diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 3726c45e..77186559 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         node-version: ['lts/-1', 'lts/*', 'latest']
-        os: [macos-latest, ubuntu-latest, ubuntu-24.04-arm, windows-latest]
+        os: [macos-latest, ubuntu-latest, ubuntu-24.04-arm, windows-latest, windows-2022]
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v7
@@ -21,8 +21,17 @@ jobs:
         with:
           node-version: ${{ matrix.node-version }}
       - run: npm ci
+      - name: Upgrade node-gyp if it cannot detect the installed Visual Studio
+        if: runner.os == 'Windows'
+        run: npm run upgrade-node-gyp
       - run: npm audit || true
       - run: npm run lint
       # - run: npm run update-crosswalk  # To support newer versions of Node.js
       - run: npm run build --if-present
+      - name: DEBUG which node-gyp the tests will use
+        if: runner.os == 'Windows'
+        run: |
+          node -p "'npm_config_node_gyp=' + process.env.npm_config_node_gyp"
+          node -p "require('fs').existsSync(process.env.npm_config_node_gyp || '')"
+          node -p "require('./lib/util/compile.js').which_node_gyp()"
       - run: npm test
diff --git a/.github/workflows/s3-bucket.yml b/.github/workflows/s3-bucket.yml
index d77cba5f..8948d938 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/s3-bucket.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/s3-bucket.yml
@@ -12,27 +12,31 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        os: [ubuntu-latest, macos-latest, windows-latest]
+        os: [ubuntu-latest, macos-latest, windows-latest, windows-2022]
         node-version: ['lts/-1', 'lts/*', 'latest']
     env:
       AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID: ${{ secrets.AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID }}
       AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY: ${{ secrets.AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY }}
       S3_BUCKET: ${{ secrets.S3_BUCKET }}
 
-    name: Test S3 Bucket - Node ${{ matrix.node }} on ${{ matrix.os }}
+    name: Test S3 Bucket - Node ${{ matrix.node-version }} on ${{ matrix.os }}
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout ${{ github.ref }}
         uses: actions/checkout@v7
 
-      - name: Setup node ${{ matrix.node }}
+      - name: Setup node ${{ matrix.node-version }}
         uses: actions/setup-node@v7
         with:
-          node-version: ${{ matrix.node }}
+          node-version: ${{ matrix.node-version }}
 
       - name: NPM Install
         run: npm install
 
+      - name: Upgrade node-gyp if it cannot detect the installed Visual Studio
+        if: runner.os == 'Windows'
+        run: npm run upgrade-node-gyp
+
       - name: Show Environment Info
         run: |
           printenv
diff --git a/lib/util/compile.js b/lib/util/compile.js
index c60455aa..fa3c0bbf 100644
--- a/lib/util/compile.js
+++ b/lib/util/compile.js
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ function which_node_gyp() {
   }
 }
 
+module.exports.which_node_gyp = which_node_gyp;
+
 module.exports.run_gyp = function(args, opts, callback) {
   let shell_cmd = '';
   const cmd_args = [];
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 73f3cdf6..d1981828 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
     "lint": "eslint bin/node-pre-gyp lib/*js lib/util/*js test/*js scripts/*js",
     "fix": "npm run lint -- --fix",
     "update-crosswalk": "node scripts/abi_crosswalk.js",
+    "upgrade-node-gyp": "node scripts/upgrade-node-gyp.js",
     "test": "tape test/*test.js",
     "test:s3": "tape test/s3.test.js",
     "bucket": "node scripts/set-bucket.js"
diff --git a/scripts/upgrade-node-gyp.js b/scripts/upgrade-node-gyp.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2b5eb02a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/upgrade-node-gyp.js
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+'use strict';
+
+// script upgrades node-gyp when the bundled copy is too old to detect the installed Visual Studio. node-gyp
+// recognises Visual Studio 2026 (major version 18) only from v12 onwards, so older copies fail to configure on runner
+// images shipping it.
+
+const cp = require('child_process');
+const fs = require('fs');
+const path = require('path');
+const compile = require('../lib/util/compile.js');
+
+const MINIMUM_MAJOR = 12;
+const INSTALL_VERSION = '13.0.2';
+
+const node_gyp_bin = compile.which_node_gyp();
+if (!node_gyp_bin) {
+  console.log('could not locate node-gyp; leaving it alone');
+  process.exit(0);
+}
+
+const { version } = require(path.join(node_gyp_bin, '../../package.json'));
+console.log(`found node-gyp@${version} at ${node_gyp_bin}`);
+
+if (parseInt(version, 10) >= MINIMUM_MAJOR) {
+  console.log(`node-gyp@${version} detects Visual Studio 2026; nothing to do`);
+  process.exit(0);
+}
+
+console.log(`node-gyp@${version} predates v${MINIMUM_MAJOR}; installing node-gyp@${INSTALL_VERSION}`);
+cp.execFileSync('npm', ['install', '--no-save', `node-gyp@${INSTALL_VERSION}`], { stdio: 'inherit', shell: true });
+
+const upgraded = path.join(__dirname, '../node_modules/node-gyp/bin/node-gyp.js');
+if (!fs.existsSync(upgraded)) {
+  throw new Error(`expected the upgraded node-gyp at ${upgraded}, but it is not there`);
+}
+console.log(`using node-gyp at ${upgraded}`);
+
+// export for later GitHub workflow steps, which npm would otherwise point back at its own bundled copy
+if (process.env.GITHUB_ENV) {
+  fs.appendFileSync(process.env.GITHUB_ENV, `npm_config_node_gyp=${upgraded}\n`);
+}
diff --git a/test/run.util.js b/test/run.util.js
index 55e50b13..fc03affa 100644
--- a/test/run.util.js
+++ b/test/run.util.js
@@ -58,11 +58,6 @@ function run(prog, command, args, app, opts, cb) {
     opts.cwd = path.join(__dirname, app.name);
   }
 
-  // Test building with msvs 2022
-  if (process.platform === 'win32') {
-    final_cmd += ' --msvs_version=2022 ';
-  }
-
   // finish appending all arguments
   final_cmd += ' ' + app.args;
   final_cmd += ' ' + args;