diff --git a/src/nvim/channel.c b/src/nvim/channel.c
index 569d3f5887..f9ce62dbd2 100644
--- a/src/nvim/channel.c
+++ b/src/nvim/channel.c
@@ -309,6 +309,7 @@ static void close_cb(Stream *stream, void *data)
 ///
 /// @param[in]  argv  Arguments vector specifying the command to run,
 ///                   NULL-terminated
+/// @param[in]  exepath  The path to the executable. If NULL, use `argv[0]`.
 /// @param[in]  on_stdout  Callback to read the job's stdout
 /// @param[in]  on_stderr  Callback to read the job's stderr
 /// @param[in]  on_exit  Callback to receive the job's exit status
@@ -330,10 +331,11 @@ static void close_cb(Stream *stream, void *data)
 ///                          < 0 if the job can't start
 ///
 /// @returns [allocated] channel
-Channel *channel_job_start(char **argv, CallbackReader on_stdout, CallbackReader on_stderr,
-                           Callback on_exit, bool pty, bool rpc, bool overlapped, bool detach,
-                           ChannelStdinMode stdin_mode, const char *cwd, uint16_t pty_width,
-                           uint16_t pty_height, dict_T *env, varnumber_T *status_out)
+Channel *channel_job_start(char **argv, const char *exepath, CallbackReader on_stdout,
+                           CallbackReader on_stderr, Callback on_exit, bool pty, bool rpc,
+                           bool overlapped, bool detach, ChannelStdinMode stdin_mode,
+                           const char *cwd, uint16_t pty_width, uint16_t pty_height, dict_T *env,
+                           varnumber_T *status_out)
 {
   Channel *chan = channel_alloc(kChannelStreamProc);
   chan->on_data = on_stdout;
@@ -364,6 +366,7 @@ Channel *channel_job_start(char **argv, CallbackReader on_stdout, CallbackReader
 
   Process *proc = &chan->stream.proc;
   proc->argv = argv;
+  proc->exepath = exepath;
   proc->cb = channel_process_exit_cb;
   proc->events = chan->events;
   proc->detach = detach;
@@ -371,7 +374,7 @@ Channel *channel_job_start(char **argv, CallbackReader on_stdout, CallbackReader
   proc->env = env;
   proc->overlapped = overlapped;
 
-  char *cmd = xstrdup(proc->argv[0]);
+  char *cmd = xstrdup(process_get_exepath(proc));
   bool has_out, has_err;
   if (proc->type == kProcessTypePty) {
     has_out = true;
diff --git a/src/nvim/eval/funcs.c b/src/nvim/eval/funcs.c
index 7c3c5cc274..e823e131b1 100644
--- a/src/nvim/eval/funcs.c
+++ b/src/nvim/eval/funcs.c
@@ -4120,7 +4120,7 @@ static void f_jobstart(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv, EvalFuncData fptr)
 
   env = create_environment(job_env, clear_env, pty, term_name);
 
-  Channel *chan = channel_job_start(argv, on_stdout, on_stderr, on_exit, pty,
+  Channel *chan = channel_job_start(argv, NULL, on_stdout, on_stderr, on_exit, pty,
                                     rpc, overlapped, detach, stdin_mode, cwd,
                                     width, height, env, &rettv->vval.v_number);
   if (chan) {
@@ -6678,7 +6678,7 @@ static void f_rpcstart(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv, EvalFuncData fptr)
   // The last item of argv must be NULL
   argv[i] = NULL;
 
