diff --git a/lib/main.js b/lib/main.js
index 0b61cd62..4e004acb 100644
--- a/lib/main.js
+++ b/lib/main.js
@@ -79,11 +79,15 @@ class PythonLanguageClient extends AutoLanguageClient {
     }
 
     let pythonBin = atom.config.get("ide-python.python") || "python3"
+
+    // replace $PIPENV_PATH in the path
+    pythonBin = replacePipEnvPathVar(pythonBin, venvPath)
+
+    // check if it exists
     if (whichSync(pythonBin, { nothrow: true }) === null) {
       pythonBin = "python"
     }
-
-    this.python = replacePipEnvPathVar(pythonBin, venvPath)
+    this.python = pythonBin
 
     const childProcess = super.spawn(this.python, ["-m", this.getPyLs()], {
       cwd: projectPath,