diff --git a/bin/axiomcode.js b/bin/axiomcode.js
index 299605fe..4a0f6c73 100755
--- a/bin/axiomcode.js
+++ b/bin/axiomcode.js
@@ -13,11 +13,16 @@
 //
 // node resolves this file through the .bin symlink before setting __dirname, so bin/axiomcode is
 // found beside it and its own root walk (#886) starts inside the package, as before.
+//
+// Python is chosen here too (#1331): the query verbs call `python3`, which a python.org install on Windows does
+// not provide. find-python.js hands bash a python3 that runs whichever interpreter answered. A build needs no
+// Python, so none found is not an error here; a verb that needs it says so from scripts/axiomcode.
 // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 'use strict';
 const { spawnSync } = require('child_process');
 const path = require('path');
 const { findBash } = require('../plugins/axiomcode/mcp/find-bash.js');
+const { findPython, withPython } = require('../plugins/axiomcode/mcp/find-python.js');
 
 function fail(msg) {
   process.stderr.write(`❌ ${msg}\n`);
@@ -26,7 +31,10 @@ function fail(msg) {
 
 const { bash, error } = findBash();
 if (error) fail(error);
-const r = spawnSync(bash, [path.join(__dirname, 'axiomcode'), ...process.argv.slice(2)], { stdio: 'inherit' });
+const py = findPython();
+// AXIOMCODE_BASH too, for the builds Python starts: a bare `bash` from Python on Windows is WSL's or nothing.
+const env = { ...(py.exe ? withPython(process.env, py) : process.env), AXIOMCODE_BASH: bash };
+const r = spawnSync(bash, [path.join(__dirname, 'axiomcode'), ...process.argv.slice(2)], { stdio: 'inherit', env });
 if (r.error) fail(`could not start bash: ${r.error.message}`);
 // Die of the same signal the CLI died of, so a caller sees what really happened.
 if (r.signal) process.kill(process.pid, r.signal);
diff --git a/hooks/hooks.json b/hooks/hooks.json
index 8b96b0ec..160dad33 100644
--- a/hooks/hooks.json
+++ b/hooks/hooks.json
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@
     "BeforeAgent": [
       {
         "hooks": [
-          { "type": "command", "command": "python3 \"${extensionPath}${/}plugins${/}axiomcode${/}hooks${/}changes.py\"", "timeout": 25000 },
-          { "type": "command", "command": "python3 \"${extensionPath}${/}plugins${/}axiomcode${/}hooks${/}orient.py\"", "timeout": 20000 },
-          { "type": "command", "command": "python3 \"${extensionPath}${/}plugins${/}axiomcode${/}hooks${/}refresh.py\"", "timeout": 5000 }
+          { "type": "command", "command": "node \"${extensionPath}${/}plugins${/}axiomcode${/}hooks${/}run.js\" changes.py", "timeout": 25000 },
+          { "type": "command", "command": "node \"${extensionPath}${/}plugins${/}axiomcode${/}hooks${/}run.js\" orient.py", "timeout": 20000 },
+          { "type": "command", "command": "node \"${extensionPath}${/}plugins${/}axiomcode${/}hooks${/}run.js\" refresh.py", "timeout": 5000 }
         ]
       }
     ],
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
       {
         "matcher": "replace|write_file",
         "hooks": [
-          { "type": "command", "command": "python3 \"${extensionPath}${/}plugins${/}axiomcode${/}hooks${/}changes.py\"", "timeout": 25000 }
+          { "type": "command", "command": "node \"${extensionPath}${/}plugins${/}axiomcode${/}hooks${/}run.js\" changes.py", "timeout": 25000 }
         ]
       }
     ],
@@ -21,27 +21,27 @@
       {
         "matcher": "read_file|grep_search|glob|run_shell_command|replace|write_file",
         "hooks": [
-          { "type": "command", "command": "python3 \"${extensionPath}${/}plugins${/}axiomcode${/}hooks${/}enrich.py\"", "timeout": 20000 }
+          { "type": "command", "command": "node \"${extensionPath}${/}plugins${/}axiomcode${/}hooks${/}run.js\" enrich.py", "timeout": 20000 }
         ]
       },
       {
         "matcher": "run_shell_command",
         "hooks": [
