::local(node_runtime.clone(), fs.clone(), environment, cx);
+                AgentServerStore::local(node_runtime.clone(), fs.clone(), environment.clone(), cx);
             agent_server_store.shared(REMOTE_SERVER_PROJECT_ID, session.clone(), cx);
             agent_server_store
         });
@@ -249,6 +250,7 @@ impl HeadlessProject {
         session.add_entity_request_handler(Self::handle_open_new_buffer);
         session.add_entity_request_handler(Self::handle_find_search_candidates);
         session.add_entity_request_handler(Self::handle_open_server_settings);
+        session.add_entity_request_handler(Self::handle_get_directory_environment);
         session.add_entity_message_handler(Self::handle_toggle_lsp_logs);
 
         session.add_entity_request_handler(BufferStore::handle_update_buffer);
@@ -289,6 +291,7 @@ impl HeadlessProject {
             languages,
             extensions,
             git_store,
+            environment,
             _toolchain_store: toolchain_store,
         }
     }
@@ -758,6 +761,26 @@ impl HeadlessProject {
 
         Ok(proto::GetProcessesResponse { processes })
     }
+
+    async fn handle_get_directory_environment(
+        this: Entity<Self>,
+        envelope: TypedEnvelope<proto::GetDirectoryEnvironment>,
+        mut cx: AsyncApp,
+    ) -> Result<proto::DirectoryEnvironment> {
+        let shell = task::Shell::from_proto(envelope.payload.shell.context("missing shell")?)?;
+        let directory = PathBuf::from(envelope.payload.directory);
+        let environment = this
+            .update(&mut cx, |this, cx| {
+                this.environment.update(cx, |environment, cx| {
+                    environment.get_directory_environment_for_shell(&shell, directory.into(), cx)
+                })
+            })?
+            .await
+            .context("failed to get directory environment")?
+            .into_iter()
+            .collect();
+        Ok(proto::DirectoryEnvironment { environment })
+    }
 }
 
 fn prompt_to_proto(
diff --git a/crates/task/src/task.rs b/crates/task/src/task.rs
index 9f7a10f2c5cace..0b23a1cde0ccde 100644
--- a/crates/task/src/task.rs
+++ b/crates/task/src/task.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ mod task_template;
 mod vscode_debug_format;
 mod vscode_format;
 
+use anyhow::Context as _;
 use collections::{HashMap, HashSet, hash_map};
 use gpui::SharedString;
 use schemars::JsonSchema;
@@ -361,6 +362,38 @@ impl Shell {
             Shell::System => ShellKind::system(),
         }
     }
+
+    pub fn from_proto(proto: proto::Shell) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
+        let shell_type = proto.shell_type.context("invalid shell type")?;
+        let shell = match shell_type {
+            proto::shell::ShellType::System(_) => Self::System,
+            proto::shell::ShellType::Program(program) => Self::Program(program),
+            proto::shell::ShellType::WithArguments(program) => Self::WithArguments {
+                program: program.program,
+                args: program.args,
+                title_override: None,
+            },
+        };
+        Ok(shell)
+    }
+
+    pub fn to_proto(self) -> proto::Shell {
+        let shell_type = match self {
+            Shell::System => proto::shell::ShellType::System(proto::System {}),
+            Shell::Program(program) => proto::shell::ShellType::Program(program),
+            Shell::WithArguments {
+                program,
+                args,
+                title_override: _,
+            } => proto::shell::ShellType::WithArguments(proto::shell::WithArguments {
+                program,
+                args,
+            }),
+        };
+        proto::Shell {
+            shell_type: Some(shell_type),
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 type VsCodeEnvVariable = String;
diff --git a/crates/util/src/shell_env.rs b/crates/util/src/shell_env.rs
index 3559bf2c78d485..2cf40c58d579e6 100644
--- a/crates/util/src/shell_env.rs
+++ b/crates/util/src/shell_env.rs
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ pub async fn capture(
     args: &[String],
     directory: impl AsRef<Path>,
 ) -> Result<collections::HashMap<String, String>> {
+    dbg!(shell_path.as_ref(), &args, directory.as_ref());
     #[cfg(windows)]
     return capture_windows(shell_path.as_ref(), args, directory.as_ref()).await;
     #[cfg(unix)]