diff --git a/bin/cli/commands/launch-codex.mjs b/bin/cli/commands/launch-codex.mjs
index f00cae7d2b..88e678c56a 100644
--- a/bin/cli/commands/launch-codex.mjs
+++ b/bin/cli/commands/launch-codex.mjs
@@ -1,8 +1,37 @@
-import { spawn } from "node:child_process";
+import { spawn, execFileSync } from "node:child_process";
 import { t } from "../i18n.mjs";
 import { resolveActiveContext } from "../contexts.mjs";
 import { quoteShellArgs } from "../utils/winShellArgs.mjs";
 
+/**
+ * Probe PATH for a Windows executable via `where.exe`, preferring a `.exe` over
+ * a `.cmd`/`.bat` shim. Returns the absolute path to the preferred binary, or
+ * `null` when `where.exe` finds nothing (or cannot run). Mirrors the same probe
+ * in launch.mjs and `locateCommand()` in `src/shared/services/cliRuntime.ts`.
+ *
+ * @param {string} command  bare command name to look up
+ * @returns {Promise<string|null>} absolute path to the preferred match, or null
+ */
+function probeWindowsBinary(command) {
+  try {
+    const out = execFileSync("where.exe", [command], {
+      stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "ignore"],
+      encoding: "utf8",
+      timeout: 3000,
+      windowsHide: true,
+    });
+    const lines = out
+      .split(/\r?\n/)
+      .map((l) => l.trim())
+      .filter(Boolean);
+    if (lines.length === 0) return null;
+    const winExt = /\.(exe|cmd|bat|com)$/i;
+    return lines.find((l) => winExt.test(l)) || null;
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
 /** OpenAI/Codex env keys stripped from the child so a stale OpenAI key/base-url
  *  in the shell can't shadow the omniroute provider (defense-in-depth). Mirrors
  *  free-claude-code's codex adapter. NOTE: this does NOT silence codex's
@@ -23,11 +52,25 @@ const NO_AUTH_SENTINEL = "omniroute-no-auth";
 // On Windows the `codex` binary is an npm `.cmd` shim that `spawn` cannot resolve
 // without a shell (bare "codex" → ENOENT). Mirror the qodercli Windows fix (#6263):
 // spawn `codex.cmd` through a shell on win32, and the bare binary elsewhere.
-export function resolveCodexSpawn(platform) {
-  if (platform === "win32") {
-    return { command: "codex.cmd", shell: true };
+//
+// #9454: the native codex installer may ship a real `codex.exe` instead of the
+// npm `.cmd` shim. Probe PATH for `codex` first: when `where.exe` resolves a
+// `.exe`, spawn it directly (no shell — cmd.exe would split an absolute path
+// with spaces); otherwise fall back to `codex.cmd` + shell. Off Windows the bare
+// binary is spawned unchanged (no shell, no probe).
+/**
+ * @param {NodeJS.Platform|string} platform
+ * @param {{ probe?: (command: string) => Promise<string|null> }} [opts]  injectable probe for tests
+ * @returns {Promise<{ command: string, shell: true|undefined }>}
+ */
+export async function resolveCodexSpawn(platform, opts = {}) {
+  if (platform !== "win32") return { command: "codex", shell: undefined };
+  const probe = opts.probe ?? probeWindowsBinary;
+  const located = await probe("codex");
+  if (located && /\.exe$/i.test(located)) {
+    return { command: located, shell: undefined };
   }
-  return { command: "codex", shell: undefined };
+  return { command: "codex.cmd", shell: true };
 }
 
 /**
@@ -169,8 +212,9 @@ export async function runLaunchCodexCommand(opts = {}, codexArgs = []) {
   const extraArgs = [...providerArgs, ...profileArgs, ...codexArgs];
   const env = buildCodexEnv(process.env, authToken);
 
