diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 339ab9c6c7..02621d8336 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -173,6 +173,19 @@ set(config_module_list)
 set(config_kernel_list)
 
 # Find Python
+#
+# Use LOCATION strategy so cmake picks the first Python3 it finds on
+# PATH (matching the legacy PythonInterp behavior) instead of the newest
+# system-wide version. Without this, CI runners that install PX4's
+# Python deps into one interpreter (e.g. the venv on macOS, or the
+# setup-python interpreter on Windows) but also have a newer system
+# Python on PATH (Homebrew python@3.14, MSYS2 mingw64 python) end up
+# configuring CMake with the wrong interpreter and fail at the
+# kconfiglib import in cmake/kconfig.cmake.
+set(Python3_FIND_STRATEGY LOCATION)
+if(DEFINED ENV{VIRTUAL_ENV})
+	set(Python3_FIND_VIRTUALENV FIRST)
+endif()
 find_package(Python3 3 COMPONENTS Interpreter)
 # We have a custom error message to tell users how to install python3.
 if(NOT Python3_Interpreter_FOUND)