diff --git a/docs/changelog/3151.bugfix.rst b/docs/changelog/3151.bugfix.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8d6ca5b53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changelog/3151.bugfix.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Fix Windows debug build ``venvlauncher_d.exe`` substitution never triggering because ``executables()`` compared the
+source executable name instead of the target name, and fix ``AttributeError`` on ``debug_build`` attribute for
+interpreter info objects missing the field - by :user:`gaborbernat`.
diff --git a/docs/explanation.rst b/docs/explanation.rst
index a9017a17f..35beca9d7 100644
--- a/docs/explanation.rst
+++ b/docs/explanation.rst
@@ -97,27 +97,23 @@ it can discover on the system, provided a matching creator exists.
 
 .. list-table::
     :header-rows: 1
-    :widths: 20 15 15 50
+    :widths: 20 15 65
 
     - - Implementation
       - Platforms
-      - Free-threaded
       - Notes
     - - CPython
       - Linux, macOS, Windows
-      - 3.13+
-      - Full support including macOS framework builds, Homebrew, Microsoft Store, and Windows debug builds.
+      - 3.8+. Free-threaded builds supported on 3.13+. Includes macOS framework, Homebrew, Microsoft Store, and Windows
+        debug build support.
     - - PyPy
       - Linux, macOS, Windows
-      - No
-      - PyPy 3.8+.
+      - 3.8+.
     - - GraalPy
       - Linux, macOS, Windows
-      - No
-      - GraalPy 24.1+. Minimal test coverage, marked experimental.
+      - 24.1+. Minimal test coverage, marked experimental.
     - - RustPython
       - Linux, macOS, Windows
-      - No
       - Minimal test coverage, marked experimental.
 
 Seed packages (``pip``, ``setuptools``) are bundled for CPython 3.8 through 3.16. Target interpreters outside this range
diff --git a/src/virtualenv/create/via_global_ref/builtin/cpython/cpython3.py b/src/virtualenv/create/via_global_ref/builtin/cpython/cpython3.py
index ca1efc8f1..ccb7f8d27 100644
--- a/src/virtualenv/create/via_global_ref/builtin/cpython/cpython3.py
+++ b/src/virtualenv/create/via_global_ref/builtin/cpython/cpython3.py
@@ -106,18 +106,19 @@ def sources(cls, interpreter: PythonInfo) -> Generator[PathRef]:  # ty: ignore[i
 
     @classmethod
     def _debug_suffix(cls, interpreter: PythonInfo) -> str:
-        return "_d" if interpreter.debug_build else ""
+        return "_d" if getattr(interpreter, "debug_build", False) else ""
 
