diff --git a/routes/cookbook_helpers.py b/routes/cookbook_helpers.py
index d06af50d7..bb819f3f8 100644
--- a/routes/cookbook_helpers.py
+++ b/routes/cookbook_helpers.py
@@ -362,7 +362,12 @@ def _user_shell_path_bootstrap() -> list[str]:
         '  ODYSSEUS_USER_PATH="$("$ODYSSEUS_USER_SHELL" -ic \'printf "__ODYSSEUS_PATH__%s\\n" "$PATH"\' 2>/dev/null | sed -n \'s/^__ODYSSEUS_PATH__//p\' | tail -n 1 || true)"',
         '  if [ -n "$ODYSSEUS_USER_PATH" ]; then export PATH="$ODYSSEUS_USER_PATH:$PATH"; fi',
         'fi',
-        'command -v python3 >/dev/null 2>&1 || python3() { python "$@"; }',
+        # Windows can expose python3 as a Microsoft Store App Execution Alias
+        # under WindowsApps. Git Bash sees that stub as present, but it exits
+        # before running Python. A Windows venv usually has python.exe, not
+        # python3.exe, so treat a missing or WindowsApps python3 as absent.
+        '_odys_py3="$(command -v python3 2>/dev/null || true)"',
+        'case "$_odys_py3" in ""|*[Ww]indows[Aa]pps*) python3() { python "$@"; } ;; esac',
         'command -v python >/dev/null 2>&1 || python() { python3 "$@"; }',
     ]
 
diff --git a/tests/test_cookbook_helpers.py b/tests/test_cookbook_helpers.py
index a02de24c0..b83cbdf93 100644
--- a/tests/test_cookbook_helpers.py
+++ b/tests/test_cookbook_helpers.py
@@ -468,7 +468,13 @@ def test_local_tooling_path_export_converts_windows_paths_for_bash():
 
 def test_user_shell_path_bootstrap_falls_back_to_python_on_windows_bash():
     script = "\n".join(_user_shell_path_bootstrap())
-    assert 'command -v python3 >/dev/null 2>&1 || python3() { python "$@"; }' in script
+    # A missing python3 OR a Microsoft Store App Execution Alias stub under
+    # WindowsApps must shim python3 -> python so the venv interpreter is used.
+    assert '_odys_py3="$(command -v python3 2>/dev/null || true)"' in script
+    assert (
+        'case "$_odys_py3" in ""|*[Ww]indows[Aa]pps*) python3() { python "$@"; } ;; esac'
+        in script
+    )
     assert 'command -v python >/dev/null 2>&1 || python() { python3 "$@"; }' in script