diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index d0f05fd19..2fe9ccbf8 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -968,7 +968,7 @@ checksum = "37909eebbb50d72f9059c3b6d82c0463f2ff062c9e95845c43a6c9c0355411be"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fbuild-bench-fastled-examples"
-version = "2.5.42"
+version = "2.5.43"
 dependencies = [
  "fbuild-core",
  "fbuild-library-select",
@@ -982,7 +982,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fbuild-build"
-version = "2.5.42"
+version = "2.5.43"
 dependencies = [
  "async-trait",
  "blake3",
@@ -1019,7 +1019,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fbuild-build-arm"
-version = "2.5.42"
+version = "2.5.43"
 dependencies = [
  "async-trait",
  "blake3",
@@ -1053,7 +1053,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fbuild-build-engine"
-version = "2.5.42"
+version = "2.5.43"
 dependencies = [
  "async-trait",
  "blake3",
@@ -1087,7 +1087,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fbuild-build-esp"
-version = "2.5.42"
+version = "2.5.43"
 dependencies = [
  "async-trait",
  "blake3",
@@ -1122,7 +1122,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fbuild-build-mcu"
-version = "2.5.42"
+version = "2.5.43"
 dependencies = [
  "async-trait",
  "blake3",
@@ -1156,7 +1156,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fbuild-cli"
-version = "2.5.42"
+version = "2.5.43"
 dependencies = [
  "blake3",
  "clap",
@@ -1188,7 +1188,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fbuild-config"
-version = "2.5.42"
+version = "2.5.43"
 dependencies = [
  "fbuild-core",
  "fbuild-paths",
@@ -1203,7 +1203,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fbuild-core"
-version = "2.5.42"
+version = "2.5.43"
 dependencies = [
  "async-trait",
  "fs2",
@@ -1232,7 +1232,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fbuild-daemon"
-version = "2.5.42"
+version = "2.5.43"
 dependencies = [
  "async-trait",
  "axum 0.7.9",
@@ -1271,7 +1271,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fbuild-deploy"
-version = "2.5.42"
+version = "2.5.43"
 dependencies = [
  "async-trait",
  "espflash",
@@ -1299,7 +1299,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fbuild-header-scan"
-version = "2.5.42"
+version = "2.5.43"
 dependencies = [
  "criterion",
  "fbuild-paths",
@@ -1310,7 +1310,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fbuild-library"
-version = "2.5.42"
+version = "2.5.43"
 dependencies = [
  "async-trait",
  "axum 0.7.9",
@@ -1342,7 +1342,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fbuild-library-select"
-version = "2.5.42"
+version = "2.5.43"
 dependencies = [
  "bincode",
  "blake3",
@@ -1363,7 +1363,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fbuild-packages"
-version = "2.5.42"
+version = "2.5.43"
 dependencies = [
  "async-trait",
  "axum 0.7.9",
@@ -1395,7 +1395,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fbuild-packages-fetch"
-version = "2.5.42"
+version = "2.5.43"
 dependencies = [
  "async-trait",
  "axum 0.7.9",
@@ -1424,7 +1424,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fbuild-paths"
-version = "2.5.42"
+version = "2.5.43"
 dependencies = [
  "blake3",
  "fbuild-core",
@@ -1436,7 +1436,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fbuild-python"
-version = "2.5.42"
+version = "2.5.43"
 dependencies = [
  "base64",
  "fbuild-core",
@@ -1460,7 +1460,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fbuild-serial"
-version = "2.5.42"
