Kconfig navigation (go to definition) does not work from the application’s prj.conf

[Rob Mawston]

Environment

• Windows 11
• VS Code 1.139.0
• nRF Connect for VS Code 2026.9.2797
• nRF Kconfig 2026.9.356
• nRF Connect SDK 3.4.1
• Single-domain sysbuild application  (Nordic LED-Button BLE GATT service sample)

Problem

Kconfig navigation does not work from the application’s  prj.conf . For example, Go to Definition on  CONFIG_NCS_SAMPLES_DEFAULTS  does nothing, although the project builds successfully and the symbol is present in the generated  .config .

The build contains:

• Sysbuild parent:  <workspace>\build 
• Application child:  <workspace>\build\peripheral_lbs

 build\domains.yaml  correctly identifies the application child as the default domain, and the child’s  build_info.yml  lists  prj.conf  as a Kconfig user file. However, the Kconfig log reports:

No conf file for <workspace>/prj.conf

It appears that nRF Connect registers the matching child context using  addBuild , but leaves the sysbuild parent as the active Kconfig context.

patching the VSCode extension to use  setMainBuildContext  fixes the issue. After reloading VS Code, Go to Definition correctly opens the symbol definition in:

<ncs>\nrf\samples\Kconfig

Reproduction

• With the environment specified above, create a new application based on the "Bluetooth LE LED Button service" sample
• Build the application with the config - sample.bluetooth.peripheral_lbs
• Open prj.conf in the root folder
• select CONFIG_NCS_SAMPLES_DEFAULTS and press F12
• Expected - navigates to <ncs>\nrf\samples\Kconfig
• Actual - nothing happens

[Turbo J]

Current Kconfig extension v2026.9.356 is br0ken. Try downgrade to 2026.6.334 version.

The C headers are auto generated on building the project. They won't be in the samples dir, they are in your build folder structure.

[Kazi Afroza Sultana]

Hello,

Can you try this Configuration files - Nordic Developer Academy first?

[Rob Mawston]

Thanks - I'll try the downgrade.
Yes, good point, the effect ends up in the C headers, but even after build, the config definition of NCS_SAMPLE_DEFAULTS is found in the samples folder - this is what is demonstrated in the nRF Connect SDK videos, and what I was attempting to reproduce when I saw this.

[Rob Mawston]

Thanks for the pointer - the changes to sysbuild seem to make some of the nRFConnect SDK videos a bit out of date in some of the details - I'll keep this in mind and refer to the written material as well - cheers.

My goal was to follow along with the video, and be able to do the various steps demo'd , as VSCode IDE navigation in complex build environments is always a bit sensitive to eexact environment setup etc.

[Turbo J]

Works here once I opened the nRF Kconfig GUI once (which seems to generate/update some internal files). But only in version  2026.6.334 for the Kconfig extension!

The newest one won't work unless its newer than v2026.9.356: You have to manually downgrade in vs code extensions right now.