diff --git a/vscode/src/azure/commands.ts b/vscode/src/azure/commands.ts
index 9568c3db8d..b620004f3c 100644
--- a/vscode/src/azure/commands.ts
+++ b/vscode/src/azure/commands.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import {
 } from "./workspaceActions";
 import { QuantumUris } from "./networkRequests";
 import { getQirForActiveWindow } from "../qirGeneration";
-import { targetSupportQir } from "./providerProperties";
+import { supportsAdaptive, targetSupportQir } from "./providerProperties";
 import { startRefreshCycle } from "./treeRefresher";
 import { getTokenForWorkspace } from "./auth";
 
@@ -109,9 +109,11 @@ export async function initAzureWorkspaces(context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
 
         const providerId = target.id.split(".")?.[0];
 
+        const supports_adaptive = supportsAdaptive(target.id);
+
         let qir = "";
         try {
-          qir = await getQirForActiveWindow();
+          qir = await getQirForActiveWindow(supports_adaptive);
         } catch (e: any) {
           if (e?.name === "QirGenerationError") {
             vscode.window.showErrorMessage(e.message);
diff --git a/vscode/src/azure/providerProperties.ts b/vscode/src/azure/providerProperties.ts
index e887ca8902..eafa1d3fc3 100644
--- a/vscode/src/azure/providerProperties.ts
+++ b/vscode/src/azure/providerProperties.ts
@@ -44,3 +44,7 @@ export function shouldExcludeTarget(target: string) {
 export function shouldExcludeProvider(provider: string) {
   return excludeProviders.includes(provider);
 }
+
+export function supportsAdaptive(target: string) {
+  return target.startsWith("quantinuum");
+}
diff --git a/vscode/src/qirGeneration.ts b/vscode/src/qirGeneration.ts
index 78c90d928d..c2d09df9b7 100644
--- a/vscode/src/qirGeneration.ts
+++ b/vscode/src/qirGeneration.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@ export class QirGenerationError extends Error {
   }
 }
 
-export async function getQirForActiveWindow(): Promise<string> {
+export async function getQirForActiveWindow(
+  supports_adaptive?: boolean, // should be true or false when submitting to Azure, undefined when generating QIR
+): Promise<string> {
   let result = "";
   const editor = vscode.window.activeTextEditor;
 
@@ -31,25 +33,46 @@ export async function getQirForActiveWindow(): Promise<string> {
     );
   }
 
-  // Check that the current target is base or adaptive_ri profile, and current doc has no errors.
   const targetProfile = getTarget();
-  if (targetProfile === "unrestricted") {
+  const is_unrestricted = targetProfile === "unrestricted";
+  const is_base = targetProfile === "base";
+
+  // We differentiate between submission to Azure and on-demand QIR codegen by checking
+  // whether a boolean value was passed for `supports_adaptive`. On-demand codegen does not
+  // have a target, so support for adaptive is unknown.
+  let error_msg =
+    supports_adaptive === undefined
+      ? "Generating QIR "
+      : "Submitting to Azure ";
+  if (is_unrestricted) {
+    error_msg += "is not supported when using the unrestricted profile.";
+  } else if (!is_base && supports_adaptive === false) {
+    error_msg +=
+      "using the Adaptive_RI profile is not supported for targets that can only accept Base profile QIR.";
+  }
+
+  // Check that the current target is base or adaptive_ri profile, and current doc has no errors.
+  if (is_unrestricted || (!is_base && supports_adaptive === false)) {
     const result = await vscode.window.showWarningMessage(
-      "Submitting to Azure is only supported when targeting the QIR base or adaptive_ri profile.",
+      // if supports_adaptive is undefined, use the generic codegen message
+      error_msg,
       { modal: true },
       {
-        title: "Set the QIR target profile to Base and continue",
+        title:
+          "Set the QIR target profile to " +
+          (supports_adaptive ? "Adaptive_RI" : "Base") +
+          " to continue",
         action: "set",
       },
       { title: "Cancel", action: "cancel", isCloseAffordance: true },
     );
     if (result?.action !== "set") {
       throw new QirGenerationError(
-        "Submitting to Azure is not supported when using the unrestricted profile. " +
-          "Please update the QIR target via the status bar selector or extension settings.",
+        error_msg +
+          " Please update the QIR target via the status bar selector or extension settings.",
       );
     } else {
-      setTarget("base");
+      await setTarget(supports_adaptive ? "adaptive_ri" : "base");
     }
   }
   let sources: [string, string][] = [];