diff --git a/pkgs/native_toolchain_c/CHANGELOG.md b/pkgs/native_toolchain_c/CHANGELOG.md
index 1dae1eeb8b..798beb4849 100644
--- a/pkgs/native_toolchain_c/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/pkgs/native_toolchain_c/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+## 0.18.1
+
+- Fix [native_toolchain_c failing with MSSSMS installed](https://github.com/dart-lang/native/issues/3327) by requiring vswhere to only show output that includes the necessary build tools
+
 ## 0.18.0
 
 - Made `CLinker.run` `Logger` argument optional. It now defaults to a logger
diff --git a/pkgs/native_toolchain_c/lib/src/native_toolchain/msvc.dart b/pkgs/native_toolchain_c/lib/src/native_toolchain/msvc.dart
index 8a1d20e2a5..b717cc55a4 100644
--- a/pkgs/native_toolchain_c/lib/src/native_toolchain/msvc.dart
+++ b/pkgs/native_toolchain_c/lib/src/native_toolchain/msvc.dart
@@ -38,7 +38,12 @@ final Tool vswhere = Tool(
   ),
 );
 
-/// Visual Studio.
+/// A Visual Studio installation that ships the MSVC tools for x86/x64.
+///
+/// Resolved via [vswhere] requiring
+/// `Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.Tools.x86.x64`, which filters out
+/// installs that lack the C++ toolchain (e.g. SSMS) even when their
+/// `installationVersion` would otherwise win `vswhere -latest`.
 ///
 /// https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/
 final Tool visualStudio = Tool(
@@ -46,7 +51,22 @@ final Tool visualStudio = Tool(
   defaultResolver: VisualStudioResolver(),
 );
 
-/// The C/C++ Optimizing Compiler.
+/// A Visual Studio installation that ships the MSVC tools for arm64.
+///
+/// Resolved via [vswhere] requiring
+/// `Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.Tools.arm64`. May resolve a
+/// different installation than [visualStudio] when not every VS instance on
+/// the machine has the arm64 cross toolchain installed.
+///
+/// https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/
+final Tool visualStudioArm64 = Tool(
+  name: 'Visual Studio',
+  defaultResolver: VisualStudioResolverArm64(),
+);
+
+/// The C/C++ Optimizing Compiler installation for targeting x86/x64.
+///
+/// Resolved relative to [visualStudio].
 final Tool msvc = Tool(
   name: 'MSVC',
   defaultResolver: PathVersionResolver(
@@ -58,6 +78,22 @@ final Tool msvc = Tool(
   ),
 );
 
+/// The C/C++ Optimizing Compiler installation for targeting arm64.
+///
+/// Resolved relative to [visualStudioArm64], which may point at a different
+/// VS installation than [msvc] when only some installs have the arm64
+/// cross toolchain.
+final Tool msvcArm64 = Tool(
+  name: 'MSVC',
+  defaultResolver: PathVersionResolver(
+    wrappedResolver: RelativeToolResolver(
+      toolName: 'MSVC',
+      wrappedResolver: visualStudioArm64.defaultResolver!,
+      relativePath: Uri(path: './VC/Tools/MSVC/*/'),
+    ),
+  ),
+);
+
 Tool vcvars(ToolInstance toolInstance) {
   final tool = toolInstance.tool;
   assert(tool == cl || tool == msvcLink || tool == lib);
@@ -241,7 +277,10 @@ Tool _msvcTool({
   final targetArchName = _msvcArchNames[targetArchitecture]!;
   ToolResolver resolver = RelativeToolResolver(
     toolName: executableName,
-    wrappedResolver: msvc.defaultResolver!,
+    wrappedResolver: switch (targetArchitecture) {
+      .arm64 => msvcArm64.defaultResolver!,
+      _ => msvc.defaultResolver!,
+    },
     relativePath: Uri(
       path: 'bin/Host$hostArchName/$targetArchName/$executableName',
     ),
@@ -256,9 +295,34 @@ Tool _msvcTool({
   return Tool(name: executableName, defaultResolver: resolver);
 }
 
+/// Resolves Visual Studio installations that ship the arm64 MSVC tools.
+///
+/// Same as [VisualStudioResolver] but requires the
+/// `Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.Tools.arm64` component. On machines
+/// with multiple VS installations these resolvers may pick different
+/// installs.
+class VisualStudioResolverArm64 extends VisualStudioResolver {
+  @override
+  Future<List<ToolInstance>> resolve(ToolResolvingContext context) async =>
+      resolveArch(context, 'arm64');
+}
+
+/// Resolves Visual Studio installations that ship the x86/x64 MSVC tools.
+///
+/// Runs [vswhere] with `-latest -requires
+/// Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.Tools.x86.x64`. The `-requires`
+/// filter is necessary because tools like SSMS share the VS installer and
+/// can outrank Visual Studio under `-latest` when sorted by version alone
+/// (see https://github.com/dart-lang/native/issues/3327).
 class VisualStudioResolver implements ToolResolver {
   @override
-  Future<List<ToolInstance>> resolve(ToolResolvingContext context) async {
+  Future<List<ToolInstance>> resolve(ToolResolvingContext context) async =>
+      resolveArch(context, 'x86.x64');
+
+  Future<List<ToolInstance>> resolveArch(
+    ToolResolvingContext context,
+    String pkgArchSuffix,
+  ) async {
     final vswhereInstances = await vswhere.defaultResolver!.resolve(context);
     final logger = context.logger;
 