+version = "2.5.43"
 dependencies = [
  "async-trait",
  "base64",
@@ -1483,7 +1483,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fbuild-test-support"
-version = "2.5.42"
+version = "2.5.43"
 dependencies = [
  "fbuild-config",
  "fbuild-core",
@@ -1503,7 +1503,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "fbuild-toolchain"
-version = "2.5.42"
+version = "2.5.43"
 dependencies = [
  "async-trait",
  "axum 0.7.9",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 98558afa9..687090ca3 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ targets = [
 ]
 
 [workspace.package]
-version = "2.5.42"
+version = "2.5.43"
 edition = "2021"
 rust-version = "1.95.0"
 license = "AGPL-3.0-only"
diff --git a/ci/platform_boundary_research.tsv b/ci/platform_boundary_research.tsv
index bbf7143cf..d27207355 100644
--- a/ci/platform_boundary_research.tsv
+++ b/ci/platform_boundary_research.tsv
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ crates/fbuild-core/src/platform/windows/usb_pnp.rs	40	native_path	windows_sys::
 crates/fbuild-core/tests/it/platformio_package_resolution.rs	5	attr_cfg	#[cfg(windows)]	host	host_mechanic
 crates/fbuild-core/tests/it/platformio_package_resolution.rs	107	attr_cfg	#[cfg(windows)]	host	host_mechanic
 crates/fbuild-daemon/Cargo.toml	74	native_dependency	libc	process	host_mechanic
-crates/fbuild-daemon/src/handlers/emulator/tests_npm_cache.rs	146	attr_cfg	#[cfg(windows)]	host_executable	host_artifact_policy
+crates/fbuild-daemon/src/handlers/emulator/tests_npm_cache.rs	224	attr_cfg	#[cfg(windows)]	host_executable	host_artifact_policy
 crates/fbuild-daemon/src/handlers/emulator/tests_process.rs	9	attr_cfg	#[cfg(windows)]	host_executable	host_artifact_policy
 crates/fbuild-daemon/src/handlers/emulator/tests_process.rs	21	attr_cfg	#[cfg(not(windows))]	host_executable	host_artifact_policy
 crates/fbuild-daemon/src/handlers/health.rs	51	attr_cfg	#[cfg(target_os=)]	host	host_mechanic
diff --git a/crates/fbuild-daemon/src/handlers/emulator/avr8js_npm.rs b/crates/fbuild-daemon/src/handlers/emulator/avr8js_npm.rs
index 0012aaf09..b5ea135c0 100644
--- a/crates/fbuild-daemon/src/handlers/emulator/avr8js_npm.rs
+++ b/crates/fbuild-daemon/src/handlers/emulator/avr8js_npm.rs
@@ -7,31 +7,33 @@ use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
 pub(crate) async fn find_node() -> fbuild_core::Result<PathBuf> {
     let node = fbuild_core::platform::executable::name("node", "node.exe");
-    // Route through fbuild-core's `run_command` so the probe spawn is
-    // captured by the daemon's containment group (issue #32). The probe
-    // is short-lived (`node --version`) but a missing binary should
-    // still bubble up the same way.
-    //
-    // FastLED/fbuild#844: explicit 5 s timeout. `node --version` is a
-    // sub-100ms operation on every supported host — anything longer is a
-    // wedged process node and we want to fall through to the
-    // "not found" error path quickly so the user sees the install
-    // hint instead of a stalled emulator launch.
-    match fbuild_core::subprocess::run_command(
-        &[node, "--version"],
+    // nodejs-wheel exposes a Python launcher on PATH. Spawning that launcher
+    // for emulation means Child::kill stops Python while native Node retains
+    // the output pipes. Ask Node for its own executable so the runner owns
+    // the emulator process directly (#1694). Keep discovery bounded and
+    // contained through the existing subprocess boundary (#32, #844).
