diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/BazelRepositoryModule.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/BazelRepositoryModule.java
index 0a2661fde95dc7..56de39965b24f1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/BazelRepositoryModule.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/BazelRepositoryModule.java
@@ -340,10 +340,27 @@ public void beforeCommand(CommandEnvironment env) throws AbruptExitException {
           starlarkRepositoryFunction.setWorkerExecutorService(repoFetchingWorkerThreadPool);
           break;
         case VIRTUAL:
-          throw new AbruptExitException(
-              detailedExitCode(
-                  "using a virtual worker thread for repo fetching is not yet supported",
-                  Code.BAD_DOWNLOADER_CONFIG));
+        case AUTO:
+          try {
+            // Since Google hasn't migrated to JDK 21 yet, we can't directly call
+            // Executors.newVirtualThreadPerTaskExecutor here. But a bit of reflection never hurt
+            // anyone... right? (OSS Bazel already ships with a bundled JDK 21)
+            starlarkRepositoryFunction.setWorkerExecutorService(
+                (ExecutorService)
+                    Executors.class
+                        .getDeclaredMethod("newVirtualThreadPerTaskExecutor")
+                        .invoke(null));
+          } catch (ReflectiveOperationException e) {
+            if (repoOptions.workerForRepoFetching == RepositoryOptions.WorkerForRepoFetching.AUTO) {
+              starlarkRepositoryFunction.setWorkerExecutorService(null);
+            } else {
+              throw new AbruptExitException(
+                  detailedExitCode(
+                      "couldn't create virtual worker thread executor for repo fetching",
+                      Code.BAD_DOWNLOADER_CONFIG),
+                  e);
+            }
+          }
       }
       downloadManager.setDisableDownload(repoOptions.disableDownload);
       if (repoOptions.repositoryDownloaderRetries >= 0) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/repository/RepositoryOptions.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/repository/RepositoryOptions.java
index e984bad9e35c94..e2183ed3957ad4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/repository/RepositoryOptions.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/repository/RepositoryOptions.java
@@ -216,7 +216,8 @@ public class RepositoryOptions extends OptionsBase {
   public enum WorkerForRepoFetching {
     OFF,
     PLATFORM,
-    VIRTUAL;
+    VIRTUAL,
+    AUTO;
 
     static class Converter extends EnumConverter<WorkerForRepoFetching> {
       public Converter() {
@@ -227,14 +228,16 @@ public Converter() {
 
   @Option(
       name = "experimental_worker_for_repo_fetching",
-      defaultValue = "off",
+      defaultValue = "auto",
       converter = WorkerForRepoFetching.Converter.class,
       documentationCategory = OptionDocumentationCategory.REMOTE,
       effectTags = {OptionEffectTag.UNKNOWN},
       help =
           "The threading mode to use for repo fetching. If set to 'off', no worker thread is used,"
               + " and the repo fetching is subject to restarts. Otherwise, uses a platform thread"
-              + " (i.e. OS thread) if set to 'platform' or a virtual thread if set to 'virtual'.")
+              + " (i.e. OS thread) if set to 'platform' or a virtual thread if set to 'virtual'. If"
+              + " set to 'auto', virtual threads are used if available (i.e. running on JDK 21+),"
+              + " otherwise no worker thread is used.")
   public WorkerForRepoFetching workerForRepoFetching;
 
   @Option(
diff --git a/src/test/shell/bazel/bazel_workspaces_test.sh b/src/test/shell/bazel/bazel_workspaces_test.sh
index e65a60377e8aa6..b600f6a3eb8337 100755
--- a/src/test/shell/bazel/bazel_workspaces_test.sh
+++ b/src/test/shell/bazel/bazel_workspaces_test.sh
@@ -96,54 +96,6 @@ function test_execute() {
   ensure_contains_exactly "location: .*repos.bzl:2:25" 0
 }
 
-# The workspace is set up so that the function is interrupted and re-executed.
-# The log should contain both instances.
-function test_reexecute() {
-  create_new_workspace
-  cat > BUILD <<'EOF'
-genrule(
-   name="test",
-   srcs=["@repo//:t.txt"],
-   outs=["out.txt"],
-   cmd="echo Result > $(location out.txt)"
-)
-EOF
-  cat >> repos.bzl <<EOF
-def _executeMe(repository_ctx):
-  repository_ctx.execute(["echo", "testing!"])
-  build_contents = "package(default_visibility = ['//visibility:public'])\n\n"
-  build_contents += "exports_files([\"t.txt\"])\n"
-  repository_ctx.file("BUILD", build_contents, False)
-  repository_ctx.symlink(Label("@another//:dummy.txt"), "t.txt")
-
-ex_repo = repository_rule(
-  implementation = _executeMe,
-  local = True,
-)
-
-def _another(repository_ctx):
-  build_contents = "exports_files([\"dummy.txt\"])\n"
-  repository_ctx.file("BUILD", build_contents, False)
-  repository_ctx.file("dummy.txt", "dummy\n", False)
-
-a_repo = repository_rule(
-  implementation = _another,
-  local = True,
-)
-EOF
-  cat >> WORKSPACE <<EOF
-load("//:repos.bzl", "ex_repo")
-load("//:repos.bzl", "a_repo")
-ex_repo(name = "repo")
-a_repo(name = "another")
-EOF
-
-  build_and_process_log
-
-  ensure_contains_atleast "location: .*repos.bzl:2:" 2
-}
-
-
 # Ensure details of the specific functions are present
 function test_execute2() {
   set_workspace_command 'repository_ctx.execute(["echo", "test_contents"], 21, {"Arg1": "Val1"}, True)'
diff --git a/src/test/shell/bazel/starlark_repository_test.sh b/src/test/shell/bazel/starlark_repository_test.sh
index d5008c47cd5dd4..8493fe92f86ca0 100755
--- a/src/test/shell/bazel/starlark_repository_test.sh
+++ b/src/test/shell/bazel/starlark_repository_test.sh
@@ -2384,6 +2384,12 @@ EOF
   bazel build @foo//:bar --experimental_worker_for_repo_fetching=platform >& $TEST_log \
     || fail "Expected build to succeed"
   expect_log_n "hello world!" 1
+
+  # virtual worker thread, never restarts
+  bazel shutdown
+  bazel build @foo//:bar --experimental_worker_for_repo_fetching=virtual >& $TEST_log \
+    || fail "Expected build to succeed"
+  expect_log_n "hello world!" 1
 }
 
 function test_duplicate_value_in_environ() {