diff --git a/Extension/package.json b/Extension/package.json
index b7cee40c5..e3cc83a34 100644
--- a/Extension/package.json
+++ b/Extension/package.json
@@ -4770,15 +4770,8 @@
                     "attach": {
                         "type": "object",
                         "default": {},
-                        "required": [
-                            "program"
-                        ],
+                        "required": [],
                         "properties": {
-                            "program": {
-                                "type": "string",
-                                "description": "%c_cpp.debuggers.program.description%",
-                                "default": "${workspaceRoot}/a.out"
-                            },
                             "targetArchitecture": {
                                 "type": "string",
                                 "description": "%c_cpp.debuggers.targetArchitecture.description%",
@@ -4824,6 +4817,10 @@
                                 "description": "%c_cpp.debuggers.useExtendedRemote.description%",
                                 "default": false
                             },
+                            "program": {
+                                "type": "string",
+                                "markdownDescription": "%c_cpp.debuggers.program.attach.markdownDescription%"
+                            },
                             "processId": {
                                 "markdownDescription": "%c_cpp.debuggers.processId.anyOf.markdownDescription%",
                                 "anyOf": [
@@ -5789,15 +5786,17 @@
                     "attach": {
                         "type": "object",
                         "default": {},
-                        "required": [
-                            "processId"
-                        ],
+                        "required": [],
                         "properties": {
                             "symbolSearchPath": {
                                 "type": "string",
                                 "description": "%c_cpp.debuggers.symbolSearchPath.description%",
                                 "default": ""
                             },
+                            "program": {
+                                "type": "string",
+                                "markdownDescription": "%c_cpp.debuggers.program.attach.markdownDescription%"
+                            },
                             "processId": {
                                 "markdownDescription": "%c_cpp.debuggers.processId.anyOf.markdownDescription%",
                                 "anyOf": [
diff --git a/Extension/package.nls.json b/Extension/package.nls.json
index d8a745803..9e35d8d5a 100644
--- a/Extension/package.nls.json
+++ b/Extension/package.nls.json
@@ -931,7 +931,13 @@
             "{Locked=\"`${command:pickProcess}`\"}"
         ]
     },
-    "c_cpp.debuggers.symbolSearchPath.description": "Semicolon separated list of directories to use to search for symbol (that is, pdb) files. Example: \"c:\\dir1;c:\\dir2\".",
+    "c_cpp.debuggers.program.attach.markdownDescription": {
+        "message": "Optional full path to the program executable. When specified, the debugger will search for a running process matching this executable path and attach to it. If multiple processes match, a selection prompt will be shown. Use either `program` or `processId`, not both.",
+        "comment": [
+            "{Locked=\"`program`\"} {Locked=\"`processId`\"}"
+        ]
+    },
+    "c_cpp.debuggers.symbolSearchPath.description": "Semicolon separated list of directories to use to search for symbol (that is, pdb or .so) files. Example: \"c:\\dir1;c:\\dir2\".",
     "c_cpp.debuggers.dumpPath.description": "Optional full path to a dump file for the specified program. Example: \"c:\\temp\\app.dmp\". Defaults to null.",
     "c_cpp.debuggers.enableDebugHeap.description": "If false, the process will be launched with debug heap disabled. This sets the environment variable '_NO_DEBUG_HEAP' to '1'.",
     "c_cpp.debuggers.symbolLoadInfo.description": "Explicit control of symbol loading.",
diff --git a/Extension/src/Debugger/configurationProvider.ts b/Extension/src/Debugger/configurationProvider.ts
index 559011251..9c54aec01 100644
--- a/Extension/src/Debugger/configurationProvider.ts
+++ b/Extension/src/Debugger/configurationProvider.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import { PlatformInformation } from '../platform';
 import { rsync, scp, ssh } from '../SSH/commands';
