diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-auto.yml b/.github/workflows/release-auto.yml
index 76a8f9f7..797f92db 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-auto.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-auto.yml
@@ -198,18 +198,20 @@ jobs:
             linux_cross: false
             macos_cross: false
 
-          # NOTE: aarch64-pc-windows-msvc deliberately not in the
-          # matrix today. cargo-xwin + ring 0.17.x has a known
-          # incompatibility on linux-cross-to-arm64-windows: cc-rs
-          # selects plain `clang` (not `clang-cl`) for the aarch64
-          # MSVC target despite identical `CC_<target>=clang-cl` env
-          # vars working for the x86_64 lane. Ring's `curve25519.c`
-          # compile then fails at clang receiving `/imsvc <path>`
-          # (clang-cl-style include flags) and rejecting them. Adding
-          # this back blocks on either: ring 0.18+ with arm-msvc
-          # cross-fix; a cc-rs version bump that respects target env
-          # for arm64; or fbuild switching off `rustls-tls` (drops
-          # ring). Tracked in soldr#1006 Lane 2.
+          # aarch64-pc-windows-msvc re-enabled via soldr#1012 PR 6.
+          # The ring 0.17.x oversight (build.rs:563 hardcodes
+          # `c.compiler("clang")` for aarch64-windows-msvc, overriding
+          # whatever `CC_aarch64_pc_windows_msvc=clang-cl` says) is now
+          # sidestepped by soldr-clang-shim (soldr#1015) which routes
+          # plain `clang` to clang-cl when --target=*-pc-windows-msvc.
+          # `soldr build` (soldr#1013 / soldr#1016) installs the shim
+          # on PATH for any MSVC target, so ring's compile lands on
+          # clang-cl regardless of ring's hardcoded override.
+          - target: aarch64-pc-windows-msvc
+            runner: ubuntu-latest
+            binary_ext: ".exe"
+            linux_cross: false
+            macos_cross: false
 
     uses: ./.github/workflows/template_native_build.yml
     with:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/template_native_build.yml b/.github/workflows/template_native_build.yml
index dcbc9c5a..affb0f0d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/template_native_build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/template_native_build.yml
@@ -72,17 +72,15 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Setup soldr
         id: setup-soldr
-        # v0.9.62 defaults to soldr 0.7.51 — predates the `soldr prepare`
-        # builtin (added 0.7.54). v0.9.63 ships with 0.7.59 as the default
-        # which is what the mac-cross-from-linux lane needs to fetch the
-        # Apple SDK. Bump in one place so the whole template benefits.
+        # Bumped from 0.7.59 → 0.7.63 to pull soldr#1012 PRs 1+4+5+6:
+        # `soldr build` blessed verb, soldr-clang-shim binary, and
+        # Commands::Build blessed-cross-compile prep. Required for
+        # the aarch64-pc-windows-msvc lane re-added in this PR to
+        # sidestep the ring 0.17.x build.rs:563 oversight via the
+        # clang shim.
         uses: zackees/setup-soldr@v0.9.63
         with:
-          # Pin the soldr version explicitly so a future bump of the
-          # action's default doesn't silently change build behavior in
-          # this template. 0.7.59 is the latest PyPI/npm/GH-Releases
-          # release at time of authoring (next release will be 0.7.60).
-          version: "0.7.59"
+          version: "0.7.63"
           cache: true
           build-cache: true
           target-cache: true
@@ -200,7 +198,16 @@ jobs:
               -p fbuild-cli \
               -p fbuild-daemon
           elif [ "${{ runner.os }}" = "Linux" ] && [[ "${{ inputs.target }}" == *-pc-windows-msvc ]]; then
-            cargo xwin build --release --target ${{ inputs.target }} \
+            # Blessed Linux→Windows MSVC path (soldr#1012 PR 6).
+            # `soldr build` installs the soldr-clang-shim ahead of
+            # system clang on PATH so ring's hardcoded
+            # `c.compiler("clang")` (build.rs:563) routes to clang-cl
+            # for aarch64-windows-msvc. For x64 the shim is harmless
+            # passthrough. cargo-xwin is still installed (handles
+            # SDK download); soldr build delegates to cargo-xwin via
+            # internal env vars when the catalogue xwin-cache row is
+            # absent for the target arch.
+            soldr build --release --target ${{ inputs.target }} \
               -p fbuild-cli \
               -p fbuild-daemon
           elif [[ "${{ inputs.target }}" == *-unknown-linux-musl ]]; then