diff --git a/BUILD.package_generic_unix b/BUILD.package_generic_unix
index 4cc8056e7acf..c319e6fe4482 100644
--- a/BUILD.package_generic_unix
+++ b/BUILD.package_generic_unix
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ rabbitmq_package_generic_unix(
 rabbitmq_run(
     name = "rabbitmq-run",
     home = ":broker-home",
+    otp = "@erlang_config//25_3:erlang_25_3_toolchain",
     visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
 )
 
diff --git a/rabbitmq_run.bzl b/rabbitmq_run.bzl
index b2e5debae1e9..e344f9fe1b09 100644
--- a/rabbitmq_run.bzl
+++ b/rabbitmq_run.bzl
@@ -21,7 +21,21 @@ def _impl(ctx):
         path_join(rabbitmq_home_path, "plugins"),
     ])
 
-    (erlang_home, _, runfiles) = erlang_dirs(ctx)
+    if ctx.attr.otp != None:
+        info = ctx.attr.otp[platform_common.ToolchainInfo].otpinfo
+        runfiles = ctx.runfiles([
+            info.release_dir_tar,
+            info.version_file,
+        ])
+        erlang_home = info.erlang_home
+        release_dir_tar = info.release_dir_tar
+        release_dir_tar_path = path_join(
+            ctx.attr.otp.label.workspace_root,
+            release_dir_tar.short_path,
+        )
+    else:
+        (erlang_home, release_dir_tar, runfiles) = erlang_dirs(ctx)
+        release_dir_tar_path = "/dev/null"
 
     if not ctx.attr.is_windows:
         output = ctx.actions.declare_file(ctx.label.name)
@@ -31,6 +45,7 @@ def _impl(ctx):
             substitutions = {
                 "{RABBITMQ_HOME}": rabbitmq_home_path,
                 "{ERL_LIBS}": erl_libs,
+                "{ERLANG_TAR}": release_dir_tar_path,
                 "{ERLANG_HOME}": erlang_home,
             },
             is_executable = True,
@@ -43,7 +58,8 @@ def _impl(ctx):
             substitutions = {
                 "{RABBITMQ_HOME}": windows_path(rabbitmq_home_path),
                 "{ERL_LIBS}": erl_libs,
-                "{ERLANG_HOME}": windows_path(erlang_home),
+                "{ERLANG_TAR}": windows_path(release_dir_tar_path),
+                "{ERLANG_HOME}": windows_path(erlang_home.short_path),
             },
             is_executable = True,
         )
@@ -68,6 +84,7 @@ rabbitmq_run_private = rule(
         ),
         "is_windows": attr.bool(mandatory = True),
         "home": attr.label(providers = [RabbitmqHomeInfo]),
+        "otp": attr.label(),  # Optional. e.g. @erlang_config//25_3:erlang_25_3_toolchain
     },
     toolchains = ["@rules_erlang//tools:toolchain_type"],
     executable = True,
diff --git a/scripts/bazel/rabbitmq-run.sh b/scripts/bazel/rabbitmq-run.sh
index 051bd5987606..bfce7f4be398 100755
--- a/scripts/bazel/rabbitmq-run.sh
+++ b/scripts/bazel/rabbitmq-run.sh
@@ -222,6 +222,14 @@ export RABBITMQ_SCRIPTS_DIR \
 
 HOSTNAME="$(hostname -s)"
 
+# install pre-built erlang if necessary
+if [[ ! -d '{ERLANG_HOME}' ]]; then
+    printf 'Extracting OTP from {ERLANG_TAR}\n'
+    tar --extract --directory / --file "$BASE_DIR"/'{ERLANG_TAR}'
+    printf "done.\n"
+    export PATH='{ERLANG_HOME}/bin':$PATH
+fi
+
 case $CMD in
     run-broker)
         setup_node_env