 import * as Telemetry from '../telemetry';
 import { AttachItemsProvider, AttachPicker, RemoteAttachPicker } from './attachToProcess';
+import { AttachItem, showQuickPick } from './attachQuickPick';
 import { ConfigMenu, ConfigMode, ConfigSource, CppDebugConfiguration, DebuggerEvent, DebuggerType, DebugType, IConfiguration, IConfigurationSnippet, isDebugLaunchStr, MIConfigurations, PipeTransportConfigurations, TaskStatus, WindowsConfigurations, WSLConfigurations } from './configurations';
 import { NativeAttachItemsProviderFactory } from './nativeAttach';
 import { Environment, ParsedEnvironmentFile } from './ParsedEnvironmentFile';
@@ -354,13 +355,23 @@ export class DebugConfigurationProvider implements vscode.DebugConfigurationProv
         // Pick process if process id is empty
         if (config.request === "attach" && !config.processId) {
             let processId: string | undefined;
-            if (config.pipeTransport || config.useExtendedRemote) {
-                const remoteAttachPicker: RemoteAttachPicker = new RemoteAttachPicker();
-                processId = await remoteAttachPicker.ShowAttachEntries(config);
-            } else {
-                const attachItemsProvider: AttachItemsProvider = NativeAttachItemsProviderFactory.Get();
-                const attacher: AttachPicker = new AttachPicker(attachItemsProvider);
-                processId = await attacher.ShowAttachEntries(token);
+
+            // If program is specified, try to find the matching process by name
+            if (config.program) {
+                processId = await this.findProcessByProgramName(config.program, config, token);
+            }
+            
+            // Fall back to process picker if program wasn't specified or didn't match
+            if (!processId) {
+                // Show the process picker if no program is specified
+                if (config.pipeTransport || config.useExtendedRemote) {
+                    const remoteAttachPicker: RemoteAttachPicker = new RemoteAttachPicker();
+                    processId = await remoteAttachPicker.ShowAttachEntries(config);
+                } else {
+                    const attachItemsProvider: AttachItemsProvider = NativeAttachItemsProviderFactory.Get();
+                    const attacher: AttachPicker = new AttachPicker(attachItemsProvider);
+                    processId = await attacher.ShowAttachEntries(token);
+                }
             }
 
             if (processId) {
@@ -1157,6 +1168,50 @@ export class DebugConfigurationProvider implements vscode.DebugConfigurationProv
         }
         return true;
     }
+
+    private async findProcessByProgramName(
+        programPath: string,
+        config: CppDebugConfiguration,
+        token?: vscode.CancellationToken
+    ): Promise<string | undefined> {
+        // Remote attach is not supported for program-based matching
+        if (config.pipeTransport || config.useExtendedRemote) {
+            return undefined;
+        }
+
+        // Validate that the program path is valid
+        if (!await util.checkExecutableWithoutExtensionExists(programPath)) {
+            return undefined;
+        }
+
+        const programBaseName: string = path.basename(programPath);
+        
+        // Get the process list using the same logic as interactive attach
+        const attachItemsProvider: AttachItemsProvider = NativeAttachItemsProviderFactory.Get();
+        const processes: AttachItem[] = await attachItemsProvider.getAttachItems(token);
+
+        // Prepare target name for matching (case-insensitive on Windows only)
+        let targetName: string = programBaseName;
+        if (isWindows) {
+            targetName = targetName.toLowerCase();
+            targetName = targetName.endsWith(".exe") ? targetName : (targetName + ".exe");
+        }
+
+        // Find processes matching the program name
+        const matchingProcesses: AttachItem[] = processes.filter(p => {
+            const processName: string = isWindows ? p.label.toLowerCase() : p.label;
+            return processName === targetName;
+        });
+
+        if (matchingProcesses.length === 0) {
+            return undefined;
+        } else if (matchingProcesses.length === 1) {
+            return matchingProcesses[0].id;
+        } else {
+            // Multiple matches - let the user choose
+            return showQuickPick(() => Promise.resolve(matchingProcesses));
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 export interface IConfigurationAssetProvider {