-          { "type": "command", "command": "python3 \"${extensionPath}${/}plugins${/}axiomcode${/}hooks${/}changes.py\"", "timeout": 25000 }
+          { "type": "command", "command": "node \"${extensionPath}${/}plugins${/}axiomcode${/}hooks${/}run.js\" changes.py", "timeout": 25000 }
         ]
       },
       {
         "matcher": "replace|write_file|run_shell_command",
         "hooks": [
-          { "type": "command", "command": "python3 \"${extensionPath}${/}plugins${/}axiomcode${/}hooks${/}refresh.py\"", "timeout": 5000 }
+          { "type": "command", "command": "node \"${extensionPath}${/}plugins${/}axiomcode${/}hooks${/}run.js\" refresh.py", "timeout": 5000 }
         ]
       }
     ],
     "AfterAgent": [
-      { "hooks": [ { "type": "command", "command": "python3 \"${extensionPath}${/}plugins${/}axiomcode${/}hooks${/}refresh.py\"", "timeout": 5000 } ] }
+      { "hooks": [ { "type": "command", "command": "node \"${extensionPath}${/}plugins${/}axiomcode${/}hooks${/}run.js\" refresh.py", "timeout": 5000 } ] }
     ],
     "SessionStart": [
-      { "hooks": [ { "type": "command", "command": "python3 \"${extensionPath}${/}plugins${/}axiomcode${/}hooks${/}refresh.py\"", "timeout": 5000 } ] }
+      { "hooks": [ { "type": "command", "command": "node \"${extensionPath}${/}plugins${/}axiomcode${/}hooks${/}run.js\" refresh.py", "timeout": 5000 } ] }
     ]
   }
 }
diff --git a/plugins/axiomcode/hooks/hooks.json b/plugins/axiomcode/hooks/hooks.json
index 4baf303d..e7a5ffbc 100644
--- a/plugins/axiomcode/hooks/hooks.json
+++ b/plugins/axiomcode/hooks/hooks.json
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     "hooks": [
      {
       "type": "command",
-      "command": "python3 \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/enrich.py\"",
+      "command": "node \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/run.js\" enrich.py",
       "timeout": 20
      }
     ]
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
     "hooks": [
      {
       "type": "command",
-      "command": "python3 \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/changes.py\"",
+      "command": "node \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/run.js\" changes.py",
       "timeout": 25
      }
     ]
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
     "hooks": [
      {
       "type": "command",
-      "command": "python3 \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/refresh.py\"",
+      "command": "node \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/run.js\" refresh.py",
       "timeout": 5
      }
     ]
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
     "hooks": [
      {
       "type": "command",
-      "command": "python3 \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/direct.py\"",
+      "command": "node \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/run.js\" direct.py",
       "timeout": 10
      }
     ]
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
     "hooks": [
      {
       "type": "command",
-      "command": "python3 \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/changes.py\"",
+      "command": "node \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/run.js\" changes.py",
       "timeout": 20
      }
     ]
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
     "hooks": [
      {
       "type": "command",
-      "command": "python3 \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/changes.py\"",
+      "command": "node \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/run.js\" changes.py",
       "timeout": 25
      }
     ]
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@
     "hooks": [
      {
       "type": "command",
-      "command": "python3 \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/orient.py\""
+      "command": "node \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/run.js\" orient.py"
      }
     ]
    },
