diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.main.kts b/.github/workflows/test.main.kts
index 7ad32ef8..09ccae62 100755
--- a/.github/workflows/test.main.kts
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.main.kts
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ import kotlin.math.min
 val environments = listOf(
     "windows-2019",
     "windows-2022",
+    "windows-2025",
     "windows-latest"
 )
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yaml b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
index 7742c65a..d7e22c14 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ jobs:
         environment:
         - 'windows-2019'
         - 'windows-2022'
+        - 'windows-2025'
         - 'windows-latest'
         distribution:
         - user-id: 'invalid'
@@ -127,6 +128,7 @@ jobs:
         environment:
         - 'windows-2019'
         - 'windows-2022'
+        - 'windows-2025'
         - 'windows-latest'
         wsl-version:
         - '-1'
@@ -167,6 +169,7 @@ jobs:
         environment:
         - 'windows-2019'
         - 'windows-2022'
+        - 'windows-2025'
         - 'windows-latest'
         distribution:
         - wsl-id: 'Debian'
@@ -372,6 +375,7 @@ jobs:
         environment:
         - 'windows-2019'
         - 'windows-2022'
+        - 'windows-2025'
         - 'windows-latest'
         distribution:
         - wsl-id: 'Debian'
@@ -936,6 +940,7 @@ jobs:
         environment:
         - 'windows-2019'
         - 'windows-2022'
+        - 'windows-2025'
         - 'windows-latest'
         distribution:
         - wsl-id: 'Debian'
@@ -1045,6 +1050,7 @@ jobs:
         environment:
         - 'windows-2019'
         - 'windows-2022'
+        - 'windows-2025'
         - 'windows-latest'
         distribution:
         - wsl-id: 'Debian'
@@ -1190,6 +1196,7 @@ jobs:
         environment:
         - 'windows-2019'
         - 'windows-2022'
+        - 'windows-2025'
         - 'windows-latest'
         distribution:
         - wsl-id: 'Debian'
@@ -1326,6 +1333,7 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         environment:
         - 'windows-2022'
+        - 'windows-2025'
         - 'windows-latest'
         distribution:
         - wsl-id: 'Debian'
@@ -1407,6 +1415,7 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         environment:
         - 'windows-2022'
+        - 'windows-2025'
         - 'windows-latest'
     steps:
     - id: 'step-0'
@@ -1457,6 +1466,7 @@ jobs:
         environment:
         - 'windows-2019'
         - 'windows-2022'
+        - 'windows-2025'
         - 'windows-latest'
         distribution:
         - wsl-id: 'Debian'
@@ -1538,6 +1548,7 @@ jobs:
         environment:
         - 'windows-2019'
         - 'windows-2022'
+        - 'windows-2025'
         - 'windows-latest'
         distributions:
         - distribution1:
@@ -1694,6 +1705,7 @@ jobs:
         environment:
         - 'windows-2019'
         - 'windows-2022'
+        - 'windows-2025'
         - 'windows-latest'
         distribution:
         - wsl-id: 'Debian'
@@ -1760,6 +1772,17 @@ jobs:
             user-id: 'Debian'
             match-pattern: '*Debian*'
             default-absent-tool: 'dos2unix'
+        - environment: 'windows-2025'
+          distribution:
+            wsl-id: 'Debian'
+            user-id: 'Debian'
+            match-pattern: '*Debian*'
+            default-absent-tool: 'dos2unix'
+          distribution2:
+            wsl-id: 'Debian'
+            user-id: 'Debian'
+            match-pattern: '*Debian*'
+            default-absent-tool: 'dos2unix'
         - environment: 'windows-latest'
           distribution:
             wsl-id: 'Debian'
@@ -1794,6 +1817,17 @@ jobs:
             user-id: 'Ubuntu-20.04'
             match-pattern: '*Ubuntu*20.04*'
             default-absent-tool: 'dos2unix'
+        - environment: 'windows-2025'
+          distribution:
+            wsl-id: 'Debian'
+            user-id: 'Debian'
+            match-pattern: '*Debian*'
+            default-absent-tool: 'dos2unix'
+          distribution2:
+            wsl-id: 'Ubuntu'
+            user-id: 'Ubuntu-20.04'
+            match-pattern: '*Ubuntu*20.04*'
+            default-absent-tool: 'dos2unix'
         - environment: 'windows-latest'
           distribution:
             wsl-id: 'Debian'
@@ -1981,6 +2015,7 @@ jobs:
         environment:
         - 'windows-2019'
         - 'windows-2022'
+        - 'windows-2025'
         - 'windows-latest'
         distributions:
         - incompatibleUbuntu: 'Ubuntu-22.04'
diff --git a/src/jsMain/kotlin/net/kautler/github/action/setup_wsl/SetupWsl.kt b/src/jsMain/kotlin/net/kautler/github/action/setup_wsl/SetupWsl.kt
index b89a785d..0ee6ef15 100644
--- a/src/jsMain/kotlin/net/kautler/github/action/setup_wsl/SetupWsl.kt
+++ b/src/jsMain/kotlin/net/kautler/github/action/setup_wsl/SetupWsl.kt
@@ -101,10 +101,6 @@ val wslHelp = GlobalScope.async(start = LAZY) {
     wslOutput("--help")
 }
 
