diff --git a/.changeset/add-shebang-to-adapter-node-index.md b/.changeset/add-shebang-to-adapter-node-index.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..aed62f644cbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/add-shebang-to-adapter-node-index.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@sveltejs/adapter-node': patch
+---
+
+feat: add a shebang to `build/index.js`
diff --git a/packages/adapter-node/index.js b/packages/adapter-node/index.js
index 6c0087788398..0df75c91500f 100644
--- a/packages/adapter-node/index.js
+++ b/packages/adapter-node/index.js
@@ -75,7 +75,15 @@ export default function (opts = {}) {
 				].join('\n')
 			);
 
-			fs.writeFileSync(`${out}/index.js`, `export * from './server/adapter-index.js';\n`);
+			fs.writeFileSync(
+				`${out}/index.js`,
+				`#!/usr/bin/env node\nexport * from './server/adapter-index.js';\n`
+			);
+			try {
+				fs.chmodSync(`${out}/index.js`, 0o755);
+			} catch {
+				// Ignore chmod errors on platforms/filesystems that do not support it
+			}
 			fs.writeFileSync(`${out}/handler.js`, `export * from './server/handler.js';\n`);
 		},
 
diff --git a/packages/adapter-node/src/adapt.spec.ts b/packages/adapter-node/src/adapt.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..cf666cf05cf8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/adapter-node/src/adapt.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import fs from 'node:fs';
+import os from 'node:os';
+import path from 'node:path';
+import { expect, test } from 'vitest';
+import adapter from '../index.js';
+
+test('adapt writes index.js with a shebang', async () => {
+	const tmp = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'sveltekit-adapter-node-test-'));
+	try {
+		const out = path.join(tmp, 'build');
+		const a = adapter({ out, precompress: false });
+
+		/** @type {any} */
+		const builder = {
+			config: { paths: { base: '', origin: '' } },
+			log: { minor: () => {} },
+			writeClient: () => {
+				fs.mkdirSync(path.join(out, 'client'), { recursive: true });
+				return [];
+			},
+			writePrerendered: () => [],
+			compress: async () => [],
+			prerendered: { paths: [] },
+			getServerDirectory: () => path.join(tmp, 'server'),
+			generateServerInstance: () => {},
+			hasServerInstrumentationFile: () => false,
+			copy: () => {},
+			getAppPath: () => '_app',
+			mimeTypes: {}
+		};
+
+		fs.mkdirSync(path.join(tmp, 'server'), { recursive: true });
+
+		await a.adapt(builder as any);
+
+		const index_content = fs.readFileSync(path.join(out, 'index.js'), 'utf8');
+		expect(index_content.startsWith('#!/usr/bin/env node\n')).toBe(true);
+	} finally {
+		fs.rmSync(tmp, { force: true, recursive: true });
+	}
+});
diff --git a/packages/adapter-node/test/apps/basic/build.test.js b/packages/adapter-node/test/apps/basic/build.test.js
index 68507ac4a5c3..1e42f91553dd 100644
--- a/packages/adapter-node/test/apps/basic/build.test.js
+++ b/packages/adapter-node/test/apps/basic/build.test.js
@@ -30,3 +30,8 @@ test('dependencies are not bundled', () => {
 test('everything else is bundled', () => {
 	expect(leaked_imports(app, 'build')).toEqual([]);
 });
+
+test('build/index.js includes shebang', () => {
+	const content = fs.readFileSync(path.join(app, 'build/index.js'), 'utf8');
+	expect(content.startsWith('#!/usr/bin/env node\n')).toBe(true);
+});