diff --git a/scripts/hooks/observe-runner.js b/scripts/hooks/observe-runner.js
index 28e7f4fb0..c046d75f0 100644
--- a/scripts/hooks/observe-runner.js
+++ b/scripts/hooks/observe-runner.js
@@ -61,7 +61,10 @@ function findShellBinary() {
       stdio: 'ignore',
       windowsHide: true
     });
-    if (!probe.error) {
+    // Require the probe to actually succeed, not just spawn: Windows'
+    // System32\bash.exe (WSL launcher) spawns even with no distro installed but
+    // exits non-zero, so `!probe.error` alone would treat it as a usable shell.
+    if (!probe.error && probe.status === 0) {
       return candidate;
     }
   }