diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index a50f0b8f743a..34b4de13addf 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 project(
   'matplotlib',
   'c', 'cpp',
-  version: run_command(find_program('python3'), '-m', 'setuptools_scm', check: true).stdout().strip(),
+  version: run_command(
+    # Also keep version in sync with pyproject.toml.
+    find_program('python3', 'python', version: '>= 3.10'),
+    '-m', 'setuptools_scm', check: true).stdout().strip(),
   # qt_editor backend is MIT
   # ResizeObserver at end of lib/matplotlib/backends/web_backend/js/mpl.js is CC0
   # Carlogo, STIX and Computer Modern is OFL
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 832d76308e0b..e6d1abaf530b 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ dependencies = [
     "pyparsing >= 2.3.1",
     "python-dateutil >= 2.7",
 ]
+# Also keep in sync with find_program of meson.build.
 requires-python = ">=3.10"
 
 [project.optional-dependencies]