diff --git a/docs/installation.md b/docs/installation.md
index 2f8a0444f7..1bc6ed83b3 100644
--- a/docs/installation.md
+++ b/docs/installation.md
@@ -996,7 +996,10 @@ selected formula's `libexec/openjdk.jdk/Contents/Home`, for example
 `/opt/homebrew/opt/openjdk/libexec/openjdk.jdk/Contents/Home` or
 `/usr/local/opt/openjdk/libexec/openjdk.jdk/Contents/Home`. Use a JDK inside the
 Java version bounds declared by your Ghidra installation; REA does not select
-another installed JDK automatically. Doctor distinguishes an absent Java
+another JDK when `JAVA_HOME` is explicit or the PATH JVM runs. On macOS,
+when the PATH launcher cannot start a JVM, it tries executable Homebrew
+`opt/openjdk` candidates, preferring the host architecture's prefix. Failed
+discovery probes remain available in installation diagnostics. Doctor distinguishes an absent Java
 command from a command that runs and fails, and retains bounded probe output
 and any parsed properties when the selected runtime cannot be admitted.
 
diff --git a/src/ghidra/GhidraInstallation.test.ts b/src/ghidra/GhidraInstallation.test.ts
index d508f845ee..1735404b07 100644
--- a/src/ghidra/GhidraInstallation.test.ts
+++ b/src/ghidra/GhidraInstallation.test.ts
@@ -1774,6 +1774,69 @@ it.each([
   },
 );
 
+it.each([
+  "PATH succeeds",
+  "keg succeeds",
+  "both fail",
+  "explicit home",
+] as const)(
+  "discovers a keg-only JDK after a failed PATH launcher: %s",
+  async (scenario) => {
+    const commands: string[] = [];
+    const keg =
+      "/opt/homebrew/opt/openjdk/libexec/openjdk.jdk/Contents/Home/bin/java";
+    const selectedHome =
+      scenario === "explicit home" ? "/selected-jdk" : undefined;
+    const inspection = await inspectGhidraInstallation(
+      {
+        resourceOwner: inspectionResources.owner,
+        environment: { PATH: "/usr/bin" },
+        installDir: INSTALL,
+        platform: "darwin",
+        architecture: "arm64",
+        ...(selectedHome === undefined ? {} : { javaHome: selectedHome }),
+      },
+      host({
+        executable: (candidate) =>
+          candidate === "/usr/bin/java" ||
+          candidate === keg ||
+          host().executable(candidate),
+        probeJava: (command) => {
+          commands.push(command);
+          return scenario === "PATH succeeds" ||
+            (scenario === "keg succeeds" && command === keg)
+            ? javaProbeOk({ ...JAVA, osArch: "aarch64", osName: "Mac OS X" })
+            : missingJavaProbe;
+        },
+      }),
+    );
+    expect(commands).toEqual(
+      scenario === "explicit home"
+        ? ["/selected-jdk/bin/java"]
+        : scenario === "PATH succeeds"
+          ? ["java"]
+          : ["java", keg],
+    );
+    expect(inspection.status).toBe(
+      scenario === "PATH succeeds" || scenario === "keg succeeds"
+        ? "available"
+        : "unavailable",
+    );
+    if (scenario === "keg succeeds" || scenario === "both fail") {
+      expect(ghidraInstallationDiagnostics(inspection)).toMatchObject({
+        java_discovery_failures: expect.arrayContaining([
+          {
+            command: "java",
+            code: "runtime_missing",
+            detail: expect.any(String),
+          },
+        ]),
+      });
+    }
+    if (scenario === "both fail") expect(inspection.javaCommand).toBe("java");
+  },
+);
+
 it.each([
   ["darwin", undefined, "/selected-bin/java", "java"],
   ["darwin", "/selected-jdk", undefined, "/selected-jdk/bin/java"],
diff --git a/src/ghidra/GhidraInstallation.ts b/src/ghidra/GhidraInstallation.ts
index aeb576a672..8aeb2172ab 100644
--- a/src/ghidra/GhidraInstallation.ts
+++ b/src/ghidra/GhidraInstallation.ts
@@ -201,6 +201,10 @@ interface GhidraInstallationObservation {
   readonly configurationDirectoryName: string | null;
   readonly nativeDecompilerPath: string | null;
   readonly nativeDecompilerHeaderFailure?: AnalysisError;
+  readonly javaDiscoveryFailures?: readonly {
+    readonly command: string;
+    readonly failure: GhidraJavaProbeFailure;
+  }[];
   readonly javaCommand: string;
   readonly javaProbeFailure?: GhidraJavaProbeFailure;
   /** Observed java.vm.name; omitted when the probe cannot establish VM identity. */
@@ -305,6 +309,10 @@ interface GhidraInstallationCoordinates {
     AnalysisError
   >;
   readonly properties: GhidraApplicationProperties | undefined;
+  readonly javaDiscoveryFailures?: readonly {
+    readonly command: string;
+    readonly failure: GhidraJavaProbeFailure;
+  }[];
   readonly javaCommand: string;
   readonly java: GhidraJavaObservation | undefined;
   readonly javaProbeFailure: GhidraJavaProbeFailure | undefined;
@@ -361,6 +369,9 @@ export const inspectGhidraInstallation = async (
           nativeDecompilerHeaderFailure:
             coordinates.nativeDecompilerHeader.error,
         }),
+    ...(coordinates.javaDiscoveryFailures === undefined
+      ? {}
+      : { javaDiscoveryFailures: coordinates.javaDiscoveryFailures }),
     javaCommand: coordinates.javaCommand,
     ...(coordinates.javaProbeFailure === undefined
       ? {}
@@ -502,7 +513,19 @@ const installationCoordinates = async (
       nativeDecompilerHeader.error.cleanupIncomplete)
   )
     throw nativeDecompilerHeader.error;
-  const javaCommand = (() => {
+  const homebrewJavaCandidates = () =>
+    (architecture === "arm64"
+      ? ["/opt/homebrew", "/usr/local"]
+      : ["/usr/local", "/opt/homebrew"]
+    )
+      .map((prefix) =>
+        path.join(
+          prefix,
+          "opt/openjdk/libexec/openjdk.jdk/Contents/Home/bin/java",
+        ),
+      )
+      .filter((candidate) => host.executable(candidate));
+  let javaCommand = (() => {
     if (options.javaHome !== undefined)
       return path.join(
         options.javaHome,
@@ -518,26 +541,12 @@ const installationCoordinates = async (
         host.executable(path.join(directory, "java")),
     );
     if (javaOnPath) return "java";
-    // Prefer the Homebrew prefix matching the process architecture.