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@
     "hooks": [
      {
       "type": "command",
-      "command": "python3 \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/refresh.py\"",
+      "command": "node \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/run.js\" refresh.py",
       "timeout": 5
      }
     ]
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@
     "hooks": [
      {
       "type": "command",
-      "command": "python3 \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/refresh.py\"",
+      "command": "node \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/run.js\" refresh.py",
       "timeout": 5
      }
     ]
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@
     "hooks": [
      {
       "type": "command",
-      "command": "python3 \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/refresh.py\"",
+      "command": "node \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/run.js\" refresh.py",
       "timeout": 5
      }
     ]
diff --git a/plugins/axiomcode/hooks/run.js b/plugins/axiomcode/hooks/run.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f97ca3bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/axiomcode/hooks/run.js
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+// run.js <hook>.py — run one hook under the Python find-python.js finds (#1331).
+//
+// hooks.json used to say `python3 <hook>.py`, and on Windows `python3` is the Store placeholder or nothing,
+// so every hook failed on every tool call. The command is now `node run.js <hook>.py`: node is the same name
+// on every platform, and the MCP server already needs it (#1233).
+//
+// The event arrives on stdin and is passed on whole; stdout, stderr and the exit status come back unchanged,
+// because exit 2 is how a hook blocks. A hook must never block a tool for want of an interpreter, so with no
+// Python the runner exits 0 and says why on stderr, which the host shows only in its debug output.
+//
+// The environment it passes carries the python3 bash needs and the bash find-bash.js chose, for the
+// background refresh a hook starts: that runs axiomcode-build, a bash script that calls python3.
+'use strict';
+const { spawnSync } = require('child_process');
+const fs = require('fs');
+const path = require('path');
+const { findPython, withPython } = require('../mcp/find-python.js');
+const { findBash } = require('../mcp/find-bash.js');
+
+const hook = process.argv[2];
+if (!hook) { process.stderr.write('usage: node run.js <hook>.py\n'); process.exit(0); }
+
+const py = findPython();
+if (!py.exe) { process.stderr.write(`axiomcode hook ${hook}: ${py.error}\n`); process.exit(0); }
+
+let input = '';
+try { input = fs.readFileSync(0); } catch { /* no stdin: the hook reads an empty event */ }
+
+const env = withPython(process.env, py);
+const { bash } = findBash();
+if (bash) env.AXIOMCODE_BASH = bash;
+
+const r = spawnSync(py.exe, [path.join(__dirname, hook)], { input, env, windowsHide: true,
+                                                              stdio: ['pipe', 'inherit', 'inherit'] });
+if (r.error) { process.stderr.write(`axiomcode hook ${hook}: could not start ${py.exe}: ${r.error.message}\n`); process.exit(0); }
+process.exit(r.status ?? 0);
diff --git a/plugins/axiomcode/mcp/find-python.js b/plugins/axiomcode/mcp/find-python.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..70c9fdd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/axiomcode/mcp/find-python.js
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+// find-python.js — the Python the CLI and the hooks run under, found rather than assumed (#1331).
+//
+// Every verb and every hook is a Python script, and the bash half of the CLI calls it as `python3`. A
+// python.org install on Windows provides python.exe and py.exe and no python3, and on a desktop Windows
+// `python3` is the Microsoft Store placeholder, which is on PATH and exits 9009. So the interpreter is
