diff --git a/src/client/common/utils/localize.ts b/src/client/common/utils/localize.ts
index a45c93270c5f..e090435e0cf1 100644
--- a/src/client/common/utils/localize.ts
+++ b/src/client/common/utils/localize.ts
@@ -304,6 +304,12 @@ export namespace InterpreterQuickPickList {
             'Use Python from `python.defaultInterpreterPath` setting',
         ),
     };
+    export const tooltipMessages = {
+        notUsingVirtualEnv: localize(
+            'InterpreterQuickPickList.tooltipMessages.notUsingVirtualEnv',
+            "It's recommended to create a virtual environment to keep the project's dependencies isolated from the system ones",
+        ),
+    };
     export const browsePath = {
         label: localize('InterpreterQuickPickList.browsePath.label', 'Find...'),
         detail: localize(
diff --git a/src/client/interpreter/display/index.ts b/src/client/interpreter/display/index.ts
index 437418304bb9..97ad04673436 100644
--- a/src/client/interpreter/display/index.ts
+++ b/src/client/interpreter/display/index.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import { IDisposableRegistry, IPathUtils, Resource } from '../../common/types';
 import { InterpreterQuickPickList } from '../../common/utils/localize';
 import { IServiceContainer } from '../../ioc/types';
 import { traceLog } from '../../logging';
-import { PythonEnvironment } from '../../pythonEnvironments/info';
+import { PythonEnvironment, virtualEnvTypes } from '../../pythonEnvironments/info';
 import {
     IInterpreterDisplay,
     IInterpreterHelper,
@@ -139,6 +139,12 @@ export class InterpreterDisplay implements IInterpreterDisplay, IExtensionSingle
                 this.statusBar.text = text ?? '';
                 this.statusBar.backgroundColor = undefined;
                 this.currentlySelectedInterpreterDisplay = interpreter.detailedDisplayName;
+                if (!virtualEnvTypes.includes(interpreter.envType)) {
+                    const application = this.serviceContainer.get<IApplicationShell>(IApplicationShell);
+                    application.showWarningMessage(InterpreterQuickPickList.tooltipMessages.notUsingVirtualEnv);
+                    this.statusBar.tooltip = InterpreterQuickPickList.tooltipMessages.notUsingVirtualEnv;
+                    this.statusBar.text = `$(alert) ${this.statusBar.text}`;
+                }
             } else {
                 this.statusBar.tooltip = '';
                 this.statusBar.color = '';