diff --git a/app/Actions/PingHostname.php b/app/Actions/PingHostname.php
index 04884fe31..1d1a3d8ac 100644
--- a/app/Actions/PingHostname.php
+++ b/app/Actions/PingHostname.php
@@ -6,22 +6,36 @@
 use Lorisleiva\Actions\Concerns\AsAction;
 use Spatie\Ping\Ping;
 use Spatie\Ping\PingResult;
+use Throwable;
 
 class PingHostname
 {
     use AsAction;
 
-    public function handle(?string $hostname = null, int $count = 1): PingResult
+    /**
+     * Attempt to ping the given hostname. Returns null when the ping binary
+     * is unavailable or another OS-level error prevents execution.
+     */
+    public function handle(?string $hostname = null, int $count = 1): ?PingResult
     {
         $hostname = $hostname ?? config('speedtest.preflight.internet_check_hostname');
 
         // Remove protocol if present
         $hostname = preg_replace('#^https?://#', '', $hostname);
 
-        $ping = (new Ping(
-            hostname: $hostname,
-            count: $count,
-        ))->run();
+        try {
+            $ping = (new Ping(
+                hostname: $hostname,
+                count: $count,
+            ))->run();
+        } catch (Throwable $e) {
+            Log::debug('Ping command unavailable', [
+                'host' => $hostname,
+                'error' => $e->getMessage(),
+            ]);
+
+            return null;
+        }
 
         $data = $ping->toArray();
         unset($data['raw_output'], $data['lines']);
diff --git a/app/Jobs/CheckForInternetConnectionJob.php b/app/Jobs/CheckForInternetConnectionJob.php
index c0f39a61f..2498e6460 100644
--- a/app/Jobs/CheckForInternetConnectionJob.php
+++ b/app/Jobs/CheckForInternetConnectionJob.php
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@
 use Illuminate\Contracts\Queue\ShouldQueue;
 use Illuminate\Foundation\Queue\Queueable;
 use Illuminate\Queue\Middleware\SkipIfBatchCancelled;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Log;
+use Throwable;
 
 class CheckForInternetConnectionJob implements ShouldQueue
 {
@@ -46,11 +49,20 @@ public function handle(): void
 
         $ping = PingHostname::run();
 
-        if ($ping->isSuccess()) {
+        if ($ping?->isSuccess()) {
             return;
         }
 
-        $message = sprintf('Failed to connected to hostname "%s". Error received "%s".', $ping->getHost(), $ping->error()?->value);
+        Log::debug('Pinged failed, falling back to HTTP connectivity check');
+
+        // Ping either failed or was unavailable — attempt an HTTP fallback.
+        if ($this->httpFallbackSucceeds()) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        $message = $ping === null
+            ? 'Ping command is unavailable and HTTP fallback also failed.'
+            : sprintf('Failed to connected to hostname "%s". Error received "%s". HTTP fallback also failed.', $ping->getHost(), $ping->error()?->value);
 
         $this->result->update([
             'data->type' => 'log',
@@ -63,4 +75,39 @@ public function handle(): void
 
         $this->batch()->cancel();
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Attempt to verify connectivity via an HTTP GET request as a fallback
+     * when ping is unavailable or unsuccessful.
+     */
+    protected function httpFallbackSucceeds(): bool
+    {
+        $url = config('speedtest.preflight.external_ip_url');
+
+        try {
+            $response = Http::retry(3, 100)
+                ->timeout(5)
+                ->get(url: $url);
+
+            if ($response->ok()) {
+                Log::debug('HTTP fallback connectivity check succeeded', ['url' => $url]);
+
+                return true;
+            }
+
+            Log::debug('HTTP fallback connectivity check received non-OK response', [
+                'url' => $url,
+                'status' => $response->status(),
+            ]);
+
+            return false;
+        } catch (Throwable $e) {
+            Log::debug('HTTP fallback connectivity check failed', [
+                'url' => $url,
+                'error' => $e->getMessage(),
+            ]);
+
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/config/speedtest.php b/config/speedtest.php
index 0782457aa..33493f396 100644
--- a/config/speedtest.php
+++ b/config/speedtest.php
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@
     /**
      * General settings.
      */
-    'build_date' => Carbon::parse('2026-02-03'),
+    'build_date' => Carbon::parse('2026-02-04'),
 
