diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebook.contribution.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebook.contribution.ts
index 9b0857c9c5cf1..4521abd7ed4f5 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebook.contribution.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebook.contribution.ts
@@ -613,7 +613,10 @@ class SimpleNotebookWorkingCopyEditorHandler extends Disposable implements IWork
 		await this._extensionService.whenInstalledExtensionsRegistered();
 
 		this._register(this._workingCopyEditorService.registerHandler({
-			handles: workingCopy => typeof this._getViewType(workingCopy) === 'string',
+			handles: workingCopy => {
+				const viewType = this._getViewType(workingCopy);
+				return typeof viewType === 'string' && viewType !== 'interactive';
+			},
 			isOpen: (workingCopy, editor) => editor instanceof NotebookEditorInput && editor.viewType === this._getViewType(workingCopy) && isEqual(workingCopy.resource, editor.resource),
 			createEditor: workingCopy => NotebookEditorInput.create(this._instantiationService, workingCopy.resource, this._getViewType(workingCopy)!)
 		}));
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/common/notebookEditorModel.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/common/notebookEditorModel.ts
index f693c18cafb2f..e3e174aadfb7c 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/common/notebookEditorModel.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/common/notebookEditorModel.ts
@@ -252,8 +252,14 @@ export class NotebookFileWorkingCopyModelFactory implements IStoredFileWorkingCo
 			throw new Error('CANNOT open file notebook with this provider');
 		}
 
-		const bytes = await streamToBuffer(stream);
-		const data = await info.serializer.dataToNotebook(bytes);
+		let data: NotebookData = {
+			metadata: {},
+			cells: []
+		};
+		if (resource.scheme !== Schemas.vscodeInteractive) {
+			const bytes = await streamToBuffer(stream);
+			data = await info.serializer.dataToNotebook(bytes);
+		}
 
 		if (token.isCancellationRequested) {
 			throw new CancellationError();