diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/controller/cellOperations.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/controller/cellOperations.ts
index 3432d899d1bf2..0795f4536e703 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/controller/cellOperations.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/controller/cellOperations.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import { CellEditType, CellKind, ICellEditOperation, ICellReplaceEdit, IOutputDt
 import { cellRangeContains, cellRangesToIndexes, ICellRange } from '../../common/notebookRange.js';
 import { localize } from '../../../../../nls.js';
 import { INotificationService } from '../../../../../platform/notification/common/notification.js';
+import { INotebookKernelHistoryService } from '../../common/notebookKernelService.js';
 
 export async function changeCellToKind(kind: CellKind, context: INotebookActionContext, language?: string, mime?: string): Promise<void> {
 	const { notebookEditor } = context;
@@ -662,7 +663,8 @@ export function insertCell(
 	type: CellKind,
 	direction: 'above' | 'below' = 'above',
 	initialText: string = '',
-	ui: boolean = false
+	ui: boolean = false,
+	kernelHistoryService?: INotebookKernelHistoryService
 ) {
 	const viewModel = editor.getViewModel() as NotebookViewModel;
 	const activeKernel = editor.activeKernel;
@@ -676,6 +678,7 @@ export function insertCell(
 	if (type === CellKind.Code) {
 		const supportedLanguages = activeKernel?.supportedLanguages ?? languageService.getRegisteredLanguageIds();
 		const defaultLanguage = supportedLanguages[0] || PLAINTEXT_LANGUAGE_ID;
+
 		if (cell?.cellKind === CellKind.Code) {
 			language = cell.language;
 		} else if (cell?.cellKind === CellKind.Markup) {
@@ -685,6 +688,15 @@ export function insertCell(
 			} else {
 				language = defaultLanguage;
 			}
+		} else if (!cell && viewModel.length === 0) {
+			// No cells in notebook - check kernel history
+			const lastKernels = kernelHistoryService?.getKernels(viewModel.notebookDocument);
+			if (lastKernels?.all.length) {
+				const lastKernel = lastKernels.all[0];
+				language = lastKernel.supportedLanguages[0] || defaultLanguage;
+			} else {
+				language = defaultLanguage;
+			}
 		} else {
 			if (cell === undefined && direction === 'above') {
 				// insert cell at the very top
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/controller/insertCellActions.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/controller/insertCellActions.ts
index dc3fbcc179db9..b7bdf36f34780 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/controller/insertCellActions.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/controller/insertCellActions.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import { NOTEBOOK_CELL_LIST_FOCUSED, NOTEBOOK_EDITOR_EDITABLE } from '../../comm
 import { CellViewModel } from '../viewModel/notebookViewModelImpl.js';
 import { CellKind, NotebookSetting } from '../../common/notebookCommon.js';
 import { CTX_NOTEBOOK_CHAT_OUTER_FOCUS_POSITION } from './chat/notebookChatContext.js';
+import { INotebookKernelHistoryService } from '../../common/notebookKernelService.js';
 
 const INSERT_CODE_CELL_ABOVE_COMMAND_ID = 'notebook.cell.insertCodeCellAbove';
 const INSERT_CODE_CELL_BELOW_COMMAND_ID = 'notebook.cell.insertCodeCellBelow';
@@ -35,13 +36,15 @@ export function insertNewCell(accessor: ServicesAccessor, context: INotebookActi
 	}
 
 	const languageService = accessor.get(ILanguageService);
+	const kernelHistoryService = accessor.get(INotebookKernelHistoryService);
+
 	if (context.cell) {
 		const idx = context.notebookEditor.getCellIndex(context.cell);
-		newCell = insertCell(languageService, context.notebookEditor, idx, kind, direction, undefined, true);
+		newCell = insertCell(languageService, context.notebookEditor, idx, kind, direction, undefined, true, kernelHistoryService);
 	} else {
 		const focusRange = context.notebookEditor.getFocus();
 		const next = Math.max(focusRange.end - 1, 0);
-		newCell = insertCell(languageService, context.notebookEditor, next, kind, direction, undefined, true);
+		newCell = insertCell(languageService, context.notebookEditor, next, kind, direction, undefined, true, kernelHistoryService);
 	}
 
 	return newCell;
@@ -193,7 +196,8 @@ registerAction2(class InsertCodeCellAtTopAction extends NotebookAction {
 
 	async runWithContext(accessor: ServicesAccessor, context: INotebookActionContext): Promise<void> {
 		const languageService = accessor.get(ILanguageService);
-		const newCell = insertCell(languageService, context.notebookEditor, 0, CellKind.Code, 'above', undefined, true);
+		const kernelHistoryService = accessor.get(INotebookKernelHistoryService);
+		const newCell = insertCell(languageService, context.notebookEditor, 0, CellKind.Code, 'above', undefined, true, kernelHistoryService);
 
 		if (newCell) {
 			await context.notebookEditor.focusNotebookCell(newCell, 'editor');
@@ -220,7 +224,9 @@ registerAction2(class InsertMarkdownCellAtTopAction extends NotebookAction {
 
 	async runWithContext(accessor: ServicesAccessor, context: INotebookActionContext): Promise<void> {
 		const languageService = accessor.get(ILanguageService);
-		const newCell = insertCell(languageService, context.notebookEditor, 0, CellKind.Markup, 'above', undefined, true);
+		const kernelHistoryService = accessor.get(INotebookKernelHistoryService);
+
+		const newCell = insertCell(languageService, context.notebookEditor, 0, CellKind.Markup, 'above', undefined, true, kernelHistoryService);
 
 		if (newCell) {
 			await context.notebookEditor.focusNotebookCell(newCell, 'editor');