diff --git a/.github/workflows/update-dependencies.yml b/.github/workflows/update-dependencies.yml
index bd7f531b1..8caca5a2e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/update-dependencies.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/update-dependencies.yml
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@ on:
       - 'docs/data/projects.yml'
       - 'noxfile.py'
   workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      ignore-cooldown:
+        description: 'Ignore the cooldown window and pick up the very latest releases'
+        type: boolean
+        default: false
   schedule:
     - cron: '0 6 * * 1'  # "At 06:00 on Monday."
 
@@ -47,8 +52,12 @@ jobs:
 
     - name: "Run update: dependencies"
       run: uvx nox --force-color -s update_constraints
+      env:
+        CIBW_IGNORE_COOLDOWN: ${{ github.event.inputs.ignore-cooldown || 'false' }}
     - name: "Run update: python configs"
       run: uvx nox --force-color -s update_pins
+      env:
+        CIBW_IGNORE_COOLDOWN: ${{ github.event.inputs.ignore-cooldown || 'false' }}
     - name: "Run update: docs user projects"
       run: uvx nox --force-color -s update_proj -- --auth=${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index 164bfac10..f241c44f2 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ repos:
   - id: mypy
     name: mypy 3.11 on cibuildwheel/
     args: ["--python-version=3.11"]
-    exclude: ^cibuildwheel/resources/android/_cross_venv.py$  # Requires Python 3.13 or later
+    exclude: (^cibuildwheel/resources/android/_cross_venv.py$|^bin/_cooldown\.py$)  # _cross_venv.py requires Python 3.13 or later and _cooldown.py is a support module for bin/ scripts
     additional_dependencies: &mypy-dependencies
       - bracex
       - build
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ repos:
   - id: mypy
     name: mypy 3.14
     args: ["--python-version=3.14"]
+    exclude: ^bin/_cooldown\.py$  # support module, not a top-level file
     additional_dependencies: *mypy-dependencies
 
 - repo: https://github.com/shellcheck-py/shellcheck-py
diff --git a/bin/_cooldown.py b/bin/_cooldown.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..36b3df87c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/_cooldown.py
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import os
+
+# Number of days a release must age before the update scripts will pick it up.
+# This is intentionally different from Dependabot because we want to have these
+# updates coming faster to align with the latest releases.
+# NOTE: Keep this in sync with noxfile.py's update_constraints session.
+COOLDOWN_DAYS = 3
+
+# Set CIBW_IGNORE_COOLDOWN to a truthy value to bypass the cooldown and always pick
+# up the very latest releases regardless of age.
+IGNORE_COOLDOWN = os.environ.get("CIBW_IGNORE_COOLDOWN", "").lower() in ("1", "true")
diff --git a/bin/update_pythons.py b/bin/update_pythons.py
index dd6bb38cc..ef7151178 100755
--- a/bin/update_pythons.py
+++ b/bin/update_pythons.py
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 import operator
 import re
 import tomllib
+from collections.abc import Mapping, MutableMapping
+from datetime import UTC, date, datetime, timedelta
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any, Final, Literal, NotRequired, TypedDict
 from xml.etree import ElementTree as ET
@@ -27,12 +29,13 @@
 import click
 import requests
 import rich
+from _cooldown import COOLDOWN_DAYS, IGNORE_COOLDOWN
 from packaging.specifiers import Specifier
 from packaging.version import Version
 from rich.logging import RichHandler
 from rich.syntax import Syntax
 
-from cibuildwheel.extra import dump_python_configurations, get_pyodide_xbuildenv_info
+from cibuildwheel.extra import dump_python_configurations
 from cibuildwheel.platforms.android import android_triplet
 
 TYPE_CHECKING = False
@@ -418,9 +421,17 @@ def update_version_ios(self, identifier: str, version: Version) -> ConfigUrl | N
 
 
 class PyodideVersions:
-    def __init__(self) -> None:
-        xbuildenv_info = get_pyodide_xbuildenv_info()
-        self.releases = xbuildenv_info["releases"]
+    def __init__(self, cutoff_date: date) -> None:
+        response = requests.get(
+            "https://pyodide.github.io/pyodide/api/v2/pyodide-cross-build-environments.json"
+        )
+        response.raise_for_status()
+        all_releases = response.json()["releases"]
+        self.releases = {
+            version_str: release
+            for version_str, release in all_releases.items()
+            if datetime.fromisoformat(release["published_at"]).date() <= cutoff_date
+        }
 
     def update_version_pyodide(
         self, identifier: str, version: Version, spec: Specifier, node_version: str
@@ -457,6 +468,12 @@ def update_version_pyodide(
 
 class AllVersions:
     def __init__(self) -> None:
+        cutoff_date: date = (
+            date.max
+            if IGNORE_COOLDOWN
+            else (datetime.now(tz=UTC) - timedelta(days=COOLDOWN_DAYS)).date()
+        )
+
         self.windows_32 = WindowsVersions("32", False)
         self.windows_t_32 = WindowsVersions("32", True)
         self.windows_64 = WindowsVersions("64", False)
@@ -474,7 +491,7 @@ def __init__(self) -> None:
 
         self.graalpy = GraalPyVersions()
 
