diff --git a/shell/components/SelectIconGrid.vue b/shell/components/SelectIconGrid.vue
index 5ffcd6c8e3..1ffec12084 100644
--- a/shell/components/SelectIconGrid.vue
+++ b/shell/components/SelectIconGrid.vue
@@ -131,16 +131,6 @@ export default {
         class="side-label"
         :class="{'indicator': true }"
       />
-      <div v-if="r.deploysOnWindows">
-        <label class="deploys-os-label">
-          {{ t('catalog.charts.deploysOnWindows') }}
-        </label>
-      </div>
-      <div v-if="r.windowsIncompatible">
-        <label class="os-incompatible-label">
-          {{ t('catalog.charts.windowsIncompatible') }}
-        </label>
-      </div>
       <div
         v-if="get(r, sideLabelField)"
         class="side-label"
diff --git a/shell/mixins/chart.js b/shell/mixins/chart.js
index c7ad9e1bca..fd8a5496ce 100644
--- a/shell/mixins/chart.js
+++ b/shell/mixins/chart.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import { CAPI, CATALOG } from '@shell/config/types';
 import { isPrerelease } from '@shell/utils/version';
 import { compareChartVersions } from '@shell/utils/chart';
 import difference from 'lodash/difference';
-import { LINUX, APP_UPGRADE_STATUS } from '@shell/store/catalog';
+import { APP_UPGRADE_STATUS, isRancherRepo, getPermittedOSs } from '@shell/store/catalog';
 import { clone } from '@shell/utils/object';
 import { merge } from 'lodash';
 
@@ -84,7 +84,8 @@ export default {
           keywords:        version.keywords
         };
 
-        const permittedSystems = (version?.annotations?.[CATALOG_ANNOTATIONS.PERMITTED_OS] || LINUX).split(',');
+        const isRancher = isRancherRepo(this.repo, this.chart);
+        const permittedSystems = getPermittedOSs(version?.annotations, isRancher);
 
         if (permittedSystems.length > 0 && difference(OSs, permittedSystems).length > 0) {
           nue.disabled = true;
diff --git a/shell/pages/c/_cluster/apps/charts/install.vue b/shell/pages/c/_cluster/apps/charts/install.vue
index f75e1c1a2c..7d7b92993a 100644
--- a/shell/pages/c/_cluster/apps/charts/install.vue
+++ b/shell/pages/c/_cluster/apps/charts/install.vue
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ import {
 import { ignoreVariables } from './install.helpers';
 import { findBy, insertAt } from '@shell/utils/array';
 import { saferDump } from '@shell/utils/create-yaml';
-import { LINUX, WINDOWS } from '@shell/store/catalog';
+import { WINDOWS, isRancherRepo, getPermittedOSs } from '@shell/store/catalog';
 import { SETTING } from '@shell/config/settings';
 import SelectOrCreateAuthSecret from '@shell/components/form/SelectOrCreateAuthSecret.vue';
 import { generateRandomAlphaString } from '@shell/utils/string';
@@ -766,14 +766,17 @@ export default {
     },
 
     windowsIncompatible() {
-      if (this.chart?.windowsIncompatible) {
-        return this.t('catalog.charts.windowsIncompatible');
-      }
       if (this.versionInfo) {
-        const incompatibleVersion = !(this.versionInfo?.chart?.annotations?.[CATALOG_ANNOTATIONS.PERMITTED_OS] || LINUX).includes('windows');
+        const isRancher = isRancherRepo(this.repo, this.chart);
+        const permittedSystems = getPermittedOSs(this.versionInfo?.chart?.annotations, isRancher);
+        const incompatibleVersion = permittedSystems.length > 0 && !permittedSystems.includes('windows');
+
+        if (incompatibleVersion) {
+          if (!this.chart?.windowsIncompatible) {
+            return this.t('catalog.charts.versionWindowsIncompatible');
+          }
 