+// probed in the order launch.js has always used for the MCP server: AXIOMCODE_PYTHON, python3, python,
+// and on Windows `py -3`. A candidate is taken only if it runs, and it reports its own sys.executable, so
+// what bash is handed is a real file and not the py launcher or a placeholder.
+//
+// bash is then given a `python3` that runs it: skills/axiomcode/scripts/pyshim/python3, first on PATH,
+// which execs AXIOMCODE_PYTHON_EXE. Python's own children use sys.executable and need nothing.
+//
+// Used by bin/axiomcode.js (the command npm links), mcp/launch.js (the MCP server) and hooks/run.js.
+'use strict';
+const { spawnSync } = require('child_process');
+const path = require('path');
+
+const SHIM = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'skills', 'axiomcode', 'scripts', 'pyshim');
+
+function candidates() {
+  return [process.env.AXIOMCODE_PYTHON && [process.env.AXIOMCODE_PYTHON], ['python3'], ['python'],
+          process.platform === 'win32' && ['py', '-3']].filter(Boolean);
+}
+
+// { cmd, exe } or { error }: cmd is how the candidate was named, exe the interpreter file it runs.
+function findPython() {
+  for (const cmd of candidates()) {
+    const r = spawnSync(cmd[0], [...cmd.slice(1), '-c', 'import sys; print(sys.executable)'],
+                        { encoding: 'utf8', stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'ignore'], windowsHide: true });
+    const exe = r.status === 0 && String(r.stdout).trim();
+    if (exe) return { cmd, exe };
+  }
+  return { error: 'axiomcode needs Python 3, and no python3, python' + (process.platform === 'win32' ? ' or py -3' : '') +
+    ' on PATH runs.\n   • install it (https://www.python.org/downloads/), or\n' +
+    '   • set AXIOMCODE_PYTHON to the full path of a python executable.' };
+}
+
+// A copy of env in which bash's `python3` is the interpreter findPython chose. On POSIX, when that is
+// python3 itself, PATH is left alone. On Windows the shim always goes first: a python3 that answered a
+// probe from here can still be a Store alias that Git Bash cannot run.
+function withPython(env, py) {
+  const out = { ...env, AXIOMCODE_PYTHON_EXE: py.exe.replace(/\\/g, '/') };
+  // Windows Python writes a pipe in the ANSI code page and opens files in it, so the first → in an answer raised
+  // UnicodeEncodeError, and a source file in UTF-8 read wrong. UTF-8 mode fixes both; a user's own setting stands.
+  if (process.platform === 'win32' && out.PYTHONUTF8 === undefined) out.PYTHONUTF8 = '1';
+  if (process.platform !== 'win32' && py.cmd.length === 1 && py.cmd[0] === 'python3') return out;
+  // Windows keeps it as Path, and a second PATH key beside it would be one of two the child picks from.
+  const key = Object.keys(out).find((k) => k.toUpperCase() === 'PATH') || 'PATH';
+  out[key] = out[key] ? SHIM + path.delimiter + out[key] : SHIM;
+  return out;
+}
+
+module.exports = { candidates, findPython, withPython };
diff --git a/plugins/axiomcode/mcp/launch.js b/plugins/axiomcode/mcp/launch.js
index bab079f1..a5af1145 100644
--- a/plugins/axiomcode/mcp/launch.js
+++ b/plugins/axiomcode/mcp/launch.js
@@ -23,11 +23,13 @@
 // reuses it, on failure the launcher says why and moves on to the fallback.
 //
 // The server shells out to the CLI, a bash script, so the bash find-bash.js chose is handed to it as
-// AXIOMCODE_BASH; a bare `bash` from server.py would hit the same Windows lookup this file avoids.
+// AXIOMCODE_BASH; a bare `bash` from server.py would hit the same Windows lookup this file avoids. That CLI
+// calls `python3`, so the server's environment also carries find-python.js's python3 for bash (#1331).
 'use strict';
 const { spawn, spawnSync } = require('child_process');
 const path = require('path');
 const { findBash } = require('./find-bash.js');
+const { candidates, findPython, withPython } = require('./find-python.js');
 
