diff --git a/.github/ci-windows-cross.py b/.github/ci-windows-cross.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..5382b5b6105
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/ci-windows-cross.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+# Copyright (c) The Bitcoin Core developers
+# Distributed under the MIT software license, see the accompanying
+# file COPYING or https://opensource.org/license/mit/.
+
+import argparse
+import shlex
+import subprocess
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+def run(cmd, **kwargs):
+    print("+ " + shlex.join(cmd), flush=True)
+    kwargs.setdefault("check", True)
+    try:
+        return subprocess.run(cmd, **kwargs)
+    except Exception as e:
+        sys.exit(str(e))
+
+
+def print_version():
+    bitcoind = Path.cwd() / "bin" / "bitcoind.exe"
+    run([str(bitcoind), "-version"])
+
+
+def main():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Utility to run Windows CI steps.")
+    steps = [
+        "print_version",
+    ]
+    parser.add_argument("step", choices=steps, help="CI step to perform.")
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    if args.step == "print_version":
+        print_version()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 7f5299cfbd1..c6ac3472e71 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ jobs:
           name: ${{ matrix.artifact-name }}-${{ github.run_id }}
 
       - name: Run bitcoind.exe
-        run: ./bin/bitcoind.exe -version
+        run: py -3 .github/ci-windows-cross.py print_version
 
       - *SET_UP_VS