diff --git a/harbor/logbook_auto.py b/harbor/logbook_auto.py
index 00d1c33..92c3124 100644
--- a/harbor/logbook_auto.py
+++ b/harbor/logbook_auto.py
@@ -84,6 +84,10 @@ def rebuild_stats(project, repo, stats_repo, head):
     tools = Path(stats_repo) / "tools" / "progress"
     # its own data dir: the agents' compiles hold the shared decomp-build\pirates.h open
     env = dict(os.environ, OPENSEAS_DATA=os.environ.get("HARBOR_LOGBOOK_DATA", r"R:\Workspace\Data\openseas-logbook"))
+    # the readable build finds the compiler through vswhere, which a server started without a shell's PATH lacks
+    installer = r"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\Installer"
+    if os.path.isdir(installer) and installer.lower() not in env.get("PATH", "").lower():
+        env["PATH"] = installer + os.pathsep + env.get("PATH", "")
     run = lambda *argv: subprocess.run([sys.executable, "-B", *map(str, argv)], cwd=str(stats_repo), env=env,
                                        capture_output=True, text=True, encoding="utf-8", errors="replace", timeout=900)
     sync = run(tools / "sync_decomp.py", "--decomp", repo)