diff --git a/python/private/python.bzl b/python/private/python.bzl
index 0f3bbee4ac..0cc19382d0 100644
--- a/python/private/python.bzl
+++ b/python/private/python.bzl
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ load(":full_version.bzl", "full_version")
 load(":python_register_toolchains.bzl", "python_register_toolchains")
 load(":pythons_hub.bzl", "hub_repo")
 load(":repo_utils.bzl", "repo_utils")
-load(":toolchains_repo.bzl", "host_toolchain", "multi_toolchain_aliases")
+load(":toolchains_repo.bzl", "host_toolchain", "multi_toolchain_aliases", "sorted_host_platforms")
 load(":util.bzl", "IS_BAZEL_6_4_OR_HIGHER")
 load(":version.bzl", "version")
 
@@ -298,9 +298,8 @@ def _python_impl(module_ctx):
             _internal_bzlmod_toolchain_call = True,
             **kwargs
         )
-        host_platforms = []
-        host_os_names = {}
-        host_archs = {}
+
+        host_platforms = {}
         for repo_name, (platform_name, platform_info) in register_result.impl_repos.items():
             toolchain_impls.append(struct(
                 # str: The base name to use for the toolchain() target
@@ -319,17 +318,21 @@ def _python_impl(module_ctx):
                 set_python_version_constraint = is_last,
             ))
             if _is_compatible_with_host(module_ctx, platform_info):
-                host_key = str(len(host_platforms))
-                host_platforms.append(platform_name)
-                host_os_names[host_key] = platform_info.os_name
-                host_archs[host_key] = platform_info.arch
+                host_platforms[platform_name] = platform_info
 
+        host_platforms = sorted_host_platforms(host_platforms)
         host_toolchain(
             name = toolchain_info.name + "_host",
             # NOTE: Order matters. The first found to be compatible is (usually) used.
-            platforms = host_platforms,
-            os_names = host_os_names,
-            arch_names = host_archs,
+            platforms = host_platforms.keys(),
+            os_names = {
+                str(i): platform_info.os_name
+                for i, platform_info in enumerate(host_platforms.values())
+            },
+            arch_names = {
+                str(i): platform_info.arch
+                for i, platform_info in enumerate(host_platforms.values())
+            },
             python_version = full_python_version,
         )
 
diff --git a/python/private/toolchains_repo.bzl b/python/private/toolchains_repo.bzl
index 29ac694fd5..0fd05c6625 100644
--- a/python/private/toolchains_repo.bzl
+++ b/python/private/toolchains_repo.bzl
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ platform-specific repositories.
 
 load(
     "//python:versions.bzl",
+    "FREETHREADED",
+    "MUSL",
     "PLATFORMS",
     "WINDOWS_NAME",
 )
@@ -433,6 +435,44 @@ multi_toolchain_aliases = repository_rule(
     },
 )
 
+def sorted_host_platforms(platform_map):
+    """Sort the keys in the platform map to give correct precedence.
+
+    The order of keys in the platform mapping matters for the host toolchain
+    selection. When multiple runtimes are compatible with the host, we take the
+    first that is compatible (usually; there's also the
+    `RULES_PYTHON_REPO_TOOLCHAIN_*` environment variables). The historical
+    behavior carefully constructed the ordering of platform keys such that
+    the ordering was:
+    * Regular platforms
+    * The "-freethreaded" suffix
+    * The "-musl" suffix
+
+    Here, we formalize that so it isn't subtly encoded in the ordering of keys
+    in a dict that autoformatters like to clobber and whose only documentation
+    is an innocous looking formatter disable directive.
+
+    Args:
+        platform_map: a mapping of platforms and their metadata.
+
+    Returns:
+        dict; the same values, but with the keys inserted in the desired
+        order so that iteration happens in the desired order.
+    """
+
+    def platform_keyer(name):
+        # Ascending sort: lower is higher precedence
+        return (
+            1 if MUSL in name else 0,
+            1 if FREETHREADED in name else 0,
+        )
+
+    sorted_platform_keys = sorted(platform_map.keys(), key = platform_keyer)
+    return {
+        key: platform_map[key]
+        for key in sorted_platform_keys
+    }
+
 def _get_host_platform(*, rctx, logger, python_version, os_name, cpu_name, platforms):
     """Gets the host platform.
 
@@ -455,7 +495,7 @@ def _get_host_platform(*, rctx, logger, python_version, os_name, cpu_name, platf
                 arch = rctx.attr.arch_names[key],
             )
     else:
-        platform_map = PLATFORMS
+        platform_map = sorted_host_platforms(PLATFORMS)
 
     candidates = []
     for platform in platforms:
diff --git a/python/versions.bzl b/python/versions.bzl
index 4a2a4cb758..166cc98851 100644
--- a/python/versions.bzl
+++ b/python/versions.bzl
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@
 MACOS_NAME = "osx"
 LINUX_NAME = "linux"
 WINDOWS_NAME = "windows"
-FREETHREADED = "freethreaded"
+
+FREETHREADED = "-freethreaded"
+MUSL = "-musl"
 INSTALL_ONLY = "install_only"
 
 DEFAULT_RELEASE_BASE_URL = "https://github.com/astral-sh/python-build-standalone/releases/download"
@@ -845,7 +847,7 @@ def _generate_platforms():
         for p, v in platforms.items()
         for suffix, freethreadedness in {
             "": is_freethreaded_no,
-            "-" + FREETHREADED: is_freethreaded_yes,
+            FREETHREADED: is_freethreaded_yes,
         }.items()
     }
 
@@ -879,11 +881,11 @@ def get_release_info(platform, python_version, base_url = DEFAULT_RELEASE_BASE_U
     release_filename = None
     rendered_urls = []
     for u in url:
-        p, _, _ = platform.partition("-" + FREETHREADED)
+        p, _, _ = platform.partition(FREETHREADED)
 
-        if FREETHREADED in platform:
+        if FREETHREADED.lstrip("-") in platform:
             build = "{}+{}-full".format(
-                FREETHREADED,
+                FREETHREADED.lstrip("-"),
                 {
                     "aarch64-apple-darwin": "pgo+lto",
                     "aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu": "lto",