diff --git a/docs/guides/deploying.md b/docs/guides/deploying.md
index 5eb7b181..c894d477 100644
--- a/docs/guides/deploying.md
+++ b/docs/guides/deploying.md
@@ -29,6 +29,11 @@ token is the only authentication.
 
 ## Build first
 
+Composer resolves Alchemy from the nearest `node_modules/.bin`, walking up
+for hoisted installations. On Windows it prefers `alchemy.exe`, then
+`alchemy.cmd`, then the extensionless shim; POSIX uses `alchemy`. An installed
+Windows shim must not be reported as a missing Alchemy dependency.
+
 `prisma-composer deploy` does not build for you — it assembles what your
 build produced:
 
diff --git a/packages/0-framework/3-tooling/cli/src/__tests__/run-alchemy.test.ts b/packages/0-framework/3-tooling/cli/src/__tests__/run-alchemy.test.ts
index aeec0776..cf4e0e33 100644
--- a/packages/0-framework/3-tooling/cli/src/__tests__/run-alchemy.test.ts
+++ b/packages/0-framework/3-tooling/cli/src/__tests__/run-alchemy.test.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,17 @@ afterEach(() => {
 });
 
 describe('resolveAlchemyBin()', () => {
+  test.skipIf(process.platform !== 'win32')('finds Windows-only package-manager shims', () => {
+    for (const filename of ['alchemy.cmd', 'alchemy.exe']) {
+      const dir = makeTmpDir();
+      const binDir = path.join(dir, 'node_modules', '.bin');
+      fs.mkdirSync(binDir, { recursive: true });
+      const bin = path.join(binDir, filename);
+      fs.writeFileSync(bin, '');
+      expect(resolveAlchemyBin(dir)).toBe(bin);
+    }
+  });
+
   test('finds node_modules/.bin/alchemy in the given directory', () => {
     const dir = makeTmpDir();
     const bin = installFakeAlchemy(dir);
@@ -177,6 +188,39 @@ describe('alchemyInvocation()', () => {
 });
 
 describe('spawnAlchemy()', () => {
+  test.skipIf(process.platform !== 'win32')('runs a cmd shim with literal arguments', async () => {
+    const dir = makeTmpDir();
+    const script = path.join(dir, 'capture.cjs');
+    const captureFile = path.join(dir, 'capture.json');
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      script,
+      'require("node:fs").writeFileSync(process.env.CAPTURE_FILE, JSON.stringify(process.argv.slice(2)));',
+    );
+    const binDir = path.join(dir, 'node_modules', '.bin');
+    fs.mkdirSync(binDir, { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(binDir, 'alchemy.cmd'),
+      `@echo off\r\n"${process.execPath}" "${script}" %*\r\n`,
+    );
+    const stage = 'spaces & symbols';
+    expect(
+      await spawnAlchemy({
+        action: 'deploy',
+        stackFileRelativePath: '.prisma-composer/alchemy.run.ts',
+        stage,
+        cwd: dir,
+        env: { CAPTURE_FILE: captureFile },
+      }),
+    ).toEqual({ exitCode: 0, signal: null });
+    expect(JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(captureFile, 'utf8'))).toEqual([
+      'deploy',
+      '.prisma-composer/alchemy.run.ts',
+      '--yes',
+      '--stage',
+      stage,
+    ]);
+  });
+
   test('runs the invocation in its cwd with its env additions merged over the invoking environment', async () => {
     const dir = makeTmpDir();
     const captureFile = path.join(dir, 'capture.json');
diff --git a/packages/0-framework/3-tooling/cli/src/run-alchemy.ts b/packages/0-framework/3-tooling/cli/src/run-alchemy.ts
index d7f7e150..eed32389 100644
--- a/packages/0-framework/3-tooling/cli/src/run-alchemy.ts
+++ b/packages/0-framework/3-tooling/cli/src/run-alchemy.ts
@@ -16,12 +16,16 @@ import * as path from 'node:path';
 import { CliStructuredError } from '@internal/foundation/errors';
 import spawn from 'cross-spawn';
 
-/** Walks up from `startDir` looking for `node_modules/.bin/alchemy`. */
+/** Walks up from `startDir` looking for the installed Alchemy executable. */
 export function resolveAlchemyBin(startDir: string): string {
+  const names =
+    process.platform === 'win32' ? ['alchemy.exe', 'alchemy.cmd', 'alchemy'] : ['alchemy'];
   let dir = startDir;
   while (true) {
-    const candidate = path.join(dir, 'node_modules', '.bin', 'alchemy');
-    if (fs.existsSync(candidate)) return candidate;
+    for (const name of names) {
+      const candidate = path.join(dir, 'node_modules', '.bin', name);
+      if (fs.existsSync(candidate)) return candidate;
+    }
     const parent = path.dirname(dir);
     if (parent === dir) {
       throw new CliStructuredError(
diff --git a/skills/prisma-composer-core-concepts/SKILL.md b/skills/prisma-composer-core-concepts/SKILL.md
index 69d65a8c..74f79362 100644
--- a/skills/prisma-composer-core-concepts/SKILL.md
+++ b/skills/prisma-composer-core-concepts/SKILL.md
@@ -291,6 +291,11 @@ that arrives as an ordinary, exactly-pinned npm dependency of
 imports or configures it; consult alchemy's own docs for the engine itself.
 What matters operationally:
 
+Alchemy is resolved from the nearest `node_modules/.bin`, including hoisted
+ancestor directories. Windows resolves `alchemy.exe`, then `alchemy.cmd`,
+then the extensionless shim; POSIX resolves `alchemy`. No global Alchemy
+installation is needed.
+
 1. Deploy and destroy write the pipeline's results to a generated, gitignored
    stack file at `.prisma-composer/alchemy.run.ts`, then run the alchemy CLI
    against it as a child process; `dev` does the same at