diff --git a/bin/ansible-python.sh b/bin/ansible-python.sh
index ee55fd55f..f3357c536 100755
--- a/bin/ansible-python.sh
+++ b/bin/ansible-python.sh
@@ -11,12 +11,12 @@
 # where the system's `python3` may lack it.
 #
 # The interpreter is taken from the first line (shebang) of `ansible-playbook`.
-# If that is not a Python interpreter (e.g. `ansible-playbook` is a wrapper script), or Ansible is not installed,
-# `python3` is used.
+# If that is not a Python interpreter (e.g. `ansible-playbook` is a wrapper script, or Gentoo's python-exec),
+# Ansible is asked which interpreter it runs on. If that fails too, or Ansible is not installed, `python3` is used.
 
 set -eu
 
-python=python3
+interpreter=
 
 ansible_playbook_path=$(command -v ansible-playbook 2>/dev/null || true)
 if [ -n "$ansible_playbook_path" ] && [ -f "$ansible_playbook_path" ]; then
@@ -30,15 +30,26 @@ EOF
             if [ "$(basename "$interpreter")" = "env" ]; then
                 interpreter=${next_word:-}
             fi
-            case "$(basename "${interpreter:-none}")" in
-                python*)
-                    if command -v "$interpreter" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-                        python=$interpreter
-                    fi
-                    ;;
-            esac
             ;;
     esac
+
+    # Only names like `python`, `python3` or `python3.14` are interpreters (`python-exec2c` is not)
+    case "$(basename "${interpreter:-none}")" in
+        python | python[0-9] | python[0-9].[0-9]*) ;;
+        *) interpreter= ;;
+    esac
+
+    if [ -z "$interpreter" ] || ! command -v "$interpreter" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        # The interpreter ends a line like: `  python version = 3.14.0 (main, …) [GCC …] (/usr/bin/python3.14)`
+        interpreter=$("$ansible_playbook_path" --version 2>/dev/null \
+            | sed -n 's/^ *python version = .*(\([^()]*\))$/\1/p' | head -n 1) || true
+    fi
+fi
+
+if [ -n "$interpreter" ] && command -v "$interpreter" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    python=$interpreter
+else
+    python=python3
 fi
 
 exec "$python" "$@"