 const SERVER = path.join(__dirname, 'server.py');
 // Run as `node launch.js …` the rest of the command line is the server's; required from mcp.json's
@@ -52,8 +54,7 @@ function uvWorks() {
   return false;
 }
 
-const pythons = [process.env.AXIOMCODE_PYTHON && [process.env.AXIOMCODE_PYTHON], ['python3'], ['python'],
-                 process.platform === 'win32' && ['py', '-3']].filter(Boolean);
+const pythons = candidates();
 
 function choose() {
   for (const py of pythons) if (runs(py, ['-c', 'import mcp'])) return [...py, SERVER];
@@ -62,7 +63,8 @@ function choose() {
   return null;
 }
 
-const env = { ...process.env };
+const py = findPython();
+const env = py.exe ? withPython(process.env, py) : { ...process.env };
 const { bash, error } = findBash();
 if (bash) env.AXIOMCODE_BASH = bash;
 else process.stderr.write(`axiomcode mcp: ${error}\n  The server starts, but every tool will say it cannot run the CLI.\n`);
diff --git a/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/ax_contract.py b/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/ax_contract.py
index 2a8f095c..0910ab36 100644
--- a/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/ax_contract.py
+++ b/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/ax_contract.py
@@ -385,7 +385,7 @@ def ensure_graph(repo, db):
     build = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)), 'axiomcode-build')
     if not os.path.exists(build): return False
     print(f"no graph for {repo} yet — building one (this is the only slow call; later ones read it) …", file=sys.stderr)
-    r = subprocess.run(['bash', build, repo])
+    r = subprocess.run([os.environ.get('AXIOMCODE_BASH') or 'bash', build, repo])
     return r.returncode == 0 and os.path.exists(db)
 
 
diff --git a/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/ax_fresh.py b/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/ax_fresh.py
index 37563868..175d3817 100644
--- a/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/ax_fresh.py
+++ b/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/ax_fresh.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 
 Environment: AXIOMCODE_NO_REFRESH=1 turns every trigger off; AXIOMCODE_REFRESH_DEBOUNCE (seconds, default 2)
 is the quiet window; AXIOMCODE_FRESH_WAIT (seconds, default 10) is how long a query verb waits."""
-import hashlib, json, os, subprocess, sys, time
+import errno, hashlib, json, os, subprocess, sys, time
 
 H = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
 
@@ -166,7 +166,10 @@ def _flock(fd, block):
         import msvcrt
         while True:
             try: msvcrt.locking(fd, msvcrt.LK_NBLCK, 1); return True
-            except OSError:
+            except OSError as e:
+                # Git Bash's fd 9 is not a descriptor in a native python.exe, which inherits only 0-2 (#1331). There is
+                # no lock to take; waiting for one looped forever, so the build runs unlocked, as a single build did.
+                if e.errno == errno.EBADF: return True
                 if not block: return False
                 time.sleep(0.5)
     except OSError: return False
@@ -250,7 +253,7 @@ def worker(repo):
             t0 = time.time(); write_state(repo, state='building', started=t0, files=sum(len(x) for x in c))
             if any(c): print(f"{time.strftime('%H:%M:%S')} refresh: {sum(len(x) for x in c)} file(s) changed ({', '.join((c[0] + c[1] + c[2])[:5])}) — rebuilding", flush=True)
             else: print(f"{time.strftime('%H:%M:%S')} refresh: HEAD moved — moving the baseline to it", flush=True)
-            r = subprocess.run(['bash', os.path.join(H, 'axiomcode-build'), repo], env=env, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT, text=True)
+            r = subprocess.run([os.environ.get('AXIOMCODE_BASH') or 'bash', os.path.join(H, 'axiomcode-build'), repo], env=env, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT, text=True)
             took = round(time.time() - t0, 1)
             if r.returncode != 0:
                 write_state(repo, state='failed', finished=time.time(), seconds=took, failed_table=fp,
diff --git a/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/axiomcode b/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/axiomcode
index e6d608a9..3c9e75a3 100755
--- a/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/axiomcode
+++ b/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/axiomcode
@@ -47,6 +47,22 @@
 # .js test scripts is taken for JavaScript); --src limits the analysed tree (e.g. src); --library names dependency roots.
 H="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
 
