diff --git a/src/core/commandRunner/CommandRunner.ts b/src/core/commandRunner/CommandRunner.ts
index 6ed3156b58..ac58f3b95f 100644
--- a/src/core/commandRunner/CommandRunner.ts
+++ b/src/core/commandRunner/CommandRunner.ts
@@ -177,7 +177,9 @@ export default class CommandRunner {
       console.error(err.stack);
       throw err;
     } finally {
-      this.graph.testCaseRecorder.finallyHook();
+      if (this.graph.testCaseRecorder.isActive()) {
+        this.graph.testCaseRecorder.finallyHook();
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/test/suite/recorded.test.ts b/src/test/suite/recorded.test.ts
index 999101bba8..35a72da40c 100644
--- a/src/test/suite/recorded.test.ts
+++ b/src/test/suite/recorded.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-import { promises as fsp } from "fs";
 import { assert } from "chai";
+import { promises as fsp } from "fs";
 import * as yaml from "js-yaml";
 import * as vscode from "vscode";
 import HatTokenMap from "../../core/HatTokenMap";
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import {
   takeSnapshot,
 } from "../../testUtil/takeSnapshot";
 import { TestCaseFixture } from "../../testUtil/TestCase";
+import { DEFAULT_TEXT_EDITOR_OPTIONS_FOR_TEST } from "../../testUtil/testConstants";
 import {
   marksToPlainObject,
   PositionPlainObject,
@@ -74,6 +75,9 @@ async function runTest(file: string) {
     fixture.languageId,
   );
 
+  // Override any user settings and make sure tests run with default tabs.
+  editor.options = DEFAULT_TEXT_EDITOR_OPTIONS_FOR_TEST;
+
   if (fixture.postEditorOpenSleepTimeMs != null) {
     await sleepWithBackoff(fixture.postEditorOpenSleepTimeMs);
   }
diff --git a/src/testUtil/TestCaseRecorder.ts b/src/testUtil/TestCaseRecorder.ts
index 69fdcd4c77..289c9319be 100644
--- a/src/testUtil/TestCaseRecorder.ts
+++ b/src/testUtil/TestCaseRecorder.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import { extractTargetedMarks } from "./extractTargetedMarks";
 import serialize from "./serialize";
 import { ExtraSnapshotField, takeSnapshot } from "./takeSnapshot";
 import { TestCase, TestCaseCommand, TestCaseContext } from "./TestCase";
+import { DEFAULT_TEXT_EDITOR_OPTIONS_FOR_TEST } from "./testConstants";
 import { marksToPlainObject, SerializedMarks } from "./toPlainObject";
 import { walkDirsSync } from "./walkSync";
 
@@ -82,6 +83,8 @@ export class TestCaseRecorder {
   private extraSnapshotFields?: ExtraSnapshotField[];
   private paused: boolean = false;
   private isErrorTest: boolean = false;
+  /** We use this variable to capture editor settings and then restore them */
+  private originalTextEditorOptions: vscode.TextEditorOptions = {};
   private calibrationStyle = vscode.window.createTextEditorDecorationType({
     backgroundColor: CALIBRATION_DISPLAY_BACKGROUND_COLOR,
   });
@@ -313,6 +316,12 @@ export class TestCaseRecorder {
       );
 
       await this.testCase.recordInitialState();
+
+      const editor = vscode.window.activeTextEditor!;
+      // NB: We need to copy the editor options rather than storing a reference
+      // because its properties are lazy
+      this.originalTextEditorOptions = { ...editor.options };
+      editor.options = DEFAULT_TEXT_EDITOR_OPTIONS_FOR_TEST;
     }
   }
 
@@ -439,6 +448,9 @@ export class TestCaseRecorder {
   finallyHook() {
     this.spyInfo?.dispose();
     this.spyInfo = undefined;
+
+    const editor = vscode.window.activeTextEditor!;
+    editor.options = this.originalTextEditorOptions;
   }
 
   dispose() {
diff --git a/src/testUtil/testConstants.ts b/src/testUtil/testConstants.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..22bc06de80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/testUtil/testConstants.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+import * as vscode from "vscode";
+
+export const DEFAULT_TEXT_EDITOR_OPTIONS_FOR_TEST: vscode.TextEditorOptions = {
+  tabSize: 4,
+  insertSpaces: true,
+};