diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 4050bcf..65e21d4 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@
     "@types/prompts": "^2.4.9",
     "@types/semver": "^7.3.9",
     "@types/vscode": "^1.77.0",
+    "@types/which": "^3.0.3",
     "@types/ws": "^8.5.10",
     "@vitest/utils": "^1.3.0",
     "@vitest/ws-client": "^1.3.0",
@@ -209,6 +210,7 @@
     "tsx": "^4.7.1",
     "typescript": "^5.3.3",
     "vitest": "^1.4.0",
+    "which": "^4.0.0",
     "ws": "^8.16.0"
   },
   "lint-staged": {
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index c685eb0..0f90a3a 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ devDependencies:
   '@types/vscode':
     specifier: ^1.77.0
     version: 1.88.0
+  '@types/which':
+    specifier: ^3.0.3
+    version: 3.0.3
   '@types/ws':
     specifier: ^8.5.10
     version: 8.5.10
@@ -140,6 +143,9 @@ devDependencies:
   vitest:
     specifier: ^1.4.0
     version: 1.4.0(@types/node@18.19.17)
+  which:
+    specifier: ^4.0.0
+    version: 4.0.0
   ws:
     specifier: ^8.16.0
     version: 8.16.0
@@ -955,6 +961,10 @@ packages:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-rWY+Bs6j/f1lvr8jqZTyp5arRMfovdxolcqGi+//+cPDOh8SBvzXH90e7BiSXct5HJ9HGW6jATchbRTpTJpEkw==}
     dev: true
 
+  /@types/which@3.0.3:
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-2C1+XoY0huExTbs8MQv1DuS5FS86+SEjdM9F/+GS61gg5Hqbtj8ZiDSx8MfWcyei907fIPbfPGCOrNUTnVHY1g==}
+    dev: true
+
   /@types/ws@8.5.10:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-vmQSUcfalpIq0R9q7uTo2lXs6eGIpt9wtnLdMv9LVpIjCA/+ufZRozlVoVelIYixx1ugCBKDhn89vnsEGOCx9A==}
     dependencies:
@@ -2935,6 +2945,11 @@ packages:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-RHxMLp9lnKHGHRng9QFhRCMbYAcVpn69smSGcq3f36xjgVVWThj4qqLbTLlq7Ssj8B+fIQ1EuCEGI2lKsyQeIw==}
     dev: true
 
+  /isexe@3.1.1:
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-LpB/54B+/2J5hqQ7imZHfdU31OlgQqx7ZicVlkm9kzg9/w8GKLEcFfJl/t7DCEDueOyBAD6zCCwTO6Fzs0NoEQ==}
+    engines: {node: '>=16'}
+    dev: true
+
   /istanbul-lib-coverage@3.2.2:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-O8dpsF+r0WV/8MNRKfnmrtCWhuKjxrq2w+jpzBL5UZKTi2LeVWnWOmWRxFlesJONmc+wLAGvKQZEOanko0LFTg==}
     engines: {node: '>=8'}
@@ -4547,6 +4562,14 @@ packages:
       isexe: 2.0.0
     dev: true
 
+  /which@4.0.0:
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-GlaYyEb07DPxYCKhKzplCWBJtvxZcZMrL+4UkrTSJHHPyZU4mYYTv3qaOe77H7EODLSSopAUFAc6W8U4yqvscg==}
+    engines: {node: ^16.13.0 || >=18.0.0}
+    hasBin: true
+    dependencies:
+      isexe: 3.1.1
+    dev: true
+
   /why-is-node-running@2.2.2:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-6tSwToZxTOcotxHeA+qGCq1mVzKR3CwcJGmVcY+QE8SHy6TnpFnh8PAvPNHYr7EcuVeG0QSMxtYCuO1ta/G/oA==}
     engines: {node: '>=8'}
diff --git a/src/api.ts b/src/api.ts
index f9f0f07..8f31662 100644
--- a/src/api.ts
+++ b/src/api.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import type { BirpcEvents, VitestEvents, VitestRPC } from './api/rpc'
 import { createVitestRpc } from './api/rpc'
 import type { WorkerRunnerOptions } from './worker/types'
 import type { VitestPackage } from './api/pkg'
-import { pluralize, showVitestError } from './utils'
+import { findNode, pluralize, showVitestError } from './utils'
 
 export class VitestReporter {
   constructor(
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ interface ResolvedMeta {
   }
 }
 
