diff --git a/crates/uv-python/src/discovery.rs b/crates/uv-python/src/discovery.rs
index e53e9e81baa2..d376b3c13ef8 100644
--- a/crates/uv-python/src/discovery.rs
+++ b/crates/uv-python/src/discovery.rs
@@ -36,12 +36,14 @@ use crate::{Interpreter, PythonVersion};
 /// See [`PythonRequest::from_str`].
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Default)]
 pub enum PythonRequest {
-    /// Use an appropriate default Python installation
+    /// An appropriate default Python installation
     ///
     /// This may skip some Python installations, such as pre-release versions or alternative
     /// implementations.
     #[default]
     Default,
+    /// Any Python installation
+    Any,
     /// A Python version without an implementation name e.g. `3.10` or `>=3.12,<3.13`
     Version(VersionRequest),
     /// A path to a directory containing a Python installation, e.g. `.venv`
@@ -137,6 +139,8 @@ pub enum VersionRequest {
     /// Allow an appropriate default Python version.
     #[default]
     Default,
+    /// Allow any Python version.
+    Any,
     Major(u8),
     MajorMinor(u8, u8),
     MajorMinorPatch(u8, u8, u8),
@@ -488,7 +492,10 @@ fn find_all_minor(
     dir: &Path,
 ) -> impl Iterator<Item = PathBuf> {
     match version_request {
-        VersionRequest::Default | VersionRequest::Major(_) | VersionRequest::Range(_) => {
+        &VersionRequest::Any
+        | VersionRequest::Default
+        | VersionRequest::Major(_)
+        | VersionRequest::Range(_) => {
             let regex = if let Some(implementation) = implementation {
                 Regex::new(&format!(
                     r"^({}|python3)\.(?<minor>\d\d?){}$",
@@ -780,9 +787,31 @@ pub fn find_python_installations<'a>(
                 ))))
             }
         }
+        PythonRequest::Any => Box::new({
+            debug!("Searching for any Python interpreter in {preference}");
+            python_interpreters(
+                Some(&VersionRequest::Any),
+                None,
+                environments,
+                preference,
+                cache,
+            )
+            .map(|result| {
+                result
+                    .map(PythonInstallation::from_tuple)
+                    .map(FindPythonResult::Ok)
+            })
+        }),
         PythonRequest::Default => Box::new({
-            debug!("Searching for Python interpreter in {preference}");
-            python_interpreters(None, None, environments, preference, cache).map(|result| {
+            debug!("Searching for default Python interpreter in {preference}");
+            python_interpreters(
+                Some(&VersionRequest::Default),
+                None,
+                environments,
+                preference,
+                cache,
+            )
+            .map(|result| {
                 result
                     .map(PythonInstallation::from_tuple)
                     .map(FindPythonResult::Ok)
@@ -979,7 +1008,7 @@ pub fn find_best_python_installation(
     }
 
     // If a Python version was requested but cannot be fulfilled, just take any version
-    debug!("Looking for Python installation with any version");
+    debug!("Looking for a default Python installation");
     let request = PythonRequest::Default;
     Ok(
         find_python_installation(&request, environments, preference, cache)?.map_err(|err| {
@@ -1144,8 +1173,11 @@ impl PythonRequest {
     ///
     /// This cannot fail, which means weird inputs will be parsed as [`PythonRequest::File`] or [`PythonRequest::ExecutableName`].
     pub fn parse(value: &str) -> Self {
-        // e.g. `any`
+        // Literals, e.g. `any` or `default`
         if value.eq_ignore_ascii_case("any") {
+            return Self::Any;
+        }
+        if value.eq_ignore_ascii_case("default") {
             return Self::Default;
         }
 
@@ -1250,7 +1282,7 @@ impl PythonRequest {
         }
 
         match self {
-            PythonRequest::Default => true,
+            PythonRequest::Default | PythonRequest::Any => true,
             PythonRequest::Version(version_request) => {
                 version_request.matches_interpreter(interpreter)
             }
@@ -1335,6 +1367,7 @@ impl PythonRequest {
     pub(crate) fn allows_prereleases(&self) -> bool {
         match self {
             Self::Default => false,
+            Self::Any => true,
             Self::Version(version) => version.allows_prereleases(),
             Self::Directory(_) | Self::File(_) | Self::ExecutableName(_) => true,
             Self::Implementation(_) => false,
@@ -1352,7 +1385,8 @@ impl PythonRequest {
     /// [`Self::parse`] should always return the same request when given the output of this method.
     pub fn to_canonical_string(&self) -> String {
         match self {
-            Self::Default => "any".to_string(),
+            Self::Any => "any".to_string(),
+            Self::Default => "default".to_string(),
             Self::Version(version) => version.to_string(),
             Self::Directory(path) => path.display().to_string(),
             Self::File(path) => path.display().to_string(),
@@ -1453,7 +1487,7 @@ impl VersionRequest {
         };
 
         match self {
-            Self::Default | Self::Range(_) => [Some(python3), Some(python), None, None],
+            Self::Any | Self::Default | Self::Range(_) => [Some(python3), Some(python), None, None],
             Self::Major(major) => [
                 Some(Cow::Owned(format!("python{major}{extension}"))),
                 Some(python),
@@ -1504,7 +1538,9 @@ impl VersionRequest {
                 };
 
                 match self {
-                    Self::Default | Self::Range(_) => [Some(python3), Some(python), None, None],
+                    Self::Any | Self::Default | Self::Range(_) => {
+                        [Some(python3), Some(python), None, None]
+                    }
                     Self::Major(major) => [
                         Some(Cow::Owned(format!("{name}{major}{extension}"))),
                         Some(python),
@@ -1541,7 +1577,7 @@ impl VersionRequest {
 
