diff --git a/docs/changelog/188.bugfix.rst b/docs/changelog/188.bugfix.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..66de408
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changelog/188.bugfix.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Match literal interpreter names against the executable found on ``PATH``, including symlink names.
diff --git a/src/python_discovery/_py_info.py b/src/python_discovery/_py_info.py
index 09733de..fe8189f 100644
--- a/src/python_discovery/_py_info.py
+++ b/src/python_discovery/_py_info.py
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ def _satisfies_path(self, spec: PythonSpec) -> bool:
             return True
         if spec.is_abs:
             return True
-        basename = os.path.basename(self.original_executable)
+        basename = os.path.basename(self.executable)
         spec_path = spec.path
         if sys.platform == "win32":
             basename, suffix = os.path.splitext(basename)
diff --git a/tests/py_info/test_py_info.py b/tests/py_info/test_py_info.py
index b078617..9b0b802 100644
--- a/tests/py_info/test_py_info.py
+++ b/tests/py_info/test_py_info.py
@@ -304,9 +304,9 @@ def test_py_info_ignores_distutils_config(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, tmp_p
 def test_discover_exe_on_path_non_spec_name_match(mocker: MockerFixture) -> None:
     suffixed_name = f"python{CURRENT.version_info.major}.{CURRENT.version_info.minor}m"
     if sys.platform == "win32":  # pragma: win32 cover
-        suffixed_name += Path(CURRENT.original_executable).suffix
+        suffixed_name += Path(CURRENT.executable).suffix
     spec = PythonSpec.from_string_spec(suffixed_name)
-    mocker.patch.object(CURRENT, "original_executable", str(Path(CURRENT.executable).parent / suffixed_name))
+    mocker.patch.object(CURRENT, "executable", str(Path(CURRENT.executable).parent / suffixed_name))
     assert CURRENT.satisfies(spec, impl_must_match=True) is True
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_discovery.py b/tests/test_discovery.py
index 2440a03..7d48ac3 100644
--- a/tests/test_discovery.py
+++ b/tests/test_discovery.py
@@ -74,6 +74,17 @@ def test_discovery_via_path_not_found(tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.Monkey
     assert interpreter is None
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform == "win32", reason="POSIX symlink names")
+def test_discovery_via_path_literal_symlink(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    link = tmp_path / "python_custom"
+    link.symlink_to(sys.executable)
+
+    interpreter = get_interpreter("python_custom", [], env={"PATH": str(tmp_path)})
+
+    assert interpreter is not None
+    assert interpreter.executable == str(link)
+
+
 def test_discovery_via_path_in_nonbrowseable_directory(tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
     bad_perm = tmp_path / "bad_perm"
     bad_perm.mkdir(mode=0o000)
diff --git a/tests/test_py_info_extra.py b/tests/test_py_info_extra.py
index 016636a..6e357b4 100644
--- a/tests/test_py_info_extra.py
+++ b/tests/test_py_info_extra.py
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ def test_satisfies_path_not_abs_basename_no_match() -> None:
 def test_satisfies_path_win32(mocker: MockerFixture) -> None:
     info = copy.deepcopy(CURRENT)
     mocker.patch.object(sys, "platform", "win32")
-    info.original_executable = "/some/path/python.exe"
+    info.executable = "/some/path/python.exe"
     spec = PythonSpec.from_string_spec("python")
     spec.path = "python"
     assert info.satisfies(spec, impl_must_match=False) is True
diff --git a/tests/windows/test_windows.py b/tests/windows/test_windows.py
index a61aedd..65c0789 100644
--- a/tests/windows/test_windows.py
+++ b/tests/windows/test_windows.py
@@ -1,10 +1,22 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import sys
+from pathlib import Path
 
 import pytest
 
-from python_discovery import PythonSpec
+from python_discovery import PythonSpec, get_interpreter
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform != "win32", reason="Windows executable alias")
+def test_discovery_via_path_literal_symlink(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    link = tmp_path / "python_custom.exe"
+    link.symlink_to(Path(sys.base_prefix) / "python.exe")
+
+    interpreter = get_interpreter("python_custom", [], env={"PATH": f"{tmp_path};{sys.base_prefix}"})
+
+    assert interpreter is not None
+    assert interpreter.executable == str(link)
 
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform != "win32", reason="propose_interpreters calls from_exe with Windows paths")