diff --git a/pymage/README.md b/pymage/README.md
index db657df..6dc2121 100644
--- a/pymage/README.md
+++ b/pymage/README.md
@@ -59,6 +59,25 @@ Each platform selects its own compatible wheels (pure-python wheels are shared),
 so the wheelhouse must contain a compatible wheel per platform for any compiled
 dependency.
 
+### Choosing a base image
+
+The base is an input to the build, so it affects reproducibility just like the
+lock and source do. **Pin it by digest** (e.g.
+`cgr.dev/chainguard/python@sha256:…`) for stable, no-bytes rebuilds.
+
+A floating tag such as `cgr.dev/chainguard/python:latest` works, but be aware:
+
+- it makes the base an *uncontrolled input*, so rebuilds aren't reproducible and
+  may push fresh base layers whenever the tag moves; and
+- `:latest` slides forward across Python **minor versions**. Pure-python wheels
+  keep working (they're matched by `py3` and found via `PYTHONPATH`), but
+  version-specific compiled wheels (`cp312`…) break when the interpreter moves.
+
+To prevent silent breakage, pymage reads the base's advertised `PYTHON_VERSION`
+and **fails the build** if it doesn't match `--python`, telling you which
+version to target. (Bases that don't advertise a version can't be validated —
+another reason to pin.)
+
 ### Useful flags
 
 | Flag | Description |
diff --git a/pymage/internal/build/build_test.go b/pymage/internal/build/build_test.go
index 90cf766..cf76f25 100644
--- a/pymage/internal/build/build_test.go
+++ b/pymage/internal/build/build_test.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 
 	v1 "github.com/google/go-containerregistry/pkg/v1"
 	"github.com/google/go-containerregistry/pkg/v1/empty"
+	"github.com/google/go-containerregistry/pkg/v1/mutate"
 
