diff --git a/src/browser/chrome.test.ts b/src/browser/chrome.test.ts
index 5fbeae69f..0e7ec8450 100644
--- a/src/browser/chrome.test.ts
+++ b/src/browser/chrome.test.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import {
   findChromeExecutableMac,
   findChromeExecutableWindows,
   isChromeReachable,
+  resolveBrowserExecutableForPlatform,
   stopClawdChrome,
 } from "./chrome.js";
 import {
@@ -185,6 +186,29 @@ describe("browser chrome helpers", () => {
     exists.mockRestore();
   });
 
+  it("resolves Windows executables without LOCALAPPDATA", () => {
+    vi.stubEnv("LOCALAPPDATA", "");
+    vi.stubEnv("ProgramFiles", "C:\\Program Files");
+    vi.stubEnv("ProgramFiles(x86)", "C:\\Program Files (x86)");
+    const marker = path.win32.join(
+      "Program Files",
+      "Google",
+      "Chrome",
+      "Application",
+      "chrome.exe",
+    );
+    const exists = vi
+      .spyOn(fs, "existsSync")
+      .mockImplementation((p) => String(p).includes(marker));
+    const exe = resolveBrowserExecutableForPlatform(
+      {} as Parameters<typeof resolveBrowserExecutableForPlatform>[0],
+      "win32",
+    );
+    expect(exe?.kind).toBe("chrome");
+    expect(exe?.path).toMatch(/chrome\.exe$/);
+    exists.mockRestore();
+  });
+
   it("reports reachability based on /json/version", async () => {
     vi.stubGlobal(
       "fetch",
diff --git a/src/browser/chrome.ts b/src/browser/chrome.ts
index f8bf48eb2..b1398f648 100644
--- a/src/browser/chrome.ts
+++ b/src/browser/chrome.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,16 @@ function exists(filePath: string) {
   }
 }
 
+function findFirstExecutable(
+  candidates: Array<BrowserExecutable>,
+): BrowserExecutable | null {
+  for (const candidate of candidates) {
+    if (exists(candidate.path)) return candidate;
+  }
+
+  return null;
+}
+
 export function findChromeExecutableMac(): BrowserExecutable | null {
   const candidates: Array<BrowserExecutable> = [
     {
@@ -78,11 +88,7 @@ export function findChromeExecutableMac(): BrowserExecutable | null {
     },
   ];
 
-  for (const candidate of candidates) {
-    if (exists(candidate.path)) return candidate;
-  }
-
-  return null;
+  return findFirstExecutable(candidates);
 }
 
 export function findChromeExecutableLinux(): BrowserExecutable | null {
@@ -95,11 +101,7 @@ export function findChromeExecutableLinux(): BrowserExecutable | null {
     { kind: "chrome", path: "/usr/bin/chrome" },
   ];
 
-  for (const candidate of candidates) {
-    if (exists(candidate.path)) return candidate;
-  }
-
-  return null;
+  return findFirstExecutable(candidates);
 }
 
 export function findChromeExecutableWindows(): BrowserExecutable | null {
@@ -165,15 +167,12 @@ export function findChromeExecutableWindows(): BrowserExecutable | null {
     ),
   });
 
-  for (const candidate of candidates) {
-    if (exists(candidate.path)) return candidate;
-  }
-
-  return null;
+  return findFirstExecutable(candidates);
 }
 
-function resolveBrowserExecutable(
+export function resolveBrowserExecutableForPlatform(
   resolved: ResolvedBrowserConfig,
+  platform: NodeJS.Platform,
 ): BrowserExecutable | null {
   if (resolved.executablePath) {
     if (!exists(resolved.executablePath)) {
@@ -184,12 +183,18 @@ function resolveBrowserExecutable(
     return { kind: "custom", path: resolved.executablePath };
   }
 
-  if (process.platform === "darwin") return findChromeExecutableMac();
-  if (process.platform === "linux") return findChromeExecutableLinux();
-  if (process.platform === "win32") return findChromeExecutableWindows();
+  if (platform === "darwin") return findChromeExecutableMac();
+  if (platform === "linux") return findChromeExecutableLinux();
+  if (platform === "win32") return findChromeExecutableWindows();
   return null;
 }
 
+function resolveBrowserExecutable(
+  resolved: ResolvedBrowserConfig,
+): BrowserExecutable | null {
+  return resolveBrowserExecutableForPlatform(resolved, process.platform);
+}
+
 export function resolveClawdUserDataDir(
   profileName = DEFAULT_CLAWD_BROWSER_PROFILE_NAME,
 ) {