+# PYTHON UNDER ANOTHER NAME (#1331). Every verb runs `python3`, which a python.org install on Windows does not
+# provide, and which on a desktop Windows is the Store placeholder. Started from node (the `axiomcode` command, the
+# MCP server, the hooks) find-python.js has already put pyshim/python3 first on PATH and set AXIOMCODE_PYTHON_EXE.
+# Run straight from a shell, as the skill says to when there are no MCP tools, this makes the same choice: the
+# first of AXIOMCODE_PYTHON, python and py -3 that runs. Off Windows a python3 on PATH is taken without a probe.
+if [ -z "${AXIOMCODE_PYTHON_EXE:-}" ] &&
+   case "${OSTYPE:-}" in msys*|cygwin*) ! python3 -c '' >/dev/null 2>&1;; *) ! command -v python3 >/dev/null 2>&1;; esac; then
+  for p in "${AXIOMCODE_PYTHON:-}" python py; do
+    [ -n "$p" ] || continue; a=(); [ "$p" = py ] && a=(-3)
+    e="$("$p" ${a[@]+"${a[@]}"} -c 'import sys; print(sys.executable)' 2>/dev/null | tr -d '\r')" || e=""
+    if [ -n "$e" ]; then export AXIOMCODE_PYTHON_EXE="${e//\\//}" PATH="$H/pyshim:$PATH"; break; fi
+  done
+fi
+# and in UTF-8 mode, as find-python.js sets it: otherwise a piped answer is written in cp1252 and the first → raises
+case "${OSTYPE:-}" in msys*|cygwin*) : "${PYTHONUTF8:=1}"; export PYTHONUTF8;; esac
+
 # A VERB ANSWERS; IT DOES NOT HAND BACK AN INSTRUCTION. Reached through this dispatcher — which is
 # what `axiomcode` on $PATH and the MCP server both go through — a query on a repository with no
 # graph builds one and then answers, instead of exiting with "run `axiomcode index` first". That
diff --git a/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/axiomcode-graph b/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/axiomcode-graph
index e96593c5..06affc8d 100755
--- a/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/axiomcode-graph
+++ b/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/axiomcode-graph
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ def build(repo, page, library=None):
     cands = [os.path.join(HERE, 'axiomcode-build'), os.path.join(os.environ.get('AXIOMCODE_ENGINE', ''), 'skills', 'axiomcode', 'scripts', 'axiomcode-build')]
     b = next((os.path.realpath(c) for c in cands if os.path.isfile(c)), None)
     if not b: sys.exit("axiomcode-build not found beside this script (set AXIOMCODE_ENGINE to the engine checkout)")
-    r = subprocess.run([b, repo])
+    r = subprocess.run([os.environ.get('AXIOMCODE_BASH') or 'bash', b, repo])   # a bash script: Windows cannot exec it itself
     if r.returncode: sys.exit(r.returncode)
     export(repo, page)
 
diff --git a/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/pyshim/python3 b/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/pyshim/python3
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..0b970a96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/pyshim/python3
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# python3 for a machine whose Python has another name: python.exe or py.exe from python.org on Windows (#1331).
+# find-python.js, or the fallback at the head of scripts/axiomcode, puts this directory first on PATH only after
+# setting AXIOMCODE_PYTHON_EXE to an interpreter that ran.
+exec "${AXIOMCODE_PYTHON_EXE:?pyshim/python3 is on PATH but AXIOMCODE_PYTHON_EXE is not set}" "$@"
diff --git a/tests/manifests.py b/tests/manifests.py
index d24caae4..679f9105 100644
--- a/tests/manifests.py
+++ b/tests/manifests.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
   only in skills/ at that root, so skills/axiomcode/ holds a copy of the skill's text (packaging/copies.py).
   No server is started by `bash` or `python3`: on Windows a bare `bash` is WSL's or nothing and `python3`
   is a Store placeholder, and a manifest has no per-platform variant, so every one starts `node` (#1233).
+  Hooks too: each is `node hooks/run.js <hook>.py`, which finds the Python to run it under (#1331).
 
     python3 tests/manifests.py
 """
@@ -34,6 +35,13 @@
 
 ROOT = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
 PLUGIN = os.path.join(ROOT, 'plugins', 'axiomcode')
+HOOKS = os.path.join(PLUGIN, 'hooks')
+
+
+def runs_a_hook(command, runner, hooks):
+    """command is `node "<runner>" <hook>.py`, and the runner and the hook both exist"""
+    m = re.fullmatch(r'node "' + re.escape(runner) + r'" (\w+\.py)', command)
+    return bool(m) and os.path.isfile(os.path.join(hooks, 'run.js')) and os.path.isfile(os.path.join(hooks, m.group(1)))
 
 
 def load(*parts):
@@ -103,9 +111,9 @@ def gemini_path(value):
     for event, groups in load('plugins', 'axiomcode', 'hooks', 'hooks.json')['hooks'].items():
         for group in groups:
             for hook in group['hooks']:
-                script = re.search(r'\$\{CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT\}(/[^"\s]+)', hook['command'])
-                if not script or not os.path.isfile(PLUGIN + script.group(1)):
-                    bad.append(f"hooks.json {event}: {hook['command']!r} names no script that exists")
+                if not runs_a_hook(hook['command'], '${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/run.js', HOOKS):
+                    bad.append(f"hooks.json {event}: {hook['command']!r} is not `node <plugin>/hooks/run.js <hook>.py` "
+                               "naming a hook that exists; python3 is not a program on Windows (#1331)")
 
     # Cursor: its marketplace leads to the plugin, and its manifest agrees with the others and names files
     # that exist once ${CURSOR_PLUGIN_ROOT} is the plugin directory.
@@ -146,9 +154,9 @@ def gemini_path(value):
     for event, groups in gemini_hooks.items():
         for group in groups:
             for hook in group['hooks']:
-                script = re.search(r'"([^"]+\.py)"', hook['command'])
-                if not script or not os.path.isfile(gemini_path(script.group(1))):
-                    bad.append(f"hooks/hooks.json {event}: {hook['command']!r} names no script that exists")
+                if not runs_a_hook(hook['command'], '${extensionPath}${/}plugins${/}axiomcode${/}hooks${/}run.js', HOOKS):
+                    bad.append(f"hooks/hooks.json {event}: {hook['command']!r} is not `node <root>/plugins/axiomcode/hooks/run.js "
+                               "<hook>.py` naming a hook that exists; python3 is not a program on Windows (#1331)")
 
     # Gemini's copy of the skill and Cursor's rule are current copies of their sources.
     sync = subprocess.run([sys.executable, os.path.join(ROOT, 'packaging', 'copies.py'), '--check'],
diff --git a/tests/python_names.py b/tests/python_names.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e2283796
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/python_names.py
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""tests/python_names.py — the CLI and the hooks run on a machine whose Python is not called python3 (#1331).
+
+A python.org install on Windows has python.exe and py.exe and no python3, and on a desktop Windows `python3` is
+the Store placeholder, which is on PATH and exits 9009. Both are simulated here: a `python3` that exits 9009,
+and a PATH with no python3 at all. `python` is a wrapper that records each call and runs this interpreter. The
+launcher asks it for sys.executable and hands bash that file, so what the record shows is that `python` was the
+one asked, and the placeholder records that it was never run past the probe that passes over it.
+
+The real machine is Windows; this pins the resolution order and the hand-off to bash on any platform.
+"""
+import json, os, shutil, stat, subprocess, sys, tempfile
+
+ROOT = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
+AXJS = os.path.join(ROOT, 'bin', 'axiomcode.js')
+RUNJS = os.path.join(ROOT, 'plugins', 'axiomcode', 'hooks', 'run.js')
+FRONT = os.path.join(ROOT, 'plugins', 'axiomcode', 'skills', 'axiomcode', 'scripts', 'axiomcode')
+
+fails, checked = [], []
+def check(why, cond, detail=''):
+    checked.append(why)
+    print(('ok   ' if cond else 'FAIL ') + why + (f'\n     {detail}' if not cond and detail else ''))
+    if not cond:
+        fails.append(why)
+
+
+def script(path, text):
+    with open(path, 'w') as f:
+        f.write(text)
+    os.chmod(path, os.stat(path).st_mode | stat.S_IXUSR | stat.S_IXGRP | stat.S_IXOTH)
+
+
+with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+    log = os.path.join(tmp, 'python.log')
+    stubs = os.path.join(tmp, 'stubs')          # placeholder python3 + recording python, ahead of the real PATH
+    bare = os.path.join(tmp, 'bare')            # only the tools the front end needs, and no python3 at all
+    os.makedirs(stubs); os.makedirs(bare)
+    script(os.path.join(stubs, 'python3'), f'#!/bin/sh\necho "placeholder $*" >> "{log}"\necho "Python was not found" >&2\nexit 9009\n')
+    python = f'#!/bin/sh\necho "$*" >> "{log}"\nexec "{sys.executable}" "$@"\n'
+    script(os.path.join(stubs, 'python'), python)
+    script(os.path.join(bare, 'python'), python)
+    for tool in ('bash', 'sh', 'sed', 'awk', 'head', 'grep', 'tr', 'dirname', 'cat', 'env', 'node'):
