diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/utils/shell.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/utils/shell.ts
index 14436cff2..ab30cdacd 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/utils/shell.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/utils/shell.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { existsSync } from "node:fs";
+import { accessSync, constants } from "node:fs";
 import { delimiter, join } from "node:path";
 import { spawn, spawnSync } from "child_process";
 import { getBinDir } from "../config.ts";
@@ -21,9 +21,22 @@ function getBashShellConfig(shell: string): ShellConfig {
 	return isLegacyWslBashPath(shell) ? { shell, args: ["-s"], commandTransport: "stdin" } : { shell, args: ["-c"] };
 }
 
+// Matches harness-v2's pathExists (packages/durable/src/env/node.ts).
+// On Unix this is identical to existsSync() (both are access(F_OK)), just
+// spelled with try/catch. On Windows we explicitly avoid existsSync(): its
+// extra stat check rejects runnable Store aliases (nodejs/node#36790).
+function shellPathExists(path: string): boolean {
+	try {
+		accessSync(path, constants.F_OK);
+		return true;
+	} catch {
+		return false;
+	}
+}
+
 function findExecutableOnPath(executable: string): string | null {
 	if (process.platform === "win32") {
-		// Windows: Use 'where' and verify file exists (where can return non-existent paths)
+		// Windows: use 'where' and check the returned path.
 		try {
 			const result = spawnSync("where", [executable], {
 				encoding: "utf-8",
@@ -32,7 +45,7 @@ function findExecutableOnPath(executable: string): string | null {
 			});
 			if (result.status === 0 && result.stdout) {
 				const firstMatch = result.stdout.trim().split(/\r?\n/)[0];
-				if (firstMatch && existsSync(firstMatch)) {
+				if (firstMatch && shellPathExists(firstMatch)) {
 					return firstMatch;
 				}
 			}
@@ -67,7 +80,7 @@ function findExecutableOnPath(executable: string): string | null {
 export function getShellConfig(customShellPath?: string): ShellConfig {
 	// 1. Check user-specified shell path
 	if (customShellPath) {
-		if (existsSync(customShellPath)) {
+		if (shellPathExists(customShellPath)) {
 			return getBashShellConfig(customShellPath);
 		}
 		throw new Error(`Custom shell path not found: ${customShellPath}`);
@@ -86,7 +99,7 @@ export function getShellConfig(customShellPath?: string): ShellConfig {
 		}
 
 		for (const path of paths) {
-			if (existsSync(path)) {
+			if (shellPathExists(path)) {
 				return getBashShellConfig(path);
 			}
 		}
@@ -107,7 +120,7 @@ export function getShellConfig(customShellPath?: string): ShellConfig {
 	}
 
 	// Unix: try /bin/bash, then bash on PATH, then fallback to sh
-	if (existsSync("/bin/bash")) {
+	if (shellPathExists("/bin/bash")) {
 		return getBashShellConfig("/bin/bash");
 	}
 
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/test/shell-path-exists.test.ts b/packages/coding-agent/test/shell-path-exists.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9451de933
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/test/shell-path-exists.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+import type * as ChildProcess from "node:child_process";
+import type * as Fs from "node:fs";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { getPowerShellConfig, getShellConfig } from "../src/utils/shell.ts";
+
+const { accessSyncMock, spawnSyncMock } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+	accessSyncMock: vi.fn(),
+	spawnSyncMock: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("node:fs", async (importOriginal) => {
+	const actual = await importOriginal<typeof Fs>();
+	return {
+		...actual,
+		accessSync: accessSyncMock,
+	};
+});
+
+vi.mock("child_process", async (importOriginal) => ({
+	...(await importOriginal<typeof ChildProcess>()),
+	spawnSync: spawnSyncMock,
+}));
+
+const platformDescriptor = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(process, "platform")!;
+const aliasesDir = "D:\\Users\\test\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps";
+
+function stubPlatform(platform: string) {
+	Object.defineProperty(process, "platform", { configurable: true, value: platform });
+}
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+	vi.stubEnv("ProgramFiles", undefined);
+	vi.stubEnv("ProgramFiles(x86)", undefined);
+	accessSyncMock.mockReset();
+	spawnSyncMock.mockReset();
+});
+
+afterEach(() => {
+	Object.defineProperty(process, "platform", platformDescriptor);
+	vi.unstubAllEnvs();
+});
+
+// nodejs/node#36790: runnable Store aliases pass access(F_OK) but fail the extra
+// stat check existsSync performs on Windows only.
+describe("Windows Store shell aliases", () => {
+	beforeEach(() => {
+		stubPlatform("win32");
+	});
+
+	it.each(["bash.exe", "pwsh.exe"])("accepts %s found on PATH", (executable) => {
+		const alias = `${aliasesDir}\\${executable}`;
+		spawnSyncMock.mockReturnValue({ status: 0, stdout: `${alias}\r\n` });
+
+		const config = executable === "pwsh.exe" ? getPowerShellConfig() : getShellConfig();
+
+		expect(config.shell).toBe(alias);
+	});
+
+	it("accepts an explicitly configured shell alias", () => {
+		const alias = `${aliasesDir}\\bash.exe`;
+
+		expect(getShellConfig(alias).shell).toBe(alias);
+	});
+
+	it("still rejects PATH results that fail the existence check", () => {
+		const windowsPowerShell = "D:\\Windows\\System32\\WindowsPowerShell\\v1.0\\powershell.exe";
+		spawnSyncMock
+			.mockReturnValueOnce({ status: 0, stdout: `${aliasesDir}\\pwsh.exe` })
+			.mockReturnValueOnce({ status: 0, stdout: windowsPowerShell });
+		accessSyncMock.mockImplementationOnce(() => {
+			throw Object.assign(new Error("not found"), { code: "ENOENT" });
+		});
+
+		expect(getPowerShellConfig().shell).toBe(windowsPowerShell);
+	});
+});
+
+// The access(F_OK) check is intentionally used on every platform, matching
+// harness-v2 (packages/durable/src/env/node.ts pathExists). On Unix it is the
+// same syscall existsSync already performs.
+describe("Unix shell existence checks", () => {
+	beforeEach(() => {
+		stubPlatform("linux");
+	});
+
+	it("accepts /bin/bash when access(F_OK) succeeds", () => {
+		expect(getShellConfig().shell).toBe("/bin/bash");
+	});
+
+	it("falls back to bash on PATH when /bin/bash fails access(F_OK)", () => {
+		accessSyncMock.mockImplementationOnce(() => {
+			throw Object.assign(new Error("not found"), { code: "ENOENT" });
+		});
+		spawnSyncMock.mockReturnValue({ status: 0, stdout: "/usr/local/bin/bash\n" });
+
+		expect(getShellConfig().shell).toBe("/usr/local/bin/bash");
+	});
+
+	it("rejects an explicitly configured shell path that fails access(F_OK)", () => {
+		accessSyncMock.mockImplementationOnce(() => {
+			throw Object.assign(new Error("not found"), { code: "ENOENT" });
+		});
+
+		expect(() => getShellConfig("/missing/bash")).toThrow("Custom shell path not found: /missing/bash");
+	});
+});