diff --git a/crates/extension/src/extension_lsp_adapter.rs b/crates/extension/src/extension_lsp_adapter.rs
index f82b6c9e0e..d6125241f1 100644
--- a/crates/extension/src/extension_lsp_adapter.rs
+++ b/crates/extension/src/extension_lsp_adapter.rs
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ impl LspAdapter for ExtensionLspAdapter {
 
     fn get_language_server_command<'a>(
         self: Arc<Self>,
-        _: Arc<Path>,
+        _: Option<Arc<Path>>,
         delegate: Arc<dyn LspAdapterDelegate>,
         _: futures::lock::MutexGuard<'a, Option<LanguageServerBinary>>,
         _: &'a mut AsyncAppContext,
diff --git a/crates/language/src/language.rs b/crates/language/src/language.rs
index 7901a49d00..309a67a1a9 100644
--- a/crates/language/src/language.rs
+++ b/crates/language/src/language.rs
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ impl CachedLspAdapter {
 
     pub async fn get_language_server_command(
         self: Arc<Self>,
-        container_dir: Arc<Path>,
+        container_dir: Option<Arc<Path>>,
         delegate: Arc<dyn LspAdapterDelegate>,
         cx: &mut AsyncAppContext,
     ) -> Result<LanguageServerBinary> {
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ pub trait LspAdapter: 'static + Send + Sync {
 
     fn get_language_server_command<'a>(
         self: Arc<Self>,
-        container_dir: Arc<Path>,
+        container_dir: Option<Arc<Path>>,
         delegate: Arc<dyn LspAdapterDelegate>,
         mut cached_binary: futures::lock::MutexGuard<'a, Option<LanguageServerBinary>>,
         cx: &'a mut AsyncAppContext,
@@ -325,6 +325,10 @@ pub trait LspAdapter: 'static + Send + Sync {
                 return Ok(cached_binary.clone());
             }
 
+            let Some(container_dir) = container_dir else {
+                anyhow::bail!("cannot download language servers for remotes (yet)")
+            };
+
             if !container_dir.exists() {
                 smol::fs::create_dir_all(&container_dir)
                     .await
@@ -1664,7 +1668,7 @@ impl LspAdapter for FakeLspAdapter {
 
     fn get_language_server_command<'a>(
         self: Arc<Self>,
-        _: Arc<Path>,
+        _: Option<Arc<Path>>,
         _: Arc<dyn LspAdapterDelegate>,
         _: futures::lock::MutexGuard<'a, Option<LanguageServerBinary>>,
         _: &'a mut AsyncAppContext,
diff --git a/crates/language/src/language_registry.rs b/crates/language/src/language_registry.rs
index 918da4873f..17ebef50e8 100644
--- a/crates/language/src/language_registry.rs
+++ b/crates/language/src/language_registry.rs
@@ -869,12 +869,10 @@ impl LanguageRegistry {
             adapter.name.0
         );
 
-        let download_dir = &self
-                    .language_server_download_dir
-            .clone()
-            .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("language server download directory has not been assigned before starting server"))
-            .log_err()?;
-        let container_dir: Arc<Path> = Arc::from(download_dir.join(adapter.name.0.as_ref()));
+        let container_dir: Option<Arc<Path>> = self
+            .language_server_download_dir
+            .as_ref()
+            .map(|dir| Arc::from(dir.join(adapter.name.0.as_ref())));
         let root_path = root_path.clone();
         let this = Arc::downgrade(self);
 
@@ -969,7 +967,7 @@ impl LanguageRegistry {
         Some(PendingLanguageServer {
             server_id,
             task,
-            container_dir: Some(container_dir),
+            container_dir,
         })
     }
 
diff --git a/crates/project/src/lsp_store.rs b/crates/project/src/lsp_store.rs
index 24852afd70..6dd528147b 100644
--- a/crates/project/src/lsp_store.rs
+++ b/crates/project/src/lsp_store.rs
@@ -4742,17 +4742,6 @@ impl LspStore {
             .reorder_language_servers(&language, enabled_lsp_adapters);
     }
 
-    /*
-    ssh client owns the lifecycle of the language servers
-    ssh host actually runs the binaries
-
-    in the future: ssh client will use the local extensions to get the downloads etc.
-        and send them up over the ssh connection (but today) we'll just the static config
-
-        languages::() <-- registers lsp adapters
-        on the ssh host we won't have adapters for the LSPs
-    */
-
     fn start_language_server_on_ssh_host(
         &mut self,
         worktree: &Model<Worktree>,
diff --git a/crates/remote_server/src/headless_project.rs b/crates/remote_server/src/headless_project.rs
index ec26bddfc3..bbd82281d8 100644
--- a/crates/remote_server/src/headless_project.rs
+++ b/crates/remote_server/src/headless_project.rs
@@ -42,11 +42,7 @@ impl HeadlessProject {
     }
 
     pub fn new(session: Arc<SshSession>, fs: Arc<dyn Fs>, cx: &mut ModelContext<Self>) -> Self {
-        let mut languages = LanguageRegistry::new(cx.background_executor().clone());
-        languages
-            .set_language_server_download_dir(PathBuf::from("/Users/conrad/what-could-go-wrong"));
-
-        let languages = Arc::new(languages);
+        let languages = Arc::new(LanguageRegistry::new(cx.background_executor().clone()));
 
         let worktree_store = cx.new_model(|_| WorktreeStore::new(true, fs.clone()));
         let buffer_store = cx.new_model(|cx| {