diff --git a/src/main/starlark/builtins_bzl/common/python/py_executable.bzl b/src/main/starlark/builtins_bzl/common/python/py_executable.bzl
index 363c06f4a3b2a9..c69ea2630b152f 100644
--- a/src/main/starlark/builtins_bzl/common/python/py_executable.bzl
+++ b/src/main/starlark/builtins_bzl/common/python/py_executable.bzl
@@ -301,6 +301,16 @@ def _maybe_get_runtime_from_ctx(ctx):
     """
     if ctx.fragments.py.use_toolchains:
         toolchain = ctx.toolchains[TOOLCHAIN_TYPE]
+
+        # Hack around the fact that the autodetecting Python toolchain, which is
+        # automatically registered, does not yet support Windows. In this case,
+        # we want to return null so that _get_interpreter_path falls back on
+        # --python_path. See tools/python/toolchain.bzl.
+        # TODO(#7844): Remove this hack when the autodetecting toolchain has a
+        # Windows implementation.
+        if toolchain.py2_runtime and toolchain.py2_runtime.interpreter_path == "/_magic_pyruntime_sentinel_do_not_use":
+            return None, None
+
         if not hasattr(toolchain, "py3_runtime"):
             fail("Python toolchain field 'py3_runtime' is missing")
         if not toolchain.py3_runtime:
diff --git a/src/main/starlark/builtins_bzl/common/python/py_executable_bazel.bzl b/src/main/starlark/builtins_bzl/common/python/py_executable_bazel.bzl
index 4f8db34b028169..c650ae33dc1553 100644
--- a/src/main/starlark/builtins_bzl/common/python/py_executable_bazel.bzl
+++ b/src/main/starlark/builtins_bzl/common/python/py_executable_bazel.bzl
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ def _get_zip_runfiles_path(path, workspace_name, legacy_external_runfiles):
         # NOTE: External runfiles (artifacts in other repos) will have a leading
         # path component of "../" so that they refer outside the main workspace
         # directory and into the runfiles root. By normalizing, we simplify e.g.
-        # "workspace/../foo/bar" to simply "foo/bar" and
+        # "workspace/../foo/bar" to simply "foo/bar".
         zip_runfiles_path = paths.normalize("{}/{}".format(workspace_name, path))
     return "{}/{}".format(_ZIP_RUNFILES_DIRECTORY_NAME, zip_runfiles_path)
 
@@ -427,7 +427,6 @@ def _get_cc_details_for_binary(ctx, extra_deps):
     )
 
 def _get_interpreter_path(ctx, *, runtime, flag_interpreter_path):
-    _ = ctx  # @unused
     if runtime:
         if runtime.interpreter_path:
             interpreter_path = runtime.interpreter_path
@@ -436,6 +435,14 @@ def _get_interpreter_path(ctx, *, runtime, flag_interpreter_path):
                 ctx.workspace_name,
                 runtime.interpreter.short_path,
             )
+
+            # NOTE: External runfiles (artifacts in other repos) will have a
+            # leading path component of "../" so that they refer outside the
+            # main workspace directory and into the runfiles root. By
+            # normalizing, we simplify e.g. "workspace/../foo/bar" to simply
+            # "foo/bar"
+            interpreter_path = paths.normalize(interpreter_path)
+
     elif flag_interpreter_path:
         interpreter_path = flag_interpreter_path
     else: