diff --git a/runpod/apps/volume.py b/runpod/apps/volume.py
index 943c80b5..35579842 100644
--- a/runpod/apps/volume.py
+++ b/runpod/apps/volume.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import logging
 import json
+import os
 from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
 from collections.abc import Mapping
 from pathlib import Path, PurePosixPath
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ def reference(self) -> str:
     @property
     def path(self) -> Path:
         """the unique mount path for this volume in the current worker."""
+        _ensure_mounts_configured()
         paths = _mount_bindings.get((self.kind, self.reference), ())
         if not paths:
             raise VolumeError(
@@ -130,6 +132,27 @@ def normalize_mounts(mounts: Optional[Mapping[str, Volume]]) -> Dict[str, Volume
 
 
 _mount_bindings: Mapping[Tuple[str, str], Tuple[Path, ...]] = MappingProxyType({})
+_mounts_configured = False
+
+
+def _ensure_mounts_configured() -> None:
+    """bind mounts from RUNPOD_MOUNTS if the worker runtime did not.
+
+    the runtime calls _configure_mounts before user code, but runtime
+    images released before that hook never do. deployed workers run
+    this vendored package, so reading the provisioning env here keeps
+    vol.path working regardless of the image's runtime version.
+    """
+    if _mounts_configured:
+        return
+    raw = os.environ.get("RUNPOD_MOUNTS")
+    if not raw:
+        return
+    try:
+        bindings = json.loads(raw)
+    except json.JSONDecodeError as exc:
+        raise VolumeError("RUNPOD_MOUNTS must contain a valid JSON array") from exc
+    _configure_mounts(bindings)
 
 
 def _configure_mounts(bindings: List[Dict[str, str]]) -> None:
@@ -153,7 +176,8 @@ def _configure_mounts(bindings: List[Dict[str, str]]) -> None:
             paths = resolved.setdefault(key, [])
             if path not in paths:
                 paths.append(path)
-    global _mount_bindings
+    global _mount_bindings, _mounts_configured
+    _mounts_configured = True
     _mount_bindings = MappingProxyType(
         {key: tuple(paths) for key, paths in resolved.items()}
     )
diff --git a/tests/test_apps/test_volume.py b/tests/test_apps/test_volume.py
index 70c255db..3ad36829 100644
--- a/tests/test_apps/test_volume.py
+++ b/tests/test_apps/test_volume.py
@@ -109,6 +109,48 @@ def test_multiple_bindings_require_explicit_path(self):
         with pytest.raises(VolumeError):
             NetworkVolume("nv-1").path
 
+    def test_path_binds_from_env_when_runtime_did_not(self, monkeypatch):
+        # runtime images released before the mounts hook never call
+        # _configure_mounts; the vendored sdk reads the env itself
+        import runpod.apps.volume as volume_mod
+
+        monkeypatch.setattr(volume_mod, "_mounts_configured", False)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(volume_mod, "_mount_bindings", {})
+        monkeypatch.setenv(
+            "RUNPOD_MOUNTS",
+            json.dumps(
+                [
+                    {
+                        "kind": "network",
+                        "reference": "models",
+                        "id": "nv-1",
+                        "path": "/runpod-volume",
+                    }
+                ]
+            ),
+        )
+        assert str(NetworkVolume("models").path) == "/runpod-volume"
+        assert str(NetworkVolume("nv-1").path) == "/runpod-volume"
+
+    def test_runtime_configuration_wins_over_env(self, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setenv(
+            "RUNPOD_MOUNTS",
+            json.dumps(
+                [{"kind": "network", "reference": "models", "id": "nv-1", "path": "/x"}]
+            ),
+        )
+        # clean_mounts already configured an empty set, as the runtime does
+        with pytest.raises(VolumeError, match="not mounted"):
+            NetworkVolume("models").path
+
+    def test_invalid_env_bindings_raise(self, monkeypatch):
+        import runpod.apps.volume as volume_mod
+
+        monkeypatch.setattr(volume_mod, "_mounts_configured", False)
+        monkeypatch.setenv("RUNPOD_MOUNTS", "{not json")
+        with pytest.raises(VolumeError, match="valid JSON"):
+            NetworkVolume("models").path
+
     def test_invalid_configuration_does_not_partially_publish(self, tmp_path):
         (tmp_path / "model").write_text("retained")
         binding = {