@@ -266,12 +330,40 @@ class VisualStudioResolver implements ToolResolver {
     for (final vswhereInstance in vswhereInstances.take(1)) {
       final vswhereResult = await runProcess(
         executable: vswhereInstance.uri,
-        arguments: ['-format', 'json', '-utf8', '-latest', '-products', '*'],
+        arguments: [
+          '-format',
+          'json',
+          '-utf8',
+          '-latest',
+          '-products',
+          '*',
+          '-requires',
+          'Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.Tools.$pkgArchSuffix',
+        ],
         logger: logger,
       );
       final instances = parseVswhere(vswhereResult.stdout, logger);
       result.addAll(instances);
     }
+    if (result.isEmpty) {
+      logger?.warning(
+        'No Visual Studio installation found with the requested '
+        'Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.Tools.$pkgArchSuffix component.',
+      );
+      logger?.info('You can install the missing package via');
+      for (final vsWhere in vswhereInstances) {
+        final vsInstallerUri = vsWhere.uri
+            .resolve('../vs_installer.exe')
+            .toFilePath();
+        logger?.warning( // highlight command for user
+          '`  $vsInstallerUri install --add ',
+          'Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.Tools.x86.x64`',
+        ); 
+        if (vswhereInstances.length > 1 && vswhereInstances.last != vsWhere) {
+          logger?.info('or');
+        }
+      }
+    }
     return result;
   }
 
diff --git a/pkgs/native_toolchain_c/pubspec.yaml b/pkgs/native_toolchain_c/pubspec.yaml
index e426ed34d9..c54f927161 100644
--- a/pkgs/native_toolchain_c/pubspec.yaml
+++ b/pkgs/native_toolchain_c/pubspec.yaml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 name: native_toolchain_c
 description: >-
   A library to invoke the native C compiler installed on the host machine.
-version: 0.18.0
+version: 0.18.1
 repository: https://github.com/dart-lang/native/tree/main/pkgs/native_toolchain_c
 
 topics:
diff --git a/pkgs/native_toolchain_c/test/native_toolchain/msvc_test.dart b/pkgs/native_toolchain_c/test/native_toolchain/msvc_test.dart
index ce959ed606..4b2ebde38e 100644
--- a/pkgs/native_toolchain_c/test/native_toolchain/msvc_test.dart
+++ b/pkgs/native_toolchain_c/test/native_toolchain/msvc_test.dart
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 @OnPlatform({'windows': Timeout.factor(10)})
 library;
 
+import 'dart:convert';
 import 'dart:io';
 
 import 'package:native_toolchain_c/src/native_toolchain/msvc.dart';
@@ -37,19 +38,44 @@ void main() {
     expect(instances.isNotEmpty, true);
   });
 
-  test('cl', () async {
-    final instances = await cl.defaultResolver!.resolve(systemContext);
-    expect(instances.isNotEmpty, true);
-  });
-
-  test('clIA32', () async {
-    final instances = await clIA32.defaultResolver!.resolve(systemContext);
-    expect(instances.isNotEmpty, true);
-  });
+  test('parseVswhere handles mixed installations', () async {
+    final tempUri = await tempDirForTest();
+    final ssmsDir = Directory.fromUri(
+      tempUri.resolve('Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 22/Release'),
+    );
+    final visualStudioDir = Directory.fromUri(
+      tempUri.resolve('Microsoft Visual Studio/18/Community'),
+    );
+    await ssmsDir.create(recursive: true);
+    await visualStudioDir.create(recursive: true);
+
+    final instances = VisualStudioResolver().parseVswhere(
+      jsonEncode([
+        {
+          'installationName': 'SSMS/22.5.0+11709.299',
+          'installationPath': ssmsDir.path,
+          'installationVersion': '22.5.11709.299',
+          'productId': 'Microsoft.VisualStudio.Product.Ssms',
+          'displayName': 'SQL Server Management Studio 22',
+        },
+        {
+          'installationName': 'VisualStudio/18.5.1+11716.220',
+          'installationPath': visualStudioDir.path,
+          'installationVersion': '18.5.11716.220',
+          'productId': 'Microsoft.VisualStudio.Product.Community',
+          'displayName': 'Visual Studio Community 2026',
+        },
+        {
+          'installationName': 'Incomplete entry',
+          'productId': 'Microsoft.VisualStudio.Product.Incomplete',
+        },
+      ]),
+    );
 
-  test('clArm64', () async {
-    final instances = await clArm64.defaultResolver!.resolve(systemContext);
-    expect(instances.isNotEmpty, true);
+    expect(instances, hasLength(2));
+    expect(instances.first.uri, ssmsDir.uri);
+    expect(instances.last.uri, visualStudioDir.uri);
+    expect(instances.map((instance) => instance.version!.major), [22, 18]);
   });
 
   test('lib', () async {