diff --git a/src/bashDebug.spec.ts b/src/bashDebug.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cd2d08e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/bashDebug.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import { createRunInTerminalArgs } from "./bashDebug";
+
+describe("bashDebug - createRunInTerminalArgs", () => {
+
+    it("preserves shell interpretation for runInTerminal commands", () => {
+
+        expect(createRunInTerminalArgs("integrated", "wsl.exe", "bash", "while [[ ! -p fifo ]]; do sleep 0.25; done"))
+            .toEqual({
+                kind: "integrated",
+                title: "Bash Debug Console",
+                cwd: ".",
+                args: ["wsl.exe", "bash", "-c", "while [[ ! -p fifo ]]; do sleep 0.25; done"],
+                argsCanBeInterpretedByShell: true,
+            });
+    });
+
+    it("omits the extra bash path argument when it is not needed", () => {
+
+        expect(createRunInTerminalArgs("external", "/bin/bash", "", "echo ok").args)
+            .toEqual(["/bin/bash", "-c", "echo ok"]);
+    });
+});
diff --git a/src/bashDebug.ts b/src/bashDebug.ts
index b27ee92..12db727 100644
--- a/src/bashDebug.ts
+++ b/src/bashDebug.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,26 @@ export interface LaunchRequestArguments extends DebugProtocol.LaunchRequestArgum
     trace?: boolean;
 }
 
+interface RunInTerminalRequestArgumentsWithShellInterpretation extends DebugProtocol.RunInTerminalRequestArguments {
+    argsCanBeInterpretedByShell?: boolean;
+}
+
+export function createRunInTerminalArgs(
+    kind: 'integrated' | 'external',
+    currentShell: string,
+    optionalBashPathArgument: string,
+    command: string
+): RunInTerminalRequestArgumentsWithShellInterpretation {
+    return {
+        kind,
+        title: "Bash Debug Console",
+        cwd: ".",
+        args: [currentShell, optionalBashPathArgument, `-c`, command].filter(arg => arg !== ""),
+        // Keep the -c payload intact so the client does not escape shell operators like '!'.
+        argsCanBeInterpretedByShell: true,
+    };
+}
+
 export class BashDebugSession extends LoggingDebugSession {
 
     private static THREAD_ID = 42;
@@ -164,12 +184,11 @@ export class BashDebugSession extends LoggingDebugSession {
         else {
             const currentShell = (process.platform === "win32") ? getWSLLauncherPath(true) : args.pathBash;
             const optionalBashPathArgument = (currentShell !== args.pathBash) ? args.pathBash : "";
-            const termArgs: DebugProtocol.RunInTerminalRequestArguments = {
-                kind: this.launchArgs.terminalKind,
-                title: "Bash Debug Console",
-                cwd: ".",
-                args: [currentShell, optionalBashPathArgument, `-c`, command].filter(arg => arg !== ""),
-            };
+            const termArgs = createRunInTerminalArgs(
+                this.launchArgs.terminalKind,
+                currentShell,
+                optionalBashPathArgument,
+                command);
 
             this.runInTerminalRequest(termArgs, 10000, (response) => {
                 if (!response.success) {