+  const { command: codexLaunch, shell: shellValue } = await resolveCodexSpawn(process.platform);
+
   return await new Promise((resolve) => {
-    const { command: codexLaunch, shell: shellValue } = resolveCodexSpawn(process.platform);
     const child = spawn(codexLaunch, quoteCodexArgs(extraArgs, process.platform), {
       env,
       stdio: "inherit",
diff --git a/bin/cli/commands/launch.mjs b/bin/cli/commands/launch.mjs
index 78016257f1..e1b7aca47d 100644
--- a/bin/cli/commands/launch.mjs
+++ b/bin/cli/commands/launch.mjs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { spawn } from "node:child_process";
+import { spawn, execFileSync } from "node:child_process";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 import os from "node:os";
 import { t } from "../i18n.mjs";
@@ -92,17 +92,61 @@ export function resolveLaunchTarget(opts = {}) {
 }
 
 /**
- * #8246: on Windows, npm installs claude as a `.cmd` shim — spawn() without a
- * shell cannot resolve PATHEXT shims (and Node refuses to exec `.cmd` directly
- * since CVE-2024-27980), so the Windows path must go through cmd.exe.
+ * Probe PATH for a Windows executable via `where.exe`, preferring a `.exe` over
+ * a `.cmd`/`.bat` shim. Returns the absolute path to the preferred binary, or
+ * `null` when `where.exe` finds nothing (or cannot run).
+ *
+ * The native Anthropic installer (#9454) creates only `claude.exe` (no npm
+ * `.cmd` shim), so the launcher must look for the real PE and spawn it without
+ * a shell. Mirrors the existing `locateCommand()` probe in
+ * `src/shared/services/cliRuntime.ts`.
+ *
+ * @param {string} command  bare command name to look up
+ * @returns {Promise<string|null>} absolute path to the preferred match, or null
+ */
+function probeWindowsBinary(command) {
+  try {
+    const out = execFileSync("where.exe", [command], {
+      stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "ignore"],
+      encoding: "utf8",
+      timeout: 3000,
+      windowsHide: true,
+    });
+    const lines = out
+      .split(/\r?\n/)
+      .map((l) => l.trim())
+      .filter(Boolean);
+    if (lines.length === 0) return null;
+    const winExt = /\.(exe|cmd|bat|com)$/i;
+    return lines.find((l) => winExt.test(l)) || null;
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * #8246 / #9454: on Windows, npm installs claude as a `.cmd` shim — spawn()
+ * without a shell cannot resolve PATHEXT shims (and Node refuses to exec `.cmd`
+ * directly since CVE-2024-27980), so the npm-shim path must go through cmd.exe.
+ * But the native installer creates only `claude.exe`, which is a real PE that
+ * must NOT go through a shell (cmd.exe would split an absolute path with spaces).
+ *
+ * So probe PATH for `claude` first: when `where.exe` resolves a `.exe`, spawn it
+ * directly (no shell); otherwise fall back to the npm `claude.cmd` + shell. Off
+ * Windows the bare binary is spawned unchanged (no shell, no probe).
  *
  * @param {NodeJS.Platform|string} platform
- * @returns {{ command: string, shell: true|undefined }}
+ * @param {{ probe?: (command: string) => Promise<string|null> }} [opts]  injectable probe for tests
+ * @returns {Promise<{ command: string, shell: true|undefined }>}
  */
-export function resolveClaudeSpawn(platform) {
-  return platform === "win32"
-    ? { command: "claude.cmd", shell: true }
-    : { command: "claude", shell: undefined };
+export async function resolveClaudeSpawn(platform, opts = {}) {
+  if (platform !== "win32") return { command: "claude", shell: undefined };
+  const probe = opts.probe ?? probeWindowsBinary;
+  const located = await probe("claude");
+  if (located && /\.exe$/i.test(located)) {
+    return { command: located, shell: undefined };
+  }
+  return { command: "claude.cmd", shell: true };
 }
 
 /**
@@ -148,8 +192,9 @@ export async function runLaunchCommand(opts = {}, claudeArgs = []) {
     : undefined;
   const env = buildClaudeEnv(process.env, baseUrl, authToken, { configDir });
 
