diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/python/PythonOptions.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/python/PythonOptions.java
index 357c9dc1ee5d0a..34c580e4f8796c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/python/PythonOptions.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/python/PythonOptions.java
@@ -248,6 +248,9 @@ public String getTypeDescription() {
               + "https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/issues/10076.")
   public boolean incompatibleDefaultToExplicitInitPy;
 
+  // Helper field to store hostForcePython in exec configuration
+  private PythonVersion defaultPythonVersion = null;
+
   @Override
   public Map<OptionDefinition, SelectRestriction> getSelectRestrictions() {
     // TODO(brandjon): Instead of referencing the python_version target, whose path depends on the
@@ -256,7 +259,7 @@ public Map<OptionDefinition, SelectRestriction> getSelectRestrictions() {
     restrictions.put(
         PYTHON_VERSION_DEFINITION,
         new SelectRestriction(
-            /*visibleWithinToolsPackage=*/ true,
+            /* visibleWithinToolsPackage= */ true,
             "Use @bazel_tools//python/tools:python_version instead."));
     restrictions.put(
         FORCE_PYTHON_DEFINITION,
@@ -276,6 +279,9 @@ public Map<OptionDefinition, SelectRestriction> getSelectRestrictions() {
    * a version should be built for.
    */
   public PythonVersion getDefaultPythonVersion() {
+    if (defaultPythonVersion != null) {
+      return defaultPythonVersion;
+    }
     return incompatiblePy3IsDefault ? PythonVersion.PY3 : PythonVersion.PY2;
   }
 
@@ -320,8 +326,11 @@ public void setPythonVersion(PythonVersion version) {
   @Override
   public FragmentOptions getHost() {
     PythonOptions hostPythonOptions = (PythonOptions) getDefault();
-    PythonVersion hostVersion =
-        (hostForcePython != null) ? hostForcePython : getDefaultPythonVersion();
+    PythonVersion hostVersion = getDefaultPythonVersion();
+    if (hostForcePython != null) {
+      hostVersion = hostForcePython;
+      hostPythonOptions.defaultPythonVersion = hostForcePython;
+    }
     hostPythonOptions.setPythonVersion(hostVersion);
     hostPythonOptions.incompatiblePy3IsDefault = incompatiblePy3IsDefault;
     hostPythonOptions.incompatiblePy2OutputsAreSuffixed = incompatiblePy2OutputsAreSuffixed;
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/python/PythonVersionTransition.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/python/PythonVersionTransition.java
index f980879ff20f13..79401ca954708c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/python/PythonVersionTransition.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/python/PythonVersionTransition.java
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.analysis.config.BuildOptions;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.analysis.config.BuildOptionsCache;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.analysis.config.BuildOptionsView;
-import com.google.devtools.build.lib.analysis.config.CoreOptions;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.analysis.config.FragmentOptions;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.analysis.config.transitions.PatchTransition;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.events.EventHandler;
@@ -69,17 +68,12 @@ private PythonVersionTransition() {}
 
   @Override
   public ImmutableSet<Class<? extends FragmentOptions>> requiresOptionFragments() {
-    return ImmutableSet.of(PythonOptions.class, CoreOptions.class);
+    return ImmutableSet.of(PythonOptions.class);
   }
 
   @Override
   public BuildOptions patch(BuildOptionsView options, EventHandler eventHandler) {
-    // If this happens after exec transition, keep the same version (to reproduce and keep behaviour
-    // of the host transition, that happens after this one)
-    PythonVersion newVersion =
-        options.get(CoreOptions.class).isExec
-            ? options.get(PythonOptions.class).getPythonVersion()
-            : determineNewVersion(options);
+    PythonVersion newVersion = determineNewVersion(options);
     checkArgument(newVersion.isTargetValue(), newVersion);
 
     // PythonOptions aren't present after NoConfigTransition. That implies rules that don't read