-function createChildVitestProcess(showWarning: boolean, meta: VitestPackage[]) {
+async function createChildVitestProcess(showWarning: boolean, meta: VitestPackage[]) {
   const pnpLoaders = [
     ...new Set(meta.map(meta => meta.loader).filter(Boolean) as string[]),
   ]
@@ -240,11 +240,12 @@ function createChildVitestProcess(showWarning: boolean, meta: VitestPackage[]) {
       ]
     : undefined
   const env = getConfig().env || {}
+  const execPath = getConfig().nodeExecutable || await findNode(vscode.workspace.workspaceFile?.fsPath || vscode.workspace.workspaceFolders![0].uri.fsPath)
+  log.info('[API]', `Starting Vitest process with Node.js: ${execPath}`)
   const vitest = fork(
     workerPath,
     {
-      // TODO: use findNode API
-      execPath: getConfig().nodeExecutable,
+      execPath,
       execArgv,
       env: {
         ...process.env,
diff --git a/src/utils.ts b/src/utils.ts
index 03257f1..55f3d3a 100644
--- a/src/utils.ts
+++ b/src/utils.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import fs from 'node:fs'
+import { spawn } from 'node:child_process'
 import * as vscode from 'vscode'
+import which from 'which'
 import { relative } from 'pathe'
 import type { VitestPackage } from './api/pkg'
 import { log } from './log'
@@ -84,3 +86,52 @@ export function waitUntilExists(file: string, timeoutMs = 5000) {
     }, 50)
   })
 }
+
+let pathToNodeJS: string | undefined
+
+// based on https://github.com/microsoft/playwright-vscode/blob/main/src/utils.ts#L144
+export async function findNode(cwd: string): Promise<string> {
+  if (pathToNodeJS)
+    return pathToNodeJS
+
+  // Stage 1: Try to find Node.js via process.env.PATH
+  let node = await which('node').catch(() => undefined)
+  // Stage 2: When extension host boots, it does not have the right env set, so we might need to wait.
+  for (let i = 0; i < 5 && !node; ++i) {
+    await new Promise(f => setTimeout(f, 200))
+    node = await which('node').catch(() => undefined)
+  }
+  // Stage 3: If we still haven't found Node.js, try to find it via a subprocess.
+  // This evaluates shell rc/profile files and makes nvm work.
+  node ??= await findNodeViaShell(cwd)
+  if (!node)
+    throw new Error(`Unable to find 'node' executable.\nMake sure to have Node.js installed and available in your PATH.\nCurrent PATH: '${process.env.PATH}'.`)
+  pathToNodeJS = node
+  return node
+}
+
+async function findNodeViaShell(cwd: string): Promise<string | undefined> {
+  if (process.platform === 'win32')
+    return undefined
+  return new Promise<string | undefined>((resolve) => {
+    const startToken = '___START_SHELL__'
+    const endToken = '___END_SHELL__'
+    const childProcess = spawn(`${vscode.env.shell} -i -c 'echo ${startToken} && which node && echo ${endToken}'`, {
+      stdio: 'pipe',
+      shell: true,
+      cwd,
+    })
+    let output = ''
+    childProcess.stdout.on('data', data => output += data.toString())
+    childProcess.on('error', () => resolve(undefined))
+    childProcess.on('exit', (exitCode) => {
+      if (exitCode !== 0)
+        return resolve(undefined)
+      const start = output.indexOf(startToken)
+      const end = output.indexOf(endToken)
+      if (start === -1 || end === -1)
+        return resolve(undefined)
+      return resolve(output.substring(start + startToken.length, end).trim())
+    })
+  })
+}