diff --git a/penzai/core/named_axes.py b/penzai/core/named_axes.py
index 7070a56..5194fe1 100644
--- a/penzai/core/named_axes.py
+++ b/penzai/core/named_axes.py
@@ -407,9 +407,9 @@ def unwrap(self):
 
 @struct.pytree_dataclass
 class _SliceThunk(struct.Struct):
-  start: Any = dataclasses.field(metadata={"pytree_node": False})
-  stop: Any = dataclasses.field(metadata={"pytree_node": False})
-  step: Any = dataclasses.field(metadata={"pytree_node": False})
+  start: int | None = dataclasses.field(metadata={"pytree_node": False})
+  stop: int | None = dataclasses.field(metadata={"pytree_node": False})
+  step: int | None = dataclasses.field(metadata={"pytree_node": False})
 
   def unwrap(self):
     return slice(self.start, self.stop, self.step)
@@ -567,7 +567,14 @@ def get(self, **kwargs) -> NamedArrayBase:
         if isinstance(c, jax.Array | np.ndarray | NamedArrayBase | int):
           index_thunks.append(_DynamicThunk(c))
         elif isinstance(c, slice):
-          index_thunks.append(_SliceThunk(c.start, c.stop, c.step))
+          # Slices must be either integers or None.
+          # We cast to integers immediately here to avoid accidentally passing
+          # JAX arrays through as static metadata.
+          # See https://github.com/jax-ml/jax/issues/28311.
+          start = None if c.start is None else int(c.start)
+          stop = None if c.stop is None else int(c.stop)
+          step = None if c.step is None else int(c.step)
+          index_thunks.append(_SliceThunk(start, stop, step))
         else:
           index_thunks.append(_StaticThunk(c))
 
diff --git a/tests/core/named_axes_test.py b/tests/core/named_axes_test.py
index 3b06b09..3c6da3f 100644
--- a/tests/core/named_axes_test.py
+++ b/tests/core/named_axes_test.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 """Tests for penzai.named_axes."""
 
 import collections
+import dataclasses
 import re
 
 from absl.testing import absltest
@@ -1170,6 +1171,31 @@ def f(carry, x):
     self.assertEqual(stacked_out["out_narr"].named_shape, {"seq": 7, "c": 4})
     self.assertEqual(stacked_out["out_narr"].positional_shape, (5,))
 
+  def test_jax_compilation_with_captured_slice_index(self):
+    # https://github.com/google-deepmind/penzai/issues/117
+
+    @pz.pytree_dataclass
+    class Indexer(pz.Struct):
+      index: int = dataclasses.field(metadata={"pytree_node": False})
+
+    def outer_fn():
+      indexer = Indexer(jnp.array(3))
+
+      def inner_fn(x: pz.nx.NamedArray):
+        return x[{"foo": pz.slice[: indexer.index]}]
+
+      return jax.jit(inner_fn)
+
+    # Test that both calls succeed and produce the expected result, instead of
+    # causing an infinite hang.
+    test_fn = outer_fn()
+    result1 = test_fn(pz.nx.ones({"foo": 10}))
+    expected = pz.nx.ones({"foo": 3})
+    chex.assert_trees_all_equal(result1, expected)
+    test_fn = outer_fn()
+    result2 = test_fn(pz.nx.ones({"foo": 10}))
+    chex.assert_trees_all_equal(result2, expected)
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
   absltest.main()