 	"github.com/imjasonh/terraform-playground/pymage/internal/cache"
 	"github.com/imjasonh/terraform-playground/pymage/internal/testwheel"
@@ -241,6 +242,26 @@ func TestBuildWithCacheIsConsistentAndPopulates(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestInterpreterVersion(t *testing.T) {
+	withEnv := func(env []string) v1.Image {
+		img, err := mutate.ConfigFile(empty.Image, &v1.ConfigFile{Config: v1.Config{Env: env}})
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		return img
+	}
+
+	if maj, min, ok := InterpreterVersion(withEnv([]string{"PYTHON_VERSION=3.12.11", "PATH=/usr/bin"})); !ok || maj != 3 || min != 12 {
+		t.Errorf("got %d.%d ok=%v, want 3.12 ok=true", maj, min, ok)
+	}
+	if _, _, ok := InterpreterVersion(withEnv([]string{"PATH=/usr/bin"})); ok {
+		t.Error("expected ok=false when no PYTHON_VERSION is advertised")
+	}
+	if maj, min, ok := InterpreterVersion(withEnv([]string{"PYTHON_VERSION=3.13"})); !ok || maj != 3 || min != 13 {
+		t.Errorf("got %d.%d ok=%v, want 3.13 ok=true", maj, min, ok)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestSourceLayerIgnore(t *testing.T) {
 	src := t.TempDir()
 	must := func(p, content string) {
diff --git a/pymage/internal/build/resolve.go b/pymage/internal/build/resolve.go
index 4e2ab75..65ba61e 100644
--- a/pymage/internal/build/resolve.go
+++ b/pymage/internal/build/resolve.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package build
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/google/go-containerregistry/pkg/authn"
 	"github.com/google/go-containerregistry/pkg/name"
@@ -34,3 +36,32 @@ func Base(ctx context.Context, ref string, platform *v1.Platform, kc authn.Keych
 	}
 	return img, nil
 }
+
+// InterpreterVersion reports the Python X.Y advertised by the base image via a
+// PYTHON_VERSION env var (set by the official python images and others). When a
+// base does not advertise one, ok is false and the caller cannot validate the
+// interpreter — a reason to pin a known base rather than rely on a floating
+// tag. It reads only the (already-fetched) config, never layer bytes.
+func InterpreterVersion(img v1.Image) (major, minor int, ok bool) {
+	cf, err := img.ConfigFile()
+	if err != nil || cf == nil {
+		return 0, 0, false
+	}
+	for _, kv := range cf.Config.Env {
+		k, v, found := strings.Cut(kv, "=")
+		if !found || k != "PYTHON_VERSION" {
+			continue
+		}
+		parts := strings.SplitN(v, ".", 3)
+		if len(parts) < 2 {
+			return 0, 0, false
+		}
+		maj, err1 := strconv.Atoi(parts[0])
+		min, err2 := strconv.Atoi(parts[1])
+		if err1 != nil || err2 != nil {
+			return 0, 0, false
+		}
+		return maj, min, true
+	}
+	return 0, 0, false
+}
diff --git a/pymage/internal/cli/cli.go b/pymage/internal/cli/cli.go
index 4db5dfc..8e393ba 100644
--- a/pymage/internal/cli/cli.go
+++ b/pymage/internal/cli/cli.go
@@ -208,6 +208,14 @@ func buildOne(ctx context.Context, f *buildFlags, reqs []lock.Requirement, platf
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
+	// If the base advertises its interpreter version, make sure it matches the
+	// requested --python. This catches a floating base tag (e.g. ":latest")
+	// sliding to a Python version that the selected wheels/layout don't target,
+	// which would otherwise silently produce a broken image.
+	if maj, min, ok := build.InterpreterVersion(base); ok && (maj != target.PyMajor || min != target.PyMinor) {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("base %q provides Python %d.%d but --python is python%d.%d; pass --python python%d.%d (or pin a matching base)",
+			f.base, maj, min, target.PyMajor, target.PyMinor, maj, min)
+	}
 	img, err := build.Build(build.Options{
 		Base:       base,
 		Wheels:     wheels,
diff --git a/pymage/internal/cli/cli_test.go b/pymage/internal/cli/cli_test.go
index ca41c06..b27d3b1 100644
--- a/pymage/internal/cli/cli_test.go
+++ b/pymage/internal/cli/cli_test.go
@@ -129,6 +129,53 @@ func writeMultiArchBase(t *testing.T, ref string, arches []string) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestBuildRejectsInterpreterMismatch ensures a base advertising a different
+// Python version than --python fails fast (the floating-tag drift guard).
+func TestBuildRejectsInterpreterMismatch(t *testing.T) {
+	s := httptest.NewServer(registry.New())
+	t.Cleanup(s.Close)
+	host := strings.TrimPrefix(s.URL, "http://")
+
+	baseRef := host + "/base:py313"
+	img, err := mutate.ConfigFile(empty.Image, &v1.ConfigFile{
+		OS: "linux", Architecture: "amd64",
+		Config: v1.Config{Env: []string{"PYTHON_VERSION=3.13.1", "PATH=/usr/bin"}},
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	r, _ := name.ParseReference(baseRef)
+	if err := remote.Write(r, img, remote.WithContext(context.Background())); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	wh := t.TempDir()
+	_, sha := testwheel.Write(t, wh, testwheel.Spec{Name: "alpha", Version: "1.0", Modules: map[string]string{"alpha/__init__.py": "V='1'\n"}})
+	reqFile := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "requirements.txt")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(reqFile, []byte(fmt.Sprintf("alpha==1.0 --hash=sha256:%s\n", sha)), 0o644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	cmd := Root()
+	cmd.SetArgs([]string{
+		"build",
+		"--base", baseRef,
+		"--lock", reqFile,
+		"--find-links", wh,
+		"--python", "python3.12", // mismatches the base's 3.13
+		"--push=false",
+		"--print-digest",
+	})
+	cmd.SetOut(os.Stderr)
+	err = cmd.Execute()
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected build to fail on interpreter mismatch")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "Python 3.13") {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestParsePythonTag(t *testing.T) {
 	maj, min, err := parsePythonTag("python3.12")
 	if err != nil || maj != 3 || min != 12 {