+  const { command, shell } = await resolveClaudeSpawn(process.platform);
+
   return await new Promise((resolve) => {
-    const { command, shell } = resolveClaudeSpawn(process.platform);
     const child = spawn(command, quoteClaudeArgs(claudeArgs, process.platform), {
       env,
       stdio: "inherit",
diff --git a/changelog.d/fixes/9454-launch-claude-exe-windows.md b/changelog.d/fixes/9454-launch-claude-exe-windows.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c4abdf25ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/fixes/9454-launch-claude-exe-windows.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- fix(cli): probe PATH for claude.exe/codex.exe on Windows before falling back to the .cmd shim (#9454)
diff --git a/tests/unit/cli/launch-claude-exe-windows-9454.test.ts b/tests/unit/cli/launch-claude-exe-windows-9454.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fbfccdac29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/cli/launch-claude-exe-windows-9454.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+import { test } from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+
+import { resolveClaudeSpawn } from "../../../bin/cli/commands/launch.mjs";
+import { resolveCodexSpawn } from "../../../bin/cli/commands/launch-codex.mjs";
+
+// #9454: the native Anthropic installer creates only claude.exe (no .cmd shim),
+// so hardcoding claude.cmd on win32 fails for native installs. The resolver must
+// probe PATH for the .exe first and spawn it without a shell (a real PE doesn't
+// need cmd.exe), falling back to the npm .cmd shim only when no .exe is found.
+
+test("resolveClaudeSpawn: win32 prefers claude.exe (no shell) when the native binary is on PATH", async () => {
+  const exePath = "C:\\Users\\me\\.local\\bin\\claude.exe";
+  const probe = async () => exePath;
+  const { command, shell } = await resolveClaudeSpawn("win32", { probe });
+  assert.equal(command, exePath);
+  assert.equal(shell, undefined, "a real PE binary does not need cmd.exe");
+});
+
+test("resolveClaudeSpawn: win32 falls back to claude.cmd + shell when only the npm shim exists", async () => {
+  const probe = async () => "C:\\Users\\me\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\claude.cmd";
+  const { command, shell } = await resolveClaudeSpawn("win32", { probe });
+  assert.equal(command, "claude.cmd");
+  assert.equal(shell, true, "npm .cmd shim still needs cmd.exe");
+});
+
+test("resolveClaudeSpawn: win32 falls back to claude.cmd + shell when where.exe finds nothing", async () => {
+  const probe = async () => null;
+  const { command, shell } = await resolveClaudeSpawn("win32", { probe });
+  assert.equal(command, "claude.cmd");
+  assert.equal(shell, true, "unknown install shape defaults to the npm shim path");
+});
+
+test("resolveClaudeSpawn: non-Windows is unchanged (bare binary, no shell, no probe call)", async () => {
+  let called = 0;
+  const probe = async () => {
+    called++;
+    return null;
+  };
+  for (const platform of ["linux", "darwin", "freebsd"]) {
+    const { command, shell } = await resolveClaudeSpawn(platform, { probe });
+    assert.equal(command, "claude", `${platform} command`);
+    assert.equal(shell, undefined, `${platform} shell`);
+  }
+  assert.equal(called, 0, "where.exe probe must NEVER run off Windows");
+});
+
+// Same regression for the codex launcher: codex ships a native build too.
+test("resolveCodexSpawn: win32 prefers codex.exe (no shell) when a native binary is on PATH", async () => {
+  const exePath = "C:\\Users\\me\\.local\\bin\\codex.exe";
+  const probe = async () => exePath;
+  const { command, shell } = await resolveCodexSpawn("win32", { probe });
+  assert.equal(command, exePath);
+  assert.equal(shell, undefined);
+});
+
+test("resolveCodexSpawn: win32 falls back to codex.cmd + shell when only the npm shim exists", async () => {
+  const probe = async () => "C:\\Users\\me\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\codex.cmd";
+  const { command, shell } = await resolveCodexSpawn("win32", { probe });
+  assert.equal(command, "codex.cmd");
+  assert.equal(shell, true);
+});
+
+test("resolveCodexSpawn: win32 falls back to codex.cmd + shell when where.exe finds nothing", async () => {
+  const probe = async () => null;
+  const { command, shell } = await resolveCodexSpawn("win32", { probe });
+  assert.equal(command, "codex.cmd");
+  assert.equal(shell, true);
+});
+
+test("resolveCodexSpawn: non-Windows is unchanged (bare binary, no shell, no probe call)", async () => {
+  let called = 0;
+  const probe = async () => {
+    called++;
+    return null;
+  };
+  for (const platform of ["linux", "darwin", "freebsd"]) {
+    const { command, shell } = await resolveCodexSpawn(platform, { probe });
+    assert.equal(command, "codex", `${platform} command`);
+    assert.equal(shell, undefined, `${platform} shell`);
+  }
+  assert.equal(called, 0, "where.exe probe must NEVER run off Windows");
+});
diff --git a/tests/unit/cli/launch-codex-windows-spawn-args.test.ts b/tests/unit/cli/launch-codex-windows-spawn-args.test.ts
index c76ff58577..92d3296282 100644
--- a/tests/unit/cli/launch-codex-windows-spawn-args.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/cli/launch-codex-windows-spawn-args.test.ts
@@ -13,15 +13,18 @@ import {
 