-        if (incompatibleVersion && !this.chart.windowsIncompatible) {
-          return this.t('catalog.charts.versionWindowsIncompatible');
+          return this.t('catalog.charts.windowsIncompatible');
         }
       }
 
diff --git a/shell/store/__tests__/catalog.test.ts b/shell/store/__tests__/catalog.test.ts
index 6070fe17d9..38edebdd7a 100644
--- a/shell/store/__tests__/catalog.test.ts
+++ b/shell/store/__tests__/catalog.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { CATALOG } from '@shell/config/types';
 import { CATALOG as CATALOG_ANNOTATIONS } from '@shell/config/labels-annotations';
 import {
-  state, getters, actions, mutations, filterAndArrangeCharts
+  state, getters, actions, mutations, filterAndArrangeCharts, isRancherRepo, compatibleVersionsFor, getPermittedOSs
 } from '../catalog';
 import { createStore } from 'vuex';
 
@@ -509,4 +509,118 @@ describe('catalog', () => {
       });
     });
   });
+
+  describe('isRancherRepo', () => {
+    it('should return true if chart.isRancherRepo is true', () => {
+      const chart = { isRancherRepo: true } as any;
+
+      expect(isRancherRepo(null, chart)).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('should return true if repo.isRancherSource is true', () => {
+      const repo = { isRancherSource: true } as any;
+
+      expect(isRancherRepo(repo, null)).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('should return false if repo is not a rancher source', () => {
+      const repo = { isRancherSource: false } as any;
+
+      expect(isRancherRepo(repo, null)).toBe(false);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('compatibleVersionsFor', () => {
+    it('should allow versions if no OS constraint is provided', () => {
+      const chart = { versions: [{ version: '1.0.0' }] } as any;
+      const versions = compatibleVersionsFor(chart, undefined);
+
+      expect(versions).toHaveLength(1);
+    });
+
+    it('should allow windows nodes if permitted-os includes windows', () => {
+      const chart = {
+        versions: [{
+          version:     '1.0.0',
+          annotations: { 'catalog.cattle.io/permits-os': 'linux,windows' }
+        }]
+      } as any;
+      const versions = compatibleVersionsFor(chart, 'windows');
+
+      expect(versions).toHaveLength(1);
+    });
+
+    it('should block windows nodes if permitted-os does not include windows', () => {
+      const chart = {
+        versions: [{
+          version:     '1.0.0',
+          annotations: { 'catalog.cattle.io/permits-os': 'linux' }
+        }]
+      } as any;
+      const versions = compatibleVersionsFor(chart, 'windows');
+
+      expect(versions).toHaveLength(0);
+    });
+
+    it('should fallback to LINUX for rancher repos and block windows nodes', () => {
+      const chart = { isRancherRepo: true, versions: [{ version: '1.0.0' }] } as any;
+      const versions = compatibleVersionsFor(chart, 'windows');
+
+      expect(versions).toHaveLength(0);
+    });
+
+    it('should not fallback to LINUX for non-rancher repos and allow windows nodes', () => {
+      const chart = { isRancherRepo: false, versions: [{ version: '1.0.0' }] } as any;
+      const versions = compatibleVersionsFor(chart, 'windows');
+
+      expect(versions).toHaveLength(1);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('getPermittedOSs', () => {
+    it('should return explicitly permitted OSs when the annotation is present on a Rancher repo', () => {
+      const annotations = { [CATALOG_ANNOTATIONS.PERMITTED_OS]: 'linux,windows' };
+      const result = getPermittedOSs(annotations, true);
+
+      expect(result).toHaveLength(2);
+      expect(result).toContain('linux');
+      expect(result).toContain('windows');
+    });
+
+    it('should return explicitly permitted OSs when the annotation is present on a non-Rancher repo', () => {
+      const annotations = { [CATALOG_ANNOTATIONS.PERMITTED_OS]: 'linux' };
+      const result = getPermittedOSs(annotations, false);
+
+      expect(result).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(result).toContain('linux');
+    });
+
+    it('should fallback to linux if the annotation is missing on a Rancher repo', () => {
+      const annotations = {};
+      const result = getPermittedOSs(annotations, true);
+
+      expect(result).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(result).toContain('linux');
+    });
+
+    it('should return an empty array (no restrictions) if the annotation is missing on a non-Rancher repo', () => {
+      const annotations = {};
+      const result = getPermittedOSs(annotations, false);
+
+      expect(result).toHaveLength(0);
+    });
+
+    it('should handle undefined annotations safely for Rancher repos', () => {
+      const result = getPermittedOSs(undefined, true);
+
+      expect(result).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(result).toContain('linux');
+    });
+
+    it('should handle undefined annotations safely for non-Rancher repos', () => {
+      const result = getPermittedOSs(undefined, false);
+
+      expect(result).toHaveLength(0);
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/shell/store/catalog.js b/shell/store/catalog.js
index 0147cd64fa..a93904a592 100644
--- a/shell/store/catalog.js
+++ b/shell/store/catalog.js
@@ -559,7 +559,10 @@ function addChart(ctx, map, chart, repo) {
 