-    const prefixes =
-      architecture === "arm64"
-        ? ["/opt/homebrew", "/usr/local"]
-        : ["/usr/local", "/opt/homebrew"];
-    return (
-      prefixes
-        .map((prefix) =>
-          path.join(
-            prefix,
-            "opt/openjdk/libexec/openjdk.jdk/Contents/Home/bin/java",
-          ),
-        )
-        .find((candidate) => host.executable(candidate)) ?? "java"
-    );
+    return homebrewJavaCandidates()[0] ?? "java";
   })();
   // Java is a prerequisite of a selected installation. Without one, or with a
   // relative JAVA_HOME, configuration validation refuses Ghidra before Java can
   // matter, so callers such as setup and doctor must not execute a host JVM.
-  const javaProbe =
+  let javaProbe =
     installDir !== null &&
     (options.javaHome === undefined || path.isAbsolute(options.javaHome))
       ? await host.probeJava(
@@ -559,6 +568,55 @@ const installationCoordinates = async (
     javaProbe.error instanceof AnalysisError
   )
     throw javaProbe.error;
+  const javaDiscoveryFailures: {
+    command: string;
+    failure: GhidraJavaProbeFailure;
+  }[] = [];
+  if (
+    platform === "darwin" &&
+    options.javaHome === undefined &&
+    javaCommand === "java" &&
+    javaProbe !== undefined &&
+    !javaProbe.ok &&
+    !(javaProbe.error instanceof AnalysisError) &&
+    javaProbe.error.code !== "version_unresolved" &&
+    javaProbe.error.cancellation === undefined &&
+    !options.signal?.aborted
+  ) {
+    javaDiscoveryFailures.push({
+      command: javaCommand,
+      failure: javaProbe.error,
+    });
+    for (const candidate of homebrewJavaCandidates()) {
+      const fallback = await host.probeJava(
+        candidate,
+        ghidraJavaEnvironment(undefined, options.environment, platform),
+        {
+          resourceOwner: options.resourceOwner,
+          ...(options.signal === undefined ? {} : { signal: options.signal }),
+        },
+      );
+      if (!fallback.ok && fallback.error instanceof AnalysisError)
+        throw fallback.error;
+      if (fallback.ok) {
+        javaCommand = candidate;
+        javaProbe = fallback;
+        break;
+      }
+      javaDiscoveryFailures.push({
+        command: candidate,
+        failure: fallback.error,
+      });
+      if (
+        fallback.error.cancellation !== undefined ||
+        options.signal?.aborted
+      ) {
+        javaCommand = candidate;
+        javaProbe = fallback;
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+  }
   return {
     installDir,
     applicationPropertiesPath,
@@ -569,6 +627,7 @@ const installationCoordinates = async (
       properties === undefined
         ? undefined
         : ghidraApplicationProperties(properties),
+    ...(javaDiscoveryFailures.length === 0 ? {} : { javaDiscoveryFailures }),
     javaCommand,
     java: javaProbe?.ok === true ? javaProbe.value : undefined,
     javaProbeFailure:
@@ -709,6 +768,26 @@ export const ghidraInstallationDiagnostics = (
             : { output: { ...inspection.javaProbeFailure.output } }),
         },
       }),
+  ...(inspection.javaDiscoveryFailures === undefined
+    ? {}
+    : {
+        java_discovery_failures: inspection.javaDiscoveryFailures.map(
+          ({ command, failure }) => ({
+            command,
+            code: failure.code,
+            detail: failure.detail,
+            ...(failure.output === undefined
+              ? {}
+              : { output: { ...failure.output } }),
+            ...(failure.properties === undefined
+              ? {}
+              : { properties: { ...failure.properties } }),
+            ...(failure.cancellation === undefined
+              ? {}
+              : { cancellation_observed: true }),
+          }),
+        ),
+      }),
   java_home: inspection.javaHome,
   java_version: inspection.javaVersion,
   java_vm_name: inspection.javaVmName ?? null,