diff --git a/.devcontainer/tools.mk b/.devcontainer/tools.mk
index 4aa1283d4..518123ccf 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/tools.mk
+++ b/.devcontainer/tools.mk
@@ -1,91 +1,105 @@
 BIN ?= $(HOME)/.local/bin
 
-PY38 ?= $(or $(shell command -v python3.8), $(BIN)/python3.8)
-PY39 ?= $(or $(shell command -v python3.9), $(BIN)/python3.9)
-PY310 ?= $(or $(shell command -v python3.10), $(BIN)/python3.10)
-PY311 ?= $(or $(shell command -v python3.11), $(BIN)/python3.11)
-PY312 ?= $(or $(shell command -v python3.12), $(BIN)/python3.12)
+HATCH_VERSION = 1.10.0
+NODE_VERSION := 18.20.2
 
-# Set a default python
-PY ?= $(or $(shell command -v python), $(BIN)/python)
-PY_INTERPRETERS := $(PY) $(PY38) $(PY39) $(PY310) $(PY311) $(PY312)
+# The versions of Python we support
+PYXX_versions := 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11 3.12
+PY_INTERPRETERS =
 
+# Hatch is not only used for building packages, but bootstrapping any missing
+# interpreters
 HATCH ?= $(or $(shell command -v hatch), $(BIN)/hatch)
-HATCH_VERSION = 1.9.7
-PRE_COMMIT ?= $(or $(shell command -v pre-commit), $(BIN)/pre-commit)
-TOWNCRIER ?= $(or $(shell command -v towncrier), $(BIN)/towncrier)
-
-PY_TOOLS := $(HATCH) $(PRE_COMMIT) $(TOWNCRIER)
-
-# Node JS
-NPM ?= $(or $(shell command -v npm), $(BIN)/npm)
-NODE ?= $(or $(shell command -v node), $(BIN)/node)
-NODE_VERSION := 18.20.2
-NODE_DIR := $(HOME)/.local/node
-
-tools: $(PY_INTERPRETERS) $(PY_TOOLS) $(NPM) $(NODE)
-	for prog in $^ ; do echo -n "$${prog}\t" ; $${prog} --version; done
 
 $(HATCH):
 	curl -L --output /tmp/hatch.tar.gz https://github.com/pypa/hatch/releases/download/hatch-v$(HATCH_VERSION)/hatch-$(HATCH_VERSION)-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.gz
 	tar -xf /tmp/hatch.tar.gz -C /tmp
 	rm /tmp/hatch.tar.gz
 
-	[ -d $(BIN) ] || mkdir -p $(BIN)
+	test -d $(BIN) || mkdir -p $(BIN)
 	mv /tmp/hatch-$(HATCH_VERSION)-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu $(HATCH)
 
 	$@ --version
 	touch $@
 
-$(PY38): $(HATCH)
-	$(HATCH) python find 3.8  || $(HATCH) python install 3.8
-	ln -s $$($(HATCH) python find 3.8) $@
+# This effectively defines a function `PYXX` that takes a Python version number
+# (e.g. 3.8) and expands it out into a common block of code that will ensure a
+# verison of that interpreter is available to be used.
+#
+# The is perhaps a bit more complicated than I'd like, but it should mean that
+# the project's makefiles are useful both inside and outside of a devcontainer.
+#
+# `PYXX` has the following behavior:
+# - If possible, it will reuse the user's existing version of Python
+#   i.e. $(shell command -v pythonX.X)
+#
+# - The user may force a specific interpreter to be used by setting the
+#   variable when running make e.g. PYXX=/path/to/pythonX.X make ...
+#
+# - Otherwise, `make` will use `$(HATCH)` to install the given version of
+#   Python under `$(BIN)`
+#
+# See: https://www.gnu.org/software/make/manual/html_node/Eval-Function.html
+define PYXX =
 
-	$@ --version
-	touch $@
+PY$(subst .,,$1) ?= $$(shell command -v python$1)
 
-$(PY39): $(HATCH)
-	$(HATCH) python find 3.9  || $(HATCH) python install 3.9
-	ln -s $$($(HATCH) python find 3.9) $@
+ifeq ($$(strip $$(PY$(subst .,,$1))),)
 
-	$@ --version
-	touch $@
+PY$(subst .,,$1) := $$(BIN)/python$1
 
-$(PY310): $(HATCH)
-	$(HATCH) python find 3.10  || $(HATCH) python install 3.10
-	ln -s $$($(HATCH) python find 3.10) $@
+$$(PY$(subst .,,$1)): $$(HATCH)
+	$$(HATCH) python find $1 || $$(HATCH) python install $1
+	ln -s $$$$($$(HATCH) python find $1) $$@
 
-	$@ --version
-	touch $@
+	$$@ --version
+	touch $$@
 
-$(PY311): $(HATCH)
-	$(HATCH) python find 3.11  || $(HATCH) python install 3.11
-	ln -s $$($(HATCH) python find 3.11) $@
+endif
 
-	$@ --version
-	touch $@
+PY_INTERPRETERS += $$(PY$(subst .,,$1))
+endef
 
-$(PY312): $(HATCH)
-	$(HATCH) python find 3.12  || $(HATCH) python install 3.12
-	ln -s $$($(HATCH) python find 3.12) $@
+# Uncomment the following line to see what this expands into.
+#$(foreach version,$(PYXX_versions),$(info $(call PYXX,$(version))))
+$(foreach version,$(PYXX_versions),$(eval $(call PYXX,$(version))))
 
-	$@ --version
-	touch $@
+# Set a default `python` command if there is not one already
+PY ?= $(shell command -v python)
+
+ifeq ($(strip $(PY)),)
+PY := $(BIN)/python
 
 $(PY): $(PY312)
 	ln -s $< $@
 	$@ --version
 	touch $@
+endif
+
+PY_INTERPRETERS += $(PY)
+#$(info $(PY_INTERPRETERS))
+
+PRE_COMMIT ?= $(shell command -v pre-commit)
+
+ifeq ($(strip $(PRE_COMMIT)),)
+PRE_COMMIT := $(BIN)/pre-commit
 
 $(PRE_COMMIT): $(PY)
 	$(PY) -m pip install --user pre-commit
 	$@ --version
 	touch $@
+endif
 
-$(TOWNCRIER): $(PY)
-	$(PY) -m pip install --user towncrier
-	$@ --version
-	touch $@
+PY_TOOLS := $(HATCH) $(PRE_COMMIT)
+
+# Node JS
+NPM ?= $(shell command -v npm)
+
+ifeq ($(strip $(NPM)),)
+
+NPM := $(BIN)/npm
+NODE := $(BIN)/node
+NODE_DIR := $(HOME)/.local/node
 
 $(NPM):
 	curl -L --output /tmp/node.tar.xz https://nodejs.org/dist/v$(NODE_VERSION)/node-v$(NODE_VERSION)-linux-x64.tar.xz
@@ -101,3 +115,9 @@ $(NPM):
 
 	$(NODE) --version
 	PATH=$(BIN) $(NPM) --version
+
+endif
+
+# One command to bootstrap all tools and check their versions
+tools: $(PY_INTERPRETERS) $(PY_TOOLS) $(NPM)
+	for prog in $^ ; do echo -n "$${prog}\t" ; PATH=$(BIN) $${prog} --version; done