diff --git a/src/main/daemon/pty-subprocess/conpty-startup-input-reader.ts b/src/main/daemon/pty-subprocess/conpty-startup-input-reader.ts
index a9b4092cc1c..941f6d759b0 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/pty-subprocess/conpty-startup-input-reader.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/pty-subprocess/conpty-startup-input-reader.ts
@@ -163,6 +163,14 @@ export function _resetConptyStartupTrustForTest(): void {
   respawnCount = 0
 }
 
+type NodePtyWindowsPane = pty.IPty & { _agent?: { _useConpty?: boolean } }
+
+// node-pty falls back to WinPTY below Windows build 18309, which never announces an input reader.
+function runsOnWinpty(proc: pty.IPty): boolean {
+  const pane: NodePtyWindowsPane = proc
+  return pane._agent?._useConpty === false
+}
+
 function withNotice(claim: () => ConptyStartupEvents): () => ConptyStartupEvents {
   return () => {
     const events = claim()
@@ -186,7 +194,7 @@ export async function spawnConptyWithInputReader(
 }> {
   const firstSpawn = await spawn()
   const { proc: first, physicalOwner: firstOwner } = firstSpawn
-  if (announcementUntrusted) {
+  if (announcementUntrusted || runsOnWinpty(first)) {
     return { ...firstSpawn, claimStartupEvents: () => ({ data: [], exit: null }) }
   }
   const firstStartup = await decideConptyStartup(first, opts.signal, firstOwner)
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/pty-subprocess/native-pty-spawn-windows.test.ts b/src/main/daemon/pty-subprocess/native-pty-spawn-windows.test.ts
index b5574e20dd3..92c7f18b133 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/pty-subprocess/native-pty-spawn-windows.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/pty-subprocess/native-pty-spawn-windows.test.ts
@@ -367,6 +367,19 @@ describe('Windows shell fallback over node-pty ConPTY', () => {
     expect(nodePty.spawn).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3)
   })
 
+  it('hands out a WinPTY pane unchecked, since only ConPTY announces an input reader', async () => {
+    // Windows builds below 18309 get WinPTY, whose native kill throws when repeated (#36317).
+    const winpty = Object.assign(deadPane(990001), { _agent: { _useConpty: false } })
+    nodePty.spawn.mockReturnValueOnce(winpty)
+
+    const result = await spawnNativeDaemonPty(args)
+
+    expect(nodePty.spawn).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+    expect(winpty.kill).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(ptyJob.killConptyNow).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(result.process).toBe(winpty)
+  })
+
   it('does not respawn a shell that exited before ConPTY announced anything', async () => {
     const exited = fakePane(990001, [], 3)
     nodePty.spawn.mockReturnValueOnce(exited)