--- a/src/core.c/CompUnit/Repository/Installation.rakumod
+++ b/src/core.c/CompUnit/Repository/Installation.rakumod
@@ -848,6 +848,10 @@
                 my $val = $1.Str;
                 given $op {
                     when "plain" | "plat-sep" {
+                        # use rakudo from our store path and avoid PATH lookups
+                        if $val ~~ / ^ "rakudo" / {
+                            return '"@out@/bin/' ~ sh-escape($val) ~ '"';
+                        }
                         return '"' ~ sh-escape($val) ~ '"';
                     }
                     when "cmd-args" {