diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yaml b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
index 3bcbf44..bbb7cc2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
@@ -33,7 +33,14 @@ jobs:
         run: which pnpm; which pnpx
 
       - name: 'Test: version'
-        run: pnpm --version
+        run: |
+          actual="$(pnpm --version)"
+          echo "pnpm version: ${actual}"
+          if [[ ! "${actual}" =~ ^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+(-.+)?$ ]]; then
+            echo "ERROR: pnpm --version did not produce valid output"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+        shell: bash
 
       - name: 'Test: install in a fresh project'
         run: |
@@ -71,7 +78,14 @@ jobs:
         run: which pnpm && which pnpx
 
       - name: 'Test: version'
-        run: pnpm --version
+        run: |
+          actual="$(pnpm --version)"
+          echo "pnpm version: ${actual}"
+          if [[ ! "${actual}" =~ ^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+(-.+)?$ ]]; then
+            echo "ERROR: pnpm --version did not produce valid output"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+        shell: bash
 
   test_standalone:
     name: Test with standalone
@@ -98,7 +112,14 @@ jobs:
         run: which pnpm
 
       - name: 'Test: version'
-        run: pnpm --version
+        run: |
+          actual="$(pnpm --version)"
+          echo "pnpm version: ${actual}"
+          if [[ ! "${actual}" =~ ^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+(-.+)?$ ]]; then
+            echo "ERROR: pnpm --version did not produce valid output"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+        shell: bash
 
       - name: 'Test: install in a fresh project'
         run: |
@@ -196,4 +217,11 @@ jobs:
         run: which pnpm; which pnpx
 
       - name: 'Test: version'
-        run: pnpm --version
+        run: |
+          actual="$(pnpm --version)"
+          echo "pnpm version: ${actual}"
+          if [[ ! "${actual}" =~ ^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+(-.+)?$ ]]; then
+            echo "ERROR: pnpm --version did not produce valid output"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+        shell: bash
diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index 26f9903..5d098bc 100644
Binary files a/dist/index.js and b/dist/index.js differ
diff --git a/src/install-pnpm/run.ts b/src/install-pnpm/run.ts
index c4a484a..1a847af 100644
--- a/src/install-pnpm/run.ts
+++ b/src/install-pnpm/run.ts
@@ -34,23 +34,33 @@ export async function runSelfInstaller(inputs: Inputs): Promise<number> {
     return npmExitCode
   }
 
-  const pnpmHome = path.join(dest, 'node_modules', '.bin')
-  addPath(pnpmHome)
+  // On Windows with standalone mode, npm's .bin shims can't properly
+  // execute the extensionless @pnpm/exe native binaries. Add the
+  // @pnpm/exe directory directly to PATH so pnpm.exe is found natively.
+  const pnpmHome = standalone && process.platform === 'win32'
+    ? path.join(dest, 'node_modules', '@pnpm', 'exe')
+    : path.join(dest, 'node_modules', '.bin')
+  // pnpm expects PNPM_HOME/bin in PATH for global binaries (e.g. node
+  // installed via `pnpm runtime`). Add it first so the next addPath
+  // (pnpmHome itself, which contains pnpm.exe) has higher precedence.
   addPath(path.join(pnpmHome, 'bin'))
+  addPath(pnpmHome)
   exportVariable('PNPM_HOME', pnpmHome)
 
   // Ensure pnpm bin link exists — npm ci sometimes doesn't create it
-  const pnpmBinLink = path.join(pnpmHome, 'pnpm')
-  if (!existsSync(pnpmBinLink)) {
-    await mkdir(pnpmHome, { recursive: true })
-    const target = standalone
-      ? path.join('..', '@pnpm', 'exe', 'pnpm')
-      : path.join('..', 'pnpm', 'bin', 'pnpm.mjs')
-    await symlink(target, pnpmBinLink)
+  if (process.platform !== 'win32') {
+    const pnpmBinLink = path.join(dest, 'node_modules', '.bin', 'pnpm')
+    if (!existsSync(pnpmBinLink)) {
+      await mkdir(path.join(dest, 'node_modules', '.bin'), { recursive: true })
+      const target = standalone
+        ? path.join('..', '@pnpm', 'exe', 'pnpm')
+        : path.join('..', 'pnpm', 'bin', 'pnpm.mjs')
+      await symlink(target, pnpmBinLink)
+    }
   }
 
   const bootstrapPnpm = standalone
-    ? path.join(dest, 'node_modules', '@pnpm', 'exe', 'pnpm')
+    ? path.join(dest, 'node_modules', '@pnpm', 'exe', process.platform === 'win32' ? 'pnpm.exe' : 'pnpm')
     : path.join(dest, 'node_modules', 'pnpm', 'bin', 'pnpm.mjs')
 
   // Determine the target version
diff --git a/src/outputs/index.ts b/src/outputs/index.ts
index e25a6b0..1d64199 100644
--- a/src/outputs/index.ts
+++ b/src/outputs/index.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
-import { setOutput, addPath } from '@actions/core'
+import { setOutput } from '@actions/core'
 import { Inputs } from '../inputs'
 import { getBinDest } from '../utils'
 
 export function setOutputs(inputs: Inputs) {
   const binDest = getBinDest(inputs)
-  addPath(binDest)
+  // NOTE: addPath is already called in installPnpm — do not call it again
+  // here, as a second addPath would shadow the correct entry on Windows.
   setOutput('dest', inputs.dest)
   setOutput('bin_dest', binDest)
 }