-val wslStatus = GlobalScope.async(start = LAZY) {
-    wslOutput("--status")
-}
-
 val distribution by lazy {
     val distributionId = getInput("distribution", InputOptions(required = true))
 
@@ -371,22 +367,45 @@ suspend fun verifyWindowsEnvironment() {
 }
 
 suspend fun installDistribution() {
+    // on windows-2025 WSL is not installed at all currently, so install it without distribution
+    // work-around for https://github.com/actions/runner-images/issues/11265
+    if (wslOutput("--status").contains("is not installed")) {
+        retry(5) {
+            exec(
+                commandLine = "wsl",
+                args = arrayOf("--status"),
+                options = ExecOptions(ignoreReturnCode = true)
+            )
+            exec(
+                commandLine = "wsl",
+                args = arrayOf("--help"),
+                options = ExecOptions(ignoreReturnCode = true)
+            )
+            // do not use executeWslCommand() here as `wsl --help` does not yet work
+            exec(
+                commandLine = "wsl",
+                args = arrayOf("--install", "--no-distribution"),
+                options = ExecOptions(ignoreReturnCode = true)
+            ).also { check(it != 0) }
+            exec(
+                commandLine = "wsl",
+                args = arrayOf("--install", "--no-distribution"),
+                options = ExecOptions(ignoreReturnCode = true, input = Buffer.from(""))
+            ).also { check(it != 0) }
+        }
+        waitForWslStatusNotContaining(" ", 5u)
+    }
+
     executeWslCommand(
         wslArguments = arrayOf("--set-default-version", "${wslVersion()}")
     )
     if (wslVersion() != 1u) {
-        retry(5) {
+        retry(10) {
             executeWslCommand(
                 wslArguments = arrayOf("--update")
             )
         }
-
-        (2..30)
-            .asFlow()
-            .onEach { delay(1.seconds) }
-            .onStart { emit(1) }
-            .map { wslStatus() }
-            .firstOrNull { !it.contains("WSL is finishing an upgrade...") }
+        waitForWslStatusNotContaining("WSL is finishing an upgrade...")
     }
     exec(
         commandLine = """"${path.join(distributionDirectory(), distribution.installerFile)}"""",
@@ -395,6 +414,15 @@ suspend fun installDistribution() {
     )
 }
 
+suspend fun waitForWslStatusNotContaining(text: String, duration: UInt = 30u) {
+    (2u..duration)
+        .asFlow()
+        .onEach { delay(1.seconds) }
+        .onStart { emit(1u) }
+        .map { wslOutput("--status") }
+        .firstOrNull { !it.contains(text) }
+}
+
 suspend fun adjustWslConf() {
     exec(
         commandLine = "wsl",