diff --git a/loopx/claude_goal_mode/scripts/install.py b/loopx/claude_goal_mode/scripts/install.py
index 928639944d..324f9048ed 100644
--- a/loopx/claude_goal_mode/scripts/install.py
+++ b/loopx/claude_goal_mode/scripts/install.py
@@ -34,10 +34,29 @@ def _p(*parts) -> str:
     return str(PLUGIN_ROOT.joinpath(*parts)).replace("\\", "/")
 
 
+def _launches_python(py: str) -> bool:
+    """True when running `py` actually starts an interpreter.
+
+    `shutil.which` only proves a file is executable, not that it runs Python. On
+    Windows it can return the 0-byte `WindowsApps` App Execution Alias, which
+    never starts Python: on some hosts it exits non-zero (9009), on others
+    launching it raises OSError, and it writes nothing either way. Anything that
+    bakes that path (the PreToolUse hook, the statusline, `/loopx`) then
+    silently does nothing."""
+    try:
+        return subprocess.run([py, "-c", ""], capture_output=True, timeout=10).returncode == 0
+    except (OSError, subprocess.SubprocessError):
+        return False
+
+
 def _python_cmd() -> str:
     """Interpreter to bake into hook / statusline / command strings — robust where
-    only `python` (not `python3`) is registered."""
-    return shutil.which("python3") or shutil.which("python") or sys.executable
+    only `python` (not `python3`) is registered, and where `python3` resolves to a
+    launcher that cannot run Python (the Windows `WindowsApps` alias)."""
+    for candidate in (shutil.which("python3"), shutil.which("python")):
+        if candidate and _launches_python(candidate):
+            return candidate
+    return sys.executable
 
 
 def deep_merge(base: dict, add: dict) -> dict:
diff --git a/tests/test_claude_goal_install_python_launcher.py b/tests/test_claude_goal_install_python_launcher.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7c65145709
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_claude_goal_install_python_launcher.py
@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+r"""The Claude adapter installer must bake a launcher that actually runs Python.
+
+`install.py --harden` writes a PreToolUse hook command and a statusline command
+into `settings.json`, and `command_md()` writes the `/loopx` command with the
+same interpreter. All of them bake one PATH lookup of `python3` - the first
+interpreter name found, without ever running it.
+
+On Windows, `shutil.which("python3")` can resolve to the 0-byte `WindowsApps`
+App Execution Alias (`%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\WindowsApps\python3.exe`). That
+file exists and passes `shutil.which`, but it never starts Python - on some
+hosts executing it exits non-zero (9009), on others launching it raises OSError,
+and it writes nothing either way. An installer that bakes that path writes hook /
+statusline / `/loopx` commands that silently do nothing:
+the `--harden` should_run gate fails OPEN (Claude Code treats the non-zero,
+decision-less hook exit as a non-blocking error and runs the tool anyway), the
+statusline renders nothing, and `/loopx` never runs.
+
+The installer must only bake an interpreter it has confirmed can launch Python.
+PR #6166 named this residual as its out-of-scope successor.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+import subprocess
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+
+from loopx.claude_goal_mode.scripts import install as claude_install
+
+
+def _dead_python3_alias(tmp_path: Path) -> Path:
+    """A stand-in for the 0-byte `WindowsApps` App Execution Alias.
+
+    Executing it raises OSError - WinError 193 ("not a valid Win32 application")
+    on Windows, "Permission denied" on POSIX - so it has the same
+    `shutil.which`-passes / cannot-run shape as the real alias, on any host.
+    """
+    alias = tmp_path / "WindowsApps" / "python3.EXE"
+    alias.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    alias.write_bytes(b"")
+    return alias
+
+
+@pytest.fixture()
+def alias_host(tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> Path:
+    """A PATH where `python3` is the dead alias and `python` is a real interpreter."""
+    alias = _dead_python3_alias(tmp_path)
+
+    def which(name: str) -> str | None:
+        if name == "python3":
+            return str(alias)
+        if name == "python":
+            return sys.executable
+        return None
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(claude_install.shutil, "which", which)
+    return alias
+
+
+def test_python_cmd_skips_a_python3_alias_that_cannot_run(alias_host: Path) -> None:
+    assert claude_install._python_cmd() == sys.executable
+
+
+def test_python_cmd_falls_back_to_sys_executable_when_no_candidate_runs(
+    tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch
+) -> None:
+    alias = _dead_python3_alias(tmp_path)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(claude_install.shutil, "which", lambda name: str(alias))
+    assert claude_install._python_cmd() == sys.executable
+
+
+def test_baked_commands_do_not_carry_the_dead_alias(alias_host: Path) -> None:
+    alias = str(alias_host)
+    hardening = claude_install.hardening_block()
+    hook_cmd = hardening["hooks"]["PreToolUse"][0]["hooks"][0]["command"]
+    status_cmd = hardening["statusLine"]["command"]
+    command = claude_install.command_md()
+
+    assert sys.executable in hook_cmd and alias not in hook_cmd
+    assert sys.executable in status_cmd and alias not in status_cmd
+    assert f"allowed-tools: Bash({sys.executable}:*)" in command
+    assert alias not in command
+
+
+def test_installed_gate_command_actually_runs_python(alias_host: Path, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """Run exactly the hook command `--harden` installs, the way Claude Code does.
+
+    Claude Code executes the command through a shell with the event JSON on
+    stdin. With the dead alias baked in, the shell finds a file that exits 9009
+    and prints nothing; the event never reaches the gate.
+    """
+    settings = tmp_path / "claude" / "settings.json"
+    claude_install.add_hardening(dry=False, settings_path=settings)
+    command = json.loads(settings.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))["hooks"]["PreToolUse"][0]["hooks"][0]["command"]
+
+    project = tmp_path / "project"
+    project.mkdir()
+    event = json.dumps({"cwd": str(project), "tool_name": "Read", "tool_input": {}})
+    result = subprocess.run(command, shell=True, input=event.encode("utf-8"), capture_output=True)
+
+    assert result.returncode == 0, (result.returncode, result.stdout, result.stderr)
+    assert json.loads(result.stdout.decode("utf-8")) == {}
+
+
+def test_python_cmd_keeps_the_python3_preference_when_it_runs(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    tried: list[str] = []
+
+    def launches(py: str) -> bool:
+        tried.append(py)
+        return True
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(claude_install.shutil, "which", lambda name: f"/fake/{name}")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(claude_install, "_launches_python", launches)
+    assert claude_install._python_cmd() == "/fake/python3"
+    assert tried == ["/fake/python3"]
+
+
+def test_python_cmd_falls_through_python3_to_python(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.setattr(claude_install.shutil, "which", lambda name: f"/fake/{name}")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(claude_install, "_launches_python", lambda py: py.endswith("python"))
+    assert claude_install._python_cmd() == "/fake/python"
+
+
+def test_launches_python_rejects_a_nonzero_exit(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    class Result:
+        returncode = 9009
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(claude_install.subprocess, "run", lambda *args, **kwargs: Result())
+    assert claude_install._launches_python("python3") is False
+
+
+def test_launches_python_accepts_a_clean_run(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    class Result:
+        returncode = 0
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(claude_install.subprocess, "run", lambda *args, **kwargs: Result())
+    assert claude_install._launches_python("python3") is True