diff --git a/.github/scripts/rusty_v8_bazel.py b/.github/scripts/rusty_v8_bazel.py
index 5ad6d3c408..712c2e3004 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/rusty_v8_bazel.py
+++ b/.github/scripts/rusty_v8_bazel.py
@@ -202,14 +202,51 @@ def single_bazel_output_file(
     return outputs[0]
 
 
+def host_runnable_bazel_output_file(
+    platform: str,
+    label: str,
+    compilation_mode: str = "fastbuild",
+    bazel_configs: list[str] | None = None,
+) -> Path:
+    outputs = ensure_bazel_output_files(platform, [label], compilation_mode, bazel_configs)
+    if len(outputs) == 1:
+        return outputs[0]
+
+    runnable_outputs = []
+    for output in outputs:
+        try:
+            result = subprocess.run(
+                [str(output), "--version"],
+                cwd=ROOT,
+                capture_output=True,
+                text=True,
+            )
+        except OSError:
+            continue
+        if result.returncode == 0:
+            runnable_outputs.append(output)
+
+    if len(runnable_outputs) != 1:
+        raise SystemExit(
+            f"expected exactly one host-runnable output for {label}, "
+            f"found {runnable_outputs} from {outputs}"
+        )
+    return runnable_outputs[0]
+
+
 def merged_musl_archive(
     platform: str,
     lib_path: Path,
     compilation_mode: str = "fastbuild",
     bazel_configs: list[str] | None = None,
 ) -> Path:
-    llvm_ar = single_bazel_output_file(platform, LLVM_AR_LABEL, compilation_mode, bazel_configs)
-    llvm_ranlib = single_bazel_output_file(
+    llvm_ar = host_runnable_bazel_output_file(
+        platform,
+        LLVM_AR_LABEL,
+        compilation_mode,
+        bazel_configs,
+    )
+    llvm_ranlib = host_runnable_bazel_output_file(
         platform,
         LLVM_RANLIB_LABEL,
         compilation_mode,
diff --git a/.github/scripts/test_rusty_v8_bazel.py b/.github/scripts/test_rusty_v8_bazel.py
index e86e82e8b2..95c3eac157 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/test_rusty_v8_bazel.py
+++ b/.github/scripts/test_rusty_v8_bazel.py
@@ -4,11 +4,64 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 import textwrap
 import unittest
+from pathlib import Path
+from unittest.mock import Mock
+from unittest.mock import patch
 
+import rusty_v8_bazel
 import rusty_v8_module_bazel
 
 
 class RustyV8BazelTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    @patch("rusty_v8_bazel.ensure_bazel_output_files")
+    @patch("rusty_v8_bazel.subprocess.run")
+    def test_host_runnable_bazel_output_file_selects_runnable_candidate(
+        self,
+        run: Mock,
+        ensure_outputs: Mock,
+    ) -> None:
+        amd64_tool = Path("/tmp/llvm-amd64/bin/llvm-ar")
+        arm64_tool = Path("/tmp/llvm-arm64/bin/llvm-ar")
+        ensure_outputs.return_value = [amd64_tool, arm64_tool]
+        run.side_effect = [
+            OSError("Exec format error"),
+            Mock(returncode=0),
+        ]
+
+        self.assertEqual(
+            arm64_tool,
+            rusty_v8_bazel.host_runnable_bazel_output_file(
+                "linux_arm64_musl",
+                "@llvm//tools:llvm-ar",
+                "opt",
+            ),
+        )
+
+    @patch("rusty_v8_bazel.ensure_bazel_output_files")
+    @patch("rusty_v8_bazel.subprocess.run")
+    def test_host_runnable_bazel_output_file_rejects_ambiguous_candidates(
+        self,
+        run: Mock,
+        ensure_outputs: Mock,
+    ) -> None:
+        amd64_tool = Path("/tmp/llvm-amd64/bin/llvm-ar")
+        arm64_tool = Path("/tmp/llvm-arm64/bin/llvm-ar")
+        ensure_outputs.return_value = [amd64_tool, arm64_tool]
+        run.side_effect = [
+            Mock(returncode=0),
+            Mock(returncode=0),
+        ]
+
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(
+            SystemExit,
+            "expected exactly one host-runnable output",
+        ):
+            rusty_v8_bazel.host_runnable_bazel_output_file(
+                "linux_arm64_musl",
+                "@llvm//tools:llvm-ar",
+                "opt",
+            )
+
     def test_update_module_bazel_replaces_and_inserts_sha256(self) -> None:
         module_bazel = textwrap.dedent(
             """\