 const isWindows = process.platform === "win32";
 
-test("resolveCodexSpawn: win32 spawns codex.cmd through a shell", () => {
-  const { command, shell } = resolveCodexSpawn("win32");
+// #9454: the resolver now probes PATH for a `.exe` before falling back to the
+// npm `.cmd` shim. With no probe injected it runs `where.exe`; pin the fallback
+// (no .exe found → codex.cmd + shell) here.
+test("resolveCodexSpawn: win32 falls back to codex.cmd + shell when no .exe is on PATH", async () => {
+  const { command, shell } = await resolveCodexSpawn("win32", { probe: async () => null });
   assert.equal(command, "codex.cmd");
   assert.equal(shell, true);
 });
 
-test("resolveCodexSpawn: non-Windows platforms spawn the bare binary without a shell", () => {
+test("resolveCodexSpawn: non-Windows platforms spawn the bare binary without a shell", async () => {
   for (const platform of ["linux", "darwin", "freebsd"]) {
-    const { command, shell } = resolveCodexSpawn(platform);
+    const { command, shell } = await resolveCodexSpawn(platform);
     assert.equal(command, "codex", `${platform} command`);
     assert.equal(shell, undefined, `${platform} shell`);
   }
diff --git a/tests/unit/cli/launch-windows-spawn-args.test.ts b/tests/unit/cli/launch-windows-spawn-args.test.ts
index 52ef3a0629..d75abed6ea 100644
--- a/tests/unit/cli/launch-windows-spawn-args.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/cli/launch-windows-spawn-args.test.ts
@@ -11,15 +11,19 @@ const isWindows = process.platform === "win32";
 
 // Regression guard for #8246: on Windows the `claude` binary is an npm `.cmd`
 // shim that spawn() cannot resolve without a shell (bare "claude" -> ENOENT).
-test("resolveClaudeSpawn: win32 spawns claude.cmd through a shell", () => {
-  const { command, shell } = resolveClaudeSpawn("win32");
+// #9454: the native installer ships only `claude.exe`, so the resolver now
+// probes PATH first. With no probe injected (the production path runs
+// `where.exe`), the default on a non-Windows CI host finds nothing and falls
+// back to the npm `.cmd` shim + shell — pinning that fallback contract here.
+test("resolveClaudeSpawn: win32 falls back to claude.cmd + shell when no .exe is on PATH", async () => {
+  const { command, shell } = await resolveClaudeSpawn("win32", { probe: async () => null });
   assert.equal(command, "claude.cmd");
   assert.equal(shell, true);
 });
 
-test("resolveClaudeSpawn: non-Windows platforms spawn the bare binary without a shell", () => {
+test("resolveClaudeSpawn: non-Windows platforms spawn the bare binary without a shell", async () => {
   for (const platform of ["linux", "darwin", "freebsd"]) {
-    const { command, shell } = resolveClaudeSpawn(platform);
+    const { command, shell } = await resolveClaudeSpawn(platform);
     assert.equal(command, "claude", `${platform} command`);
     assert.equal(shell, undefined, `${platform} shell`);
   }