diff --git a/src/application/Doctor.ts b/src/application/Doctor.ts
index 5316ef149..a0c3f0c95 100644
--- a/src/application/Doctor.ts
+++ b/src/application/Doctor.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ export interface DoctorHost {
   readonly configuredHopperPath?: string;
   macosVersion(): Promise<string | undefined>;
   readable(path: string): Promise<boolean>;
+  executable(path: string): Promise<boolean>;
   brewHopperPath(): Promise<string | undefined>;
   manualHopperPaths(): Promise<readonly string[]>;
 }
@@ -72,7 +73,7 @@ export const runDoctor = async (
   ].filter((value): value is string => value !== undefined);
   let hopperPath: string | undefined;
   for (const candidate of new Set(candidates))
-    if (await host.readable(candidate)) {
+    if (await host.executable(candidate)) {
       hopperPath = candidate;
       break;
     }
@@ -124,6 +125,14 @@ export const systemDoctorHost = (): DoctorHost => ({
       return false;
     }
   },
+  async executable(path) {
+    try {
+      await access(path, constants.X_OK);
+      return true;
+    } catch {
+      return false;
+    }
+  },
   async brewHopperPath() {
     return probeHomebrew(async (command) => {
       try {
diff --git a/tests/doctor.test.ts b/tests/doctor.test.ts
index bda405f74..9788e7dca 100644
--- a/tests/doctor.test.ts
+++ b/tests/doctor.test.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ const host = (overrides: Partial<DoctorHost> = {}): DoctorHost => ({
   nodeVersion: "22.1.0",
   macosVersion: () => Promise.resolve("12.0"),
   readable: (path) => Promise.resolve(path.includes("Hopper")),
+  executable: (path) => Promise.resolve(path.includes("Hopper")),
   brewHopperPath: () => Promise.resolve(undefined),
   manualHopperPaths: () => Promise.resolve([]),
   ...overrides,
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ describe("doctor", () => {
       undefined,
       host({
         configuredHopperPath: "/manual/Hopper",
-        readable: (path) => Promise.resolve(path === "/manual/Hopper"),
+        executable: (path) => Promise.resolve(path === "/manual/Hopper"),
       }),
     );
     expect(result.hopperPath).toBe("/manual/Hopper");
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ describe("doctor", () => {
     const result = await runDoctor(
       undefined,
       host({
-        readable: (candidate) => Promise.resolve(candidate === path),
+        executable: (candidate) => Promise.resolve(candidate === path),
         brewHopperPath: () => Promise.resolve(path),
       }),
     );
@@ -53,10 +54,24 @@ describe("doctor", () => {
     const result = await runDoctor(
       undefined,
       host({
-        readable: (candidate) => Promise.resolve(candidate === path),
+        executable: (candidate) => Promise.resolve(candidate === path),
         manualHopperPaths: () => Promise.resolve([path]),
       }),
     );
     expect(result.hopperPath).toBe(path);
   });
+
+  it("rejects a readable Hopper launcher without execute permission", async () => {
+    const path = "/manual/Hopper";
+    const result = await runDoctor(
+      undefined,
+      host({
+        configuredHopperPath: path,
+        readable: () => Promise.resolve(true),
+        executable: () => Promise.resolve(false),
+      }),
+    );
+    expect(result.hopperPath).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(result.checks.find(({ name }) => name === "hopper")?.ok).toBe(false);
+  });
 });