diff --git a/scripts/install-cli.sh b/scripts/install-cli.sh
index a39b73c2e5a..332bd559672 100755
--- a/scripts/install-cli.sh
+++ b/scripts/install-cli.sh
@@ -95,9 +95,10 @@ if [ -z "$UV_BIN" ] || [ "${CURRENT_UV_VERSION:-}" != "$UV_VERSION" ]; then
 fi
 
 # ── install ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# --python-preference system: reuse a compatible system Python when present,
-# otherwise download a managed one. Either way uv honours litellm's requires-python,
-# so a too-old (3.9) or too-new (3.14+) system Python is skipped, not forced.
+# --python mirrors requires-python in pyproject.toml (keep in sync): uv selects the
+# interpreter before resolving, so an unconstrained request accepts a too-old system
+# Python (stock macOS ships 3.9) and fails resolution instead of downloading a
+# managed one. --python-preference system still reuses a compatible system Python.
 echo ""
 if [ -n "${LITELLM_CLI_REF:-}" ]; then
   header "Installing litellm[cli] from ${LITELLM_CLI_REF}…"
@@ -106,8 +107,8 @@ else
 fi
 echo ""
 
-"$UV_BIN" tool install --python-preference system --force "${LITELLM_PACKAGE}" \
-  || die "uv tool install failed. Try manually: $UV_BIN tool install '${LITELLM_PACKAGE}'"
+"$UV_BIN" tool install --python '>=3.10,<3.15' --python-preference system --force "${LITELLM_PACKAGE}" \
+  || die "uv tool install failed. Try manually: $UV_BIN tool install --python '>=3.10,<3.15' '${LITELLM_PACKAGE}'"
 
 # ── find the lite binary installed by uv tool ──────────────────────────────
 SCRIPTS_DIR="$("$UV_BIN" tool dir --bin)"
diff --git a/scripts/install.sh b/scripts/install.sh
index 213f8a7b440..275916d8a37 100755
--- a/scripts/install.sh
+++ b/scripts/install.sh
@@ -100,11 +100,12 @@ else
 fi
 echo ""
 
-# --python-preference system: reuse a compatible system Python when present,
-# otherwise download a managed one. Either way uv honours litellm's requires-python,
-# so a too-old (3.9) or too-new (3.14+) system Python is skipped, not forced.
-"$UV_BIN" tool install --python-preference system --force "${LITELLM_PACKAGE}" \
-  || die "uv tool install failed. Try manually: $UV_BIN tool install '${LITELLM_PACKAGE}'"
+# --python mirrors requires-python in pyproject.toml (keep in sync): uv selects the
+# interpreter before resolving, so an unconstrained request accepts a too-old system
+# Python (stock macOS ships 3.9) and fails resolution instead of downloading a
+# managed one. --python-preference system still reuses a compatible system Python.
+"$UV_BIN" tool install --python '>=3.10,<3.15' --python-preference system --force "${LITELLM_PACKAGE}" \
+  || die "uv tool install failed. Try manually: $UV_BIN tool install --python '>=3.10,<3.15' '${LITELLM_PACKAGE}'"
 
 # ── find the litellm binary installed by uv tool ───────────────────────────
 SCRIPTS_DIR="$("$UV_BIN" tool dir --bin)"