+    let executable = match fbuild_core::subprocess::run_command(
+        &[node, "--print", "process.execPath"],
         None,
         None,
         Some(std::time::Duration::from_secs(5)),
     )
     .await
     {
-        Ok(output) if output.success() => Ok(PathBuf::from(node)),
-        _ => Err(fbuild_core::FbuildError::DeployFailed(
+        Ok(output) if output.success() => PathBuf::from(output.stdout.trim()),
+        _ => return Err(fbuild_core::FbuildError::DeployFailed(
             "Node.js is required for headless avr8js emulation but 'node' was not found on PATH. \
              Install Node.js 18+ from https://nodejs.org/"
                 .to_string(),
         )),
+    };
+    if !executable.is_absolute() {
+        return Err(fbuild_core::FbuildError::DeployFailed(format!(
+            "Node.js returned an invalid executable path: {}",
+            executable.display()
+        )));
     }
+    Ok(executable)
 }
 
 /// Env-var that forces `ensure_avr8js_npm` to wipe and reinstall the cache
diff --git a/crates/fbuild-daemon/src/handlers/emulator/tests_npm_cache.rs b/crates/fbuild-daemon/src/handlers/emulator/tests_npm_cache.rs
index f34061e64..bc71322b2 100644
--- a/crates/fbuild-daemon/src/handlers/emulator/tests_npm_cache.rs
+++ b/crates/fbuild-daemon/src/handlers/emulator/tests_npm_cache.rs
@@ -23,6 +23,84 @@ async fn env_lock() -> tokio::sync::MutexGuard<'static, ()> {
     LOCK.get_or_init(|| Mutex::new(())).lock().await
 }
 
+#[tokio::test]
+#[ignore = "requires Node.js on PATH; run under nodejs-wheel's uv environment for launcher regression"]
+async fn node_discovery_returns_native_executable() {
+    let _guard = env_lock().await;
+    let node = super::avr8js_npm::find_node().await.unwrap();
+    assert!(
+        node.is_absolute(),
+        "must resolve the native executable, not a PATH launcher"
+    );
+    let output = fbuild_core::subprocess::run_command(
+        &[node.to_str().unwrap(), "--print", "process.execPath"],
+        None,
+        None,
+        Some(std::time::Duration::from_secs(5)),
+    )
+    .await
+    .unwrap();
+    assert!(output.success());
+    assert_eq!(node.as_path(), std::path::Path::new(output.stdout.trim()));
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+#[ignore = "requires Node.js on PATH; exercises native process shutdown without npm or firmware"]
+async fn resolved_node_headless_shutdown() {
+    use super::avr8js_headless::{RunAvr8jsHeadlessOptions, run_avr8js_headless};
+    use crate::handlers::operations::MonitorOutcome;
+
+    let _guard = env_lock().await;
+    let node = super::avr8js_npm::find_node().await.unwrap();
+    assert!(node.is_absolute());
+    let temp = tempfile::tempdir_in(fbuild_paths::temp_subdir("daemon-tests")).unwrap();
+    let cache = temp.path();
+    let module = cache.join("node_modules/avr8js");
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(&module).unwrap();
+    std::fs::write(module.join("package.json"), "{}").unwrap();
+    let script = cache.join("headless.mjs");
+    let hex = cache.join("unused.hex");
+    std::fs::write(
+        &script,
+        "console.log('READY'); setInterval(() => {}, 1000);",
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+    for (success, error) in [(Some("READY"), None), (None, Some("READY")), (None, None)] {
+        let run = run_avr8js_headless(
+            &node,
+            &script,
+            &hex,
+            16_000_000,
+            cache,
+            RunAvr8jsHeadlessOptions {
+                timeout_secs: Some(if success.is_some() || error.is_some() {
+                    5.0
+                } else {
+                    1.0
+                }),
+                halt_on_error: error,
+                halt_on_success: success,
+                expect: None,
+                show_timestamp: false,
+                verbose: false,
+            },
+        );
+        let result = tokio::time::timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(10), run)
+            .await
+            .expect("native Node shutdown must finish")
+            .unwrap();
+        if success.is_some() {
+            assert!(matches!(result.outcome, MonitorOutcome::Success(_)));
+            assert!(result.stdout.contains("READY"));
+        } else if error.is_some() {
+            assert!(matches!(result.outcome, MonitorOutcome::Error(_)));
+            assert!(result.stdout.contains("READY"));
+        } else {
+            assert!(matches!(result.outcome, MonitorOutcome::Timeout { .. }));
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn avr8js_cache_is_intact_detects_missing_dir() {
     let tmp = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index c7a4b5e8d..81d51e520 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "fbuild"
-version = "2.5.42"
+version = "2.5.43"
 description = "PlatformIO-compatible embedded build tool (Rust implementation)"
 readme = "README.md"
 license = "AGPL-3.0-only"