-    'build_version' => 'v1.13.6',
+    'build_version' => 'v1.13.7',
 
     'content_width' => env('CONTENT_WIDTH', '7xl'),
 
diff --git a/tests/Feature/CheckForInternetConnectionJobTest.php b/tests/Feature/CheckForInternetConnectionJobTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ebb641524
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Feature/CheckForInternetConnectionJobTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,152 @@
+<?php
+
+use App\Actions\PingHostname;
+use App\Enums\ResultStatus;
+use App\Events\SpeedtestFailed;
+use App\Jobs\CheckForInternetConnectionJob;
+use App\Models\Result;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Event;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;
+use Spatie\Ping\PingResult;
+
+beforeEach(function () {
+    Event::fake();
+});
+
+describe('CheckForInternetConnectionJob', function () {
+    test('batch continues when ping succeeds', function () {
+        $result = Result::factory()->create(['status' => ResultStatus::Started]);
+
+        $successfulPing = PingResult::fromArray(['success' => true, 'host' => 'icanhazip.com']);
+        app()->bind(PingHostname::class, fn () => new class($successfulPing)
+        {
+            public function __construct(private PingResult $ping) {}
+
+            public function handle(?string $hostname = null, int $count = 1): ?PingResult
+            {
+                return $this->ping;
+            }
+        });
+
+        [$job, $batch] = (new CheckForInternetConnectionJob($result))->withFakeBatch();
+        $job->handle();
+
+        $this->assertFalse($batch->cancelled());
+        $result->refresh();
+        expect($result->status)->toBe(ResultStatus::Checking);
+        Event::assertNotDispatched(SpeedtestFailed::class);
+    });
+
+    test('batch continues when ping fails but HTTP fallback succeeds', function () {
+        $result = Result::factory()->create(['status' => ResultStatus::Started]);
+
+        $failedPing = PingResult::fromArray([
+            'success' => false,
+            'error' => 'hostUnreachable',
+            'host' => 'icanhazip.com',
+        ]);
+        app()->bind(PingHostname::class, fn () => new class($failedPing)
+        {
+            public function __construct(private PingResult $ping) {}
+
+            public function handle(?string $hostname = null, int $count = 1): ?PingResult
+            {
+                return $this->ping;
+            }
+        });
+
+        Http::fake([
+            '*' => Http::response('1.2.3.4', 200),
+        ]);
+
+        [$job, $batch] = (new CheckForInternetConnectionJob($result))->withFakeBatch();
+        $job->handle();
+
+        $this->assertFalse($batch->cancelled());
+        $result->refresh();
+        expect($result->status)->toBe(ResultStatus::Checking);
+        Event::assertNotDispatched(SpeedtestFailed::class);
+    });
+
+    test('batch continues when ping is unavailable but HTTP fallback succeeds', function () {
+        $result = Result::factory()->create(['status' => ResultStatus::Started]);
+
+        app()->bind(PingHostname::class, fn () => new class
+        {
+            public function handle(?string $hostname = null, int $count = 1): ?PingResult
+            {
+                return null;
+            }
+        });
+
+        Http::fake([
+            '*' => Http::response('1.2.3.4', 200),
+        ]);
+
+        [$job, $batch] = (new CheckForInternetConnectionJob($result))->withFakeBatch();
+        $job->handle();
+
+        $this->assertFalse($batch->cancelled());
+        $result->refresh();
+        expect($result->status)->toBe(ResultStatus::Checking);
+        Event::assertNotDispatched(SpeedtestFailed::class);
+    });
+
+    test('batch is cancelled when ping fails and HTTP fallback also fails', function () {
+        $result = Result::factory()->create(['status' => ResultStatus::Started]);
+
+        $failedPing = PingResult::fromArray([
+            'success' => false,
+            'error' => 'hostUnreachable',
+            'host' => 'icanhazip.com',
+        ]);
+        app()->bind(PingHostname::class, fn () => new class($failedPing)
+        {
+            public function __construct(private PingResult $ping) {}
+
+            public function handle(?string $hostname = null, int $count = 1): ?PingResult
+            {
+                return $this->ping;
+            }
+        });
+
+        Http::fake([
+            '*' => Http::response('Service Unavailable', 503),
+        ]);
+
+        [$job, $batch] = (new CheckForInternetConnectionJob($result))->withFakeBatch();
+        $job->handle();
+
+        $this->assertTrue($batch->cancelled());
+        $result->refresh();
+        expect($result->status)->toBe(ResultStatus::Failed);
+        expect($result->data['level'])->toBe('error');
+        expect($result->data['message'])->toContain('HTTP fallback also failed');
+        Event::assertDispatched(SpeedtestFailed::class);
+    });
+
+    test('batch is cancelled when ping is unavailable and HTTP fallback throws', function () {
+        $result = Result::factory()->create(['status' => ResultStatus::Started]);
+
+        app()->bind(PingHostname::class, fn () => new class
+        {
+            public function handle(?string $hostname = null, int $count = 1): ?PingResult
+            {
+                return null;
+            }
+        });
+
+        Http::fake([
+            '*' => Http::failedConnection(),
+        ]);
+
+        [$job, $batch] = (new CheckForInternetConnectionJob($result))->withFakeBatch();
+        $job->handle();
+
+        $this->assertTrue($batch->cancelled());
+        $result->refresh();
+        expect($result->status)->toBe(ResultStatus::Failed);
+        expect($result->data['message'])->toBe('Ping command is unavailable and HTTP fallback also failed.');
+        Event::assertDispatched(SpeedtestFailed::class);
+    });
+});