-  Channel *chan = channel_job_start(argv, CALLBACK_READER_INIT,
+  Channel *chan = channel_job_start(argv, NULL, CALLBACK_READER_INIT,
                                     CALLBACK_READER_INIT, CALLBACK_NONE,
                                     false, true, false, false,
                                     kChannelStdinPipe, NULL, 0, 0, NULL,
@@ -8455,7 +8455,7 @@ static void f_termopen(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv, EvalFuncData fptr)
   const bool detach = false;
   ChannelStdinMode stdin_mode = kChannelStdinPipe;
   uint16_t term_width = (uint16_t)MAX(0, curwin->w_width_inner - win_col_off(curwin));
-  Channel *chan = channel_job_start(argv, on_stdout, on_stderr, on_exit,
+  Channel *chan = channel_job_start(argv, NULL, on_stdout, on_stderr, on_exit,
                                     pty, rpc, overlapped, detach, stdin_mode,
                                     cwd, term_width, (uint16_t)curwin->w_height_inner,
                                     env, &rettv->vval.v_number);
diff --git a/src/nvim/event/libuv_process.c b/src/nvim/event/libuv_process.c
index e528d21a71..1bb0511f12 100644
--- a/src/nvim/event/libuv_process.c
+++ b/src/nvim/event/libuv_process.c
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ int libuv_process_spawn(LibuvProcess *uvproc)
   FUNC_ATTR_NONNULL_ALL
 {
   Process *proc = (Process *)uvproc;
-  uvproc->uvopts.file = proc->argv[0];
+  uvproc->uvopts.file = process_get_exepath(proc);
   uvproc->uvopts.args = proc->argv;
   uvproc->uvopts.flags = UV_PROCESS_WINDOWS_HIDE;
 #ifdef MSWIN
diff --git a/src/nvim/event/process.c b/src/nvim/event/process.c
index 1219566e9b..95bf4d1c3b 100644
--- a/src/nvim/event/process.c
+++ b/src/nvim/event/process.c
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ int process_spawn(Process *proc, bool in, bool out, bool err)
   proc->internal_close_cb = decref;
   proc->refcount++;
   kl_push(WatcherPtr, proc->loop->children, proc);
-  DLOG("new: pid=%d argv=[%s]", proc->pid, proc->argv[0]);
+  DLOG("new: pid=%d exepath=[%s]", proc->pid, process_get_exepath(proc));
   return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/nvim/event/process.h b/src/nvim/event/process.h
index 39fed08c77..69fe229b0e 100644
--- a/src/nvim/event/process.h
+++ b/src/nvim/event/process.h
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ struct process {
   uint64_t stopped_time;  // process_stop() timestamp
   const char *cwd;
   char **argv;
+  const char *exepath;
   dict_T *env;
   Stream in, out, err;
   /// Exit handler. If set, user must call process_free().
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ static inline Process process_init(Loop *loop, ProcessType type, void *data)
     .stopped_time = 0,
     .cwd = NULL,
     .argv = NULL,
+    .exepath = NULL,
     .in = { .closed = false },
     .out = { .closed = false },
     .err = { .closed = false },
@@ -66,6 +68,12 @@ static inline Process process_init(Loop *loop, ProcessType type, void *data)
   };
 }
 
+/// Get the path to the executable of the process.
+static inline const char *process_get_exepath(Process *proc)
+{
+  return proc->exepath != NULL ? proc->exepath : proc->argv[0];
+}
+
 static inline bool process_is_stopped(Process *proc)
 {
   bool exited = (proc->status >= 0);
diff --git a/src/nvim/os/pty_process_unix.c b/src/nvim/os/pty_process_unix.c
index b5423c59d7..15a4ef6230 100644
--- a/src/nvim/os/pty_process_unix.c
+++ b/src/nvim/os/pty_process_unix.c
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ static void init_child(PtyProcess *ptyproc)
     return;
   }
 
-  char *prog = ptyproc->process.argv[0];
+  const char *prog = process_get_exepath(proc);
 
   assert(proc->env);
   environ = tv_dict_to_env(proc->env);
diff --git a/src/nvim/ui_client.c b/src/nvim/ui_client.c
index 0fc6d4936d..cc564f4777 100644
--- a/src/nvim/ui_client.c
+++ b/src/nvim/ui_client.c
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ uint64_t ui_client_start_server(int argc, char **argv)
   CallbackReader on_err = CALLBACK_READER_INIT;
   on_err.fwd_err = true;
 
-  Channel *channel = channel_job_start(args, CALLBACK_READER_INIT,
-                                       on_err, CALLBACK_NONE,
+  Channel *channel = channel_job_start(args, get_vim_var_str(VV_PROGPATH),
+                                       CALLBACK_READER_INIT, on_err, CALLBACK_NONE,
                                        false, true, true, false, kChannelStdinPipe,
                                        NULL, 0, 0, NULL, &exit_status);