     const primeOnly = chart.annotations?.[CATALOG_ANNOTATIONS.PRIME_ONLY] === 'true';
     const experimental = !!chart.annotations?.[CATALOG_ANNOTATIONS.EXPERIMENTAL];
-    const windowsIncompatible = !(chart.annotations?.[CATALOG_ANNOTATIONS.PERMITTED_OS] || '').includes('windows');
+
+    const isRancherRepoFlag = isRancherRepo(repo, chart);
+    const permittedSystems = getPermittedOSs(chart.annotations, isRancherRepoFlag);
+    const windowsIncompatible = permittedSystems.length > 0 && !permittedSystems.includes('windows');
     const deploysOnWindows = (chart.annotations?.[CATALOG_ANNOTATIONS.DEPLOYED_OS] || '').includes('windows');
     const tags = [];
 
@@ -608,6 +611,7 @@ function addChart(ctx, map, chart, repo) {
       provides:         [],
       windowsIncompatible,
       deploysOnWindows,
+      isRancherRepo:    isRancherRepoFlag,
       tags
     });
 
@@ -692,13 +696,13 @@ export function compatibleVersionsFor(chart, os, includePrerelease = true) {
   }
 
   return versions.filter((ver) => {
-    const osPermitted = (ver?.annotations?.[CATALOG_ANNOTATIONS.PERMITTED_OS] || LINUX).split(',');
+    const osPermitted = getPermittedOSs(ver?.annotations, chart?.isRancherRepo);
 
     if ( !includePrerelease && isPrerelease(ver.version) ) {
       return false;
     }
 
-    if ( !os || difference(os, osPermitted).length === 0) {
+    if ( !os || osPermitted.length === 0 || difference(os, osPermitted).length === 0) {
       return true;
     }
 
@@ -787,3 +791,23 @@ export function filterAndArrangeCharts(charts, {
 
   return sortBy(out, ['certifiedSort', 'repoName', 'chartNameDisplay']);
 }
+
+/**
+ * Detects if a repository is a Rancher repository.
+ */
+export function isRancherRepo(repo, chart) {
+  return !!(chart?.isRancherRepo || repo?.isRancherSource);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Returns an array of permitted operating systems for a given chart or version.
+ * If the chart explicitly defines permitted OSs via annotation, those are returned.
+ * Otherwise, if the chart is from a Rancher repository, it defaults to Linux.
+ * External charts with no annotations have no OS restrictions (returns empty array).
+ */
+export function getPermittedOSs(annotations, isRancher) {
+  const permittedOs = annotations?.[CATALOG_ANNOTATIONS.PERMITTED_OS];
+  const fallbackOs = isRancher ? LINUX : '';
+
+  return (permittedOs || fallbackOs).split(',').filter(Boolean);
+}