-        self.pyodide = PyodideVersions()
+        self.pyodide = PyodideVersions(cutoff_date)
 
     def _stream_sha256(self, url: str) -> str:
         """Download a file (streaming) and return its SHA256 hex digest."""
diff --git a/bin/update_virtualenv.py b/bin/update_virtualenv.py
index 5dfe4a3d9..deeb9b0f2 100755
--- a/bin/update_virtualenv.py
+++ b/bin/update_virtualenv.py
@@ -19,12 +19,14 @@
 import hashlib
 import logging
 import tomllib
+from datetime import UTC, datetime, timedelta
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Final
 
 import click
 import requests
 import rich
+from _cooldown import COOLDOWN_DAYS, IGNORE_COOLDOWN
 from packaging.version import Version
 from rich.logging import RichHandler
 from rich.syntax import Syntax
@@ -49,6 +51,7 @@ class VersionTuple:
     name: str
     download_url: str
     version: Version
+    published_at: datetime = dataclasses.field(compare=False)
 
 
 def get_latest_virtualenv_release() -> VersionTuple:
@@ -63,8 +66,12 @@ def get_latest_virtualenv_release() -> VersionTuple:
         msg = "No asset named 'virtualenv.pyz' found in the latest release of get-virtualenv."
         raise RuntimeError(msg)
 
+    published_at = datetime.fromisoformat(response["published_at"])
     return VersionTuple(
-        version=Version(tag_name), name=tag_name, download_url=asset["browser_download_url"]
+        version=Version(tag_name),
+        name=tag_name,
+        download_url=asset["browser_download_url"],
+        published_at=published_at,
     )
 
 
@@ -92,6 +99,15 @@ def update_virtualenv(force: bool, level: str) -> None:
 
     latest_release = get_latest_virtualenv_release()
 
+    if not IGNORE_COOLDOWN and datetime.now(tz=UTC) - latest_release.published_at < timedelta(
+        days=COOLDOWN_DAYS
+    ):
+        rich.print(
+            f"[yellow]Skipping update: latest release {latest_release.name!r} was published "
+            f"less than {COOLDOWN_DAYS} cooldown days ago."
+        )
+        return
+
     if latest_release.version > Version(local_version):
         version = latest_release.name
         url = latest_release.download_url
diff --git a/cibuildwheel/extra.py b/cibuildwheel/extra.py
index 30f280cb7..b69f4fff0 100644
--- a/cibuildwheel/extra.py
+++ b/cibuildwheel/extra.py
@@ -93,6 +93,9 @@ class PyodideXBuildEnvRelease(typing.TypedDict):
     sha256: str
     python_version: str
     emscripten_version: str
+    published_at: str
+    url: NotRequired[str]
+    sha256: NotRequired[str]
     min_pyodide_build_version: NotRequired[str]
     max_pyodide_build_version: NotRequired[str]
 
diff --git a/noxfile.py b/noxfile.py
index 319f1b915..736b545c6 100755
--- a/noxfile.py
+++ b/noxfile.py
@@ -79,6 +79,10 @@ def update_constraints(session: nox.Session) -> None:
     env = os.environ.copy()
     env["UV_CUSTOM_COMPILE_COMMAND"] = f"nox -s {session.name}"
 
+    # NOTE: Keep this in sync with bin/_cooldown.py
+    ignore_cooldown = os.environ.get("CIBW_IGNORE_COOLDOWN", "").lower() in ("1", "true")
+    exclude_newer_args = [] if ignore_cooldown else ["--exclude-newer=3 days"]
+
     for minor_version in range(9, 16):
         python_version = f"3.{minor_version}"
         output_file = resources / f"constraints-python{python_version.replace('.', '')}.txt"
@@ -88,6 +92,7 @@ def update_constraints(session: nox.Session) -> None:
             "compile",
             f"--python-version={python_version}",
             "--upgrade",
+            *exclude_newer_args,
             resources / "constraints.in",
             f"--output-file={output_file}",
             env=env,
@@ -120,6 +125,7 @@ def update_constraints(session: nox.Session) -> None:
             "compile",
             f"--python-version={python_version}",
             "--upgrade",
+            *exclude_newer_args,
             tmp_file,
             f"--output-file={output_file}",
             env=env,
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 6b499a9cd..b1b22a937 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ files = [
     "cibuildwheel/*.py",
     "test/**/*.py",
     "unit_test/**/*.py",
-    "bin/*.py",
+    "bin/[!_]*.py",
     "noxfile.py",
 ]
 warn_unused_configs = true