+        found = shutil.which(tool)
+        if found: os.symlink(found, os.path.join(bare, tool))
+    placeholder = dict(os.environ, PATH=stubs + os.pathsep + os.environ['PATH'])
+    placeholder.pop('AXIOMCODE_PYTHON', None); placeholder.pop('AXIOMCODE_PYTHON_EXE', None)
+
+    open(log, 'w').close()
+
+    def calls():
+        try:
+            with open(log) as f: return f.read()
+        finally:
+            open(log, 'w').close()
+
+    # the command npm links: bash's python3 is the placeholder until the launcher puts its own first
+    r = subprocess.run(['node', AXJS, 'help', 'context'], env=placeholder, capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=60)
+    check('`axiomcode help context` answers when python3 is the Store placeholder',
+          r.returncode == 0 and 'context' in r.stdout and 'Python was not found' not in r.stderr,
+          f'rc={r.returncode} err={r.stderr[-300:]}')
+    c = calls()
+    check('...and the Python bash ran is the one `python` named, not the placeholder',
+          'import sys' in c and 'ast.get_docstring' not in c, c)
+
+    # a hook: stdin reaches it, and its exit status comes back unchanged (exit 2 is how a hook blocks)
+    ev = json.dumps({'tool_name': 'Grep', 'tool_input': {'pattern': 'f'}, 'cwd': tmp, 'session_id': 's1'})
+    r = subprocess.run(['node', RUNJS, 'direct.py'], input=ev, env=placeholder, capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=60)
+    check('a hook runs under `python` when python3 is the placeholder', r.returncode == 0 and 'import sys' in calls(),
+          f'rc={r.returncode} err={r.stderr[-300:]}')
+    r = subprocess.run(['node', RUNJS, 'no-such-hook.py'], input='{}', env=placeholder, capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=60)
+    check("a hook's exit status is passed through, not replaced", r.returncode == 2, f'rc={r.returncode}')
+    calls()
+
+    # AXIOMCODE_PYTHON comes first, as it does for the MCP server
+    chosen = os.path.join(tmp, 'mine')
+    script(chosen, f'#!/bin/sh\necho "mine $*" >> "{log}"\nexec "{sys.executable}" "$@"\n')
+    r = subprocess.run(['node', AXJS, 'help', 'context'], env=dict(placeholder, AXIOMCODE_PYTHON=chosen),
+                       capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=60)
+    check('AXIOMCODE_PYTHON is the Python bash runs', r.returncode == 0 and 'mine' in calls(), f'rc={r.returncode}')
+
+    # no Python at all: a hook must never block a tool for want of one
+    only_node = os.path.join(tmp, 'only-node'); os.makedirs(only_node)
+    os.symlink(shutil.which('node'), os.path.join(only_node, 'node'))
+    nopy = dict(placeholder, PATH=only_node)
+    r = subprocess.run([shutil.which('node'), RUNJS, 'direct.py'], input='{}', env=nopy, capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=60)
+    check('with no Python, a hook exits 0 and says why on stderr', r.returncode == 0 and 'Python' in r.stderr,
+          f'rc={r.returncode} err={r.stderr[-300:]}')
+
+    # the skill's own fallback, run from a shell with no node in between and no python3 anywhere on PATH
+    r = subprocess.run(['bash', FRONT, 'help', 'context'], env=dict(placeholder, PATH=bare),
+                       capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=60)
+    check('scripts/axiomcode run directly finds `python` when there is no python3',
+          r.returncode == 0 and 'context' in r.stdout and 'import sys' in calls(),
+          f'rc={r.returncode} err={r.stderr[-300:]}')
+
+print()
+print(f"{len(checked) - len(fails)} of {len(checked)} check(s) held" if not fails else f"{len(fails)} FAILED: " + '; '.join(fails))
+sys.exit(1 if fails else 0)