diff --git a/.github/workflows/bazel.yml b/.github/workflows/bazel.yml
index 4e2e4eeb38..d98bd4f874 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/bazel.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/bazel.yml
@@ -340,7 +340,12 @@ jobs:
           # Rust debug assertions explicitly.
           bazel_wrapper_args=()
           if [[ "${RUNNER_OS}" == "Windows" ]]; then
-            bazel_wrapper_args+=(--windows-msvc-host-platform)
+            # This is build-only signal, so use the same Linux-RBE
+            # cross-compile path as the fast Windows test and clippy jobs.
+            # Fork/community PRs without the BuildBuddy secret fall back
+            # inside `run-bazel-ci.sh` to the previous local Windows MSVC
+            # host-platform shape.
+            bazel_wrapper_args+=(--windows-cross-compile)
           fi
 
           bazel_build_args=(