     @classmethod
     def executables(cls, interpreter: PythonInfo) -> list[PathRef] | Generator[PathRef]:
         sources = super().sources(interpreter)
         if interpreter.version_info >= (3, 13):
+            host = cls.host_python(interpreter)
             t_suffix = "t" if interpreter.free_threaded else ""
             d_suffix = cls._debug_suffix(interpreter)
             updated_sources: list[PathRef] = []
             for ref in sources:
-                if ref.src.name == "python.exe":
-                    launcher_path = ref.src.with_name(f"venvlauncher{t_suffix}{d_suffix}.exe")
+                if ref.base == "python.exe":
+                    launcher_path = host.with_name(f"venvlauncher{t_suffix}{d_suffix}.exe")
                     if launcher_path.exists():
                         new_ref = ExePathRefToDest(
                             launcher_path, dest=ref.dest, targets=[ref.base, *ref.aliases], must=ref.must, when=ref.when
diff --git a/tests/unit/create/via_global_ref/builtin/cpython/cpython3_win_debug.json b/tests/unit/create/via_global_ref/builtin/cpython/cpython3_win_debug.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7143b21f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/create/via_global_ref/builtin/cpython/cpython3_win_debug.json
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+{
+  "platform": "win32",
+  "implementation": "CPython",
+  "version_info": {
+    "major": 3,
+    "minor": 13,
+    "micro": 0,
+    "releaselevel": "final",
+    "serial": 0
+  },
+  "architecture": 64,
+  "version_nodot": "313",
+  "version": "3.13.0 (main, Oct 07 2024, 00:00:00) [MSC v.1941 64 bit (AMD64)]",
+  "os": "nt",
+  "prefix": "c:\\path\\to\\python",
+  "base_prefix": "c:\\path\\to\\python",
+  "real_prefix": null,
+  "base_exec_prefix": "c:\\path\\to\\python",
+  "exec_prefix": "c:\\path\\to\\python",
+  "executable": "c:\\path\\to\\python\\python_d.exe",
+  "original_executable": "c:\\path\\to\\python\\python_d.exe",
+  "system_executable": "c:\\path\\to\\python\\python_d.exe",
+  "has_venv": false,
+  "path": [
+    "c:\\path\\to\\python\\Scripts\\virtualenv.exe",
+    "c:\\path\\to\\python\\python313.zip",
+    "c:\\path\\to\\python",
+    "c:\\path\\to\\python\\Lib\\site-packages"
+  ],
+  "file_system_encoding": "utf-8",
+  "stdout_encoding": "utf-8",
+  "sysconfig_scheme": null,
+  "sysconfig_paths": {
+    "stdlib": "{installed_base}/Lib",
+    "platstdlib": "{base}/Lib",
+    "purelib": "{base}/Lib/site-packages",
+    "platlib": "{base}/Lib/site-packages",
+    "include": "{installed_base}/Include",
+    "scripts": "{base}/Scripts",
+    "data": "{base}"
+  },
+  "distutils_install": {
+    "purelib": "Lib\\site-packages",
+    "platlib": "Lib\\site-packages",
+    "headers": "Include\\UNKNOWN",
+    "scripts": "Scripts",
+    "data": ""
+  },
+  "sysconfig": {
+    "makefile_filename": "c:\\path\\to\\python\\Lib\\config\\Makefile"
+  },
+  "sysconfig_vars": {
+    "PYTHONFRAMEWORK": "",
+    "installed_base": "c:\\path\\to\\python",
+    "base": "c:\\path\\to\\python"
+  },
+  "system_stdlib": "c:\\path\\to\\python\\Lib",
+  "system_stdlib_platform": "c:\\path\\to\\python\\Lib",
+  "max_size": 9223372036854775807,
+  "_creators": null,
+  "free_threaded": false,
+  "debug_build": true
+}
diff --git a/tests/unit/create/via_global_ref/builtin/cpython/cpython3_win_embed.json b/tests/unit/create/via_global_ref/builtin/cpython/cpython3_win_embed.json
index c75c6f4fc..515f7b7a0 100644
--- a/tests/unit/create/via_global_ref/builtin/cpython/cpython3_win_embed.json
+++ b/tests/unit/create/via_global_ref/builtin/cpython/cpython3_win_embed.json
@@ -58,5 +58,6 @@
   "system_stdlib_platform": "c:\\path\\to\\python\\Lib",
   "max_size": 9223372036854775807,
   "_creators": null,
-  "free_threaded": false
+  "free_threaded": false,
+  "debug_build": false
 }
diff --git a/tests/unit/create/via_global_ref/builtin/cpython/cpython3_win_free_threaded.json b/tests/unit/create/via_global_ref/builtin/cpython/cpython3_win_free_threaded.json
index f39a6059c..44130a075 100644
--- a/tests/unit/create/via_global_ref/builtin/cpython/cpython3_win_free_threaded.json
+++ b/tests/unit/create/via_global_ref/builtin/cpython/cpython3_win_free_threaded.json
@@ -58,5 +58,6 @@
   "system_stdlib_platform": "c:\\path\\to\\python\\Lib",
   "max_size": 9223372036854775807,
   "_creators": null,
-  "free_threaded": true
+  "free_threaded": true,
+  "debug_build": false
 }
diff --git a/tests/unit/create/via_global_ref/builtin/cpython/test_cpython3_win.py b/tests/unit/create/via_global_ref/builtin/cpython/test_cpython3_win.py
index 94e02bfb9..f8b4c091f 100644
--- a/tests/unit/create/via_global_ref/builtin/cpython/test_cpython3_win.py
+++ b/tests/unit/create/via_global_ref/builtin/cpython/test_cpython3_win.py
@@ -129,6 +129,25 @@ def test_free_threaded_exe_naming(py_info, mock_files) -> None:
     assert "pythonw3.13t.exe" in pythonw_refs[0].aliases
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("py_info_name", ["cpython3_win_debug"])
+def test_debug_build_shim(py_info, mock_files) -> None:
+    shim = path(py_info.system_stdlib, "venv\\scripts\\nt\\venvlauncher_d.exe")
+    mock_files(CPYTHON3_PATH, [shim])
+    assert CPython3Windows.has_shim(interpreter=py_info)
+    sources = tuple(CPython3Windows.sources(interpreter=py_info))
+    assert contains_exe(sources, shim)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("py_info_name", ["cpython3_win_debug"])
+def test_debug_build_uses_venvlauncher(py_info, mock_files) -> None:
+    launcher = path(py_info.prefix, "venvlauncher_d.exe")
+    w_launcher = path(py_info.prefix, "venvwlauncher_d.exe")
+    mock_files(CPYTHON3_PATH, [py_info.system_executable, launcher, w_launcher])
+    sources = tuple(CPython3Windows.sources(interpreter=py_info))
+    assert contains_exe(sources, launcher, "python.exe")
+    assert contains_exe(sources, w_launcher, "pythonw.exe")
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("py_info_name", ["cpython3_win_embed"])
 def test_pywin32_dll_exclusion(py_info, mock_files) -> None:
     """Test that pywin32 DLLs are excluded from virtualenv creation."""