diff --git a/cli/src/claude/claudeLocal.ts b/cli/src/claude/claudeLocal.ts
index bce6904e..5e3e27cf 100644
--- a/cli/src/claude/claudeLocal.ts
+++ b/cli/src/claude/claudeLocal.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import { withBunRuntimeEnv } from "@/utils/bunRuntime";
 import { spawnWithAbort } from "@/utils/spawnWithAbort";
 import { getHapiBlobsDir } from "@/constants/uploadPaths";
 import { stripNewlinesForWindowsShellArg } from "@/utils/shellEscape";
+import { getDefaultClaudeCodePath } from "./sdk/utils";
 
 export async function claudeLocal(opts: {
     abort: AbortSignal,
@@ -84,11 +85,15 @@ export async function claudeLocal(opts: {
 
     logger.debug(`[ClaudeLocal] Spawning claude with args: ${JSON.stringify(args)}`);
 
+    // Get Claude executable path (absolute path on Windows for shell: false)
+    const claudeCommand = getDefaultClaudeCodePath();
+    logger.debug(`[ClaudeLocal] Using claude executable: ${claudeCommand}`);
+
     // Spawn the process
     try {
         process.stdin.pause();
         await spawnWithAbort({
-            command: 'claude',
+            command: claudeCommand,
             args,
             cwd: opts.path,
             env: withBunRuntimeEnv(env, { allowBunBeBun: false }),
@@ -98,7 +103,7 @@ export async function claudeLocal(opts: {
             installHint: 'Claude CLI',
             includeCause: true,
             logExit: true,
-            shell: process.platform === 'win32'
+            shell: false  // Use absolute path, no shell needed
         });
     } finally {
         cleanupMcpConfig?.();
diff --git a/cli/src/claude/sdk/query.ts b/cli/src/claude/sdk/query.ts
index bf443860..725cb3ba 100644
--- a/cli/src/claude/sdk/query.ts
+++ b/cli/src/claude/sdk/query.ts
@@ -347,8 +347,9 @@ export function query(config: {
         stdio: ['pipe', 'pipe', 'pipe'],
         signal: config.options?.abort,
         env: spawnEnv,
-        // Use shell on Windows for command resolution
-        shell: process.platform === 'win32'
+        // Use shell: false with absolute path from getDefaultClaudeCodePath()
+        // This avoids cmd.exe resolution issues on Windows
+        shell: false
     }) as ChildProcessWithoutNullStreams
 
     // Handle stdin
diff --git a/cli/src/claude/sdk/utils.ts b/cli/src/claude/sdk/utils.ts
index a24d4371..e3518d1b 100644
--- a/cli/src/claude/sdk/utils.ts
+++ b/cli/src/claude/sdk/utils.ts
@@ -8,19 +8,64 @@ import { execSync } from 'node:child_process'
 import { homedir } from 'node:os'
 import { logger } from '@/ui/logger'
 
+/**
+ * Find Claude executable path on Windows.
+ * Returns absolute path to claude.exe for use with shell: false
+ */
+function findWindowsClaudePath(): string | null {
+    const homeDir = homedir()
+    const path = require('node:path')
+
+    // Known installation paths for Claude on Windows
+    const candidates = [
+        path.join(homeDir, '.local', 'bin', 'claude.exe'),
+        path.join(homeDir, 'AppData', 'Local', 'Programs', 'claude', 'claude.exe'),
+        path.join(homeDir, 'AppData', 'Local', 'Microsoft', 'WinGet', 'Packages', 'Anthropic.claude-code_Microsoft.Winget.Source_8wekyb3d8bbwe', 'claude.exe'),
+    ]
+
+    for (const candidate of candidates) {
+        if (existsSync(candidate)) {
+            logger.debug(`[Claude SDK] Found Windows claude.exe at: ${candidate}`)
+            return candidate
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Try 'where claude' to find in PATH
+    try {
+        const result = execSync('where claude.exe', {
+            encoding: 'utf8',
+            stdio: ['pipe', 'pipe', 'pipe'],
+            cwd: homeDir
+        }).trim().split('\n')[0].trim()
+        if (result && existsSync(result)) {
+            logger.debug(`[Claude SDK] Found Windows claude.exe via where: ${result}`)
+            return result
+        }
+    } catch {
+        // where didn't find it
+    }
+
+    return null
+}
+
 /**
  * Try to find globally installed Claude CLI
- * Returns 'claude' if the command works globally (preferred method for reliability)
- * Falls back to which/where to get actual path on Unix systems
+ * On Windows: Returns absolute path to claude.exe (for shell: false)
+ * On Unix: Returns 'claude' if command works, or actual path via which
  * Runs from home directory to avoid local cwd side effects
  */
 function findGlobalClaudePath(): string | null {
     const homeDir = homedir()
-    
-    // PRIMARY: Check if 'claude' command works directly from home dir
+
+    // Windows: Always return absolute path for shell: false compatibility
+    if (process.platform === 'win32') {
+        return findWindowsClaudePath()
+    }
+
+    // Unix: Check if 'claude' command works directly from home dir
     try {
-        execSync('claude --version', { 
-            encoding: 'utf8', 
+        execSync('claude --version', {
+            encoding: 'utf8',
             stdio: ['pipe', 'pipe', 'pipe'],
             cwd: homeDir
         })
@@ -31,22 +76,20 @@ function findGlobalClaudePath(): string | null {
     }
 
     // FALLBACK for Unix: try which to get actual path
-    if (process.platform !== 'win32') {
-        try {
-            const result = execSync('which claude', { 
-                encoding: 'utf8', 
-                stdio: ['pipe', 'pipe', 'pipe'],
-                cwd: homeDir
-            }).trim()
-            if (result && existsSync(result)) {
-                logger.debug(`[Claude SDK] Found global claude path via which: ${result}`)
-                return result
-            }
-        } catch {
-            // which didn't find it
+    try {
+        const result = execSync('which claude', {
+            encoding: 'utf8',
+            stdio: ['pipe', 'pipe', 'pipe'],
+            cwd: homeDir
+        }).trim()
+        if (result && existsSync(result)) {
+            logger.debug(`[Claude SDK] Found global claude path via which: ${result}`)
+            return result
         }
+    } catch {
+        // which didn't find it
     }
-    
+
     return null
 }