     pub(crate) fn check_supported(&self) -> Result<(), String> {
         match self {
-            Self::Default => (),
+            Self::Any | Self::Default => (),
             Self::Major(major) => {
                 if *major < 3 {
                     return Err(format!(
@@ -1580,7 +1616,7 @@ impl VersionRequest {
     /// Check if a interpreter matches the requested Python version.
     pub(crate) fn matches_interpreter(&self, interpreter: &Interpreter) -> bool {
         match self {
-            Self::Default => true,
+            Self::Any | Self::Default => true,
             Self::Major(major) => interpreter.python_major() == *major,
             Self::MajorMinor(major, minor) => {
                 (interpreter.python_major(), interpreter.python_minor()) == (*major, *minor)
@@ -1612,7 +1648,7 @@ impl VersionRequest {
 
     pub(crate) fn matches_version(&self, version: &PythonVersion) -> bool {
         match self {
-            Self::Default => true,
+            Self::Any | Self::Default => true,
             Self::Major(major) => version.major() == *major,
             Self::MajorMinor(major, minor) => {
                 (version.major(), version.minor()) == (*major, *minor)
@@ -1631,7 +1667,7 @@ impl VersionRequest {
 
     fn matches_major_minor(&self, major: u8, minor: u8) -> bool {
         match self {
-            Self::Default => true,
+            Self::Any | Self::Default => true,
             Self::Major(self_major) => *self_major == major,
             Self::MajorMinor(self_major, self_minor) => {
                 (*self_major, *self_minor) == (major, minor)
@@ -1650,7 +1686,7 @@ impl VersionRequest {
 
     pub(crate) fn matches_major_minor_patch(&self, major: u8, minor: u8, patch: u8) -> bool {
         match self {
-            Self::Default => true,
+            Self::Any | Self::Default => true,
             Self::Major(self_major) => *self_major == major,
             Self::MajorMinor(self_major, self_minor) => {
                 (*self_major, *self_minor) == (major, minor)
@@ -1673,7 +1709,7 @@ impl VersionRequest {
     /// Return true if a patch version is present in the request.
     fn has_patch(&self) -> bool {
         match self {
-            Self::Default => false,
+            Self::Any | Self::Default => false,
             Self::Major(..) => false,
             Self::MajorMinor(..) => false,
             Self::MajorMinorPatch(..) => true,
@@ -1689,6 +1725,7 @@ impl VersionRequest {
     fn without_patch(self) -> Self {
         match self {
             Self::Default => Self::Default,
+            Self::Any => Self::Any,
             Self::Major(major) => Self::Major(major),
             Self::MajorMinor(major, minor) => Self::MajorMinor(major, minor),
             Self::MajorMinorPatch(major, minor, _) => Self::MajorMinor(major, minor),
@@ -1703,6 +1740,7 @@ impl VersionRequest {
     pub(crate) fn allows_prereleases(&self) -> bool {
         match self {
             Self::Default => false,
+            Self::Any => true,
             Self::Major(_) => true,
             Self::MajorMinor(..) => true,
             Self::MajorMinorPatch(..) => true,
@@ -1788,6 +1826,7 @@ impl From<&PythonVersion> for VersionRequest {
 impl fmt::Display for VersionRequest {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
         match self {
+            Self::Any => f.write_str("any"),
             Self::Default => f.write_str("default"),
             Self::Major(major) => write!(f, "{major}"),
             Self::MajorMinor(major, minor) => write!(f, "{major}.{minor}"),
@@ -1805,7 +1844,8 @@ impl fmt::Display for VersionRequest {
 impl fmt::Display for PythonRequest {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
         match self {
-            Self::Default => write!(f, "any Python"),
+            Self::Default => write!(f, "a default Python"),
+            Self::Any => write!(f, "any Python"),
             Self::Version(version) => write!(f, "Python {version}"),
             Self::Directory(path) => write!(f, "directory `{}`", path.user_display()),
             Self::File(path) => write!(f, "path `{}`", path.user_display()),
@@ -1887,7 +1927,7 @@ impl fmt::Display for PythonNotFound {
         };
 
         match self.request {
-            PythonRequest::Default => {
+            PythonRequest::Default | PythonRequest::Any => {
                 write!(f, "No interpreter found in {sources}")
             }
             _ => {
@@ -1965,7 +2005,8 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn interpreter_request_from_str() {
-        assert_eq!(PythonRequest::parse("any"), PythonRequest::Default);
+        assert_eq!(PythonRequest::parse("any"), PythonRequest::Any);
+        assert_eq!(PythonRequest::parse("default"), PythonRequest::Default);
         assert_eq!(
             PythonRequest::parse("3.12"),
             PythonRequest::Version(VersionRequest::from_str("3.12").unwrap())
@@ -2127,7 +2168,8 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn interpreter_request_to_canonical_string() {
-        assert_eq!(PythonRequest::Default.to_canonical_string(), "any");
+        assert_eq!(PythonRequest::Default.to_canonical_string(), "default");
+        assert_eq!(PythonRequest::Any.to_canonical_string(), "any");
         assert_eq!(
             PythonRequest::Version(VersionRequest::from_str("3.12").unwrap()).to_canonical_string(),
             "3.12"
diff --git a/crates/uv-python/src/downloads.rs b/crates/uv-python/src/downloads.rs
index 174d48707e67..6b8f4565f103 100644
--- a/crates/uv-python/src/downloads.rs
+++ b/crates/uv-python/src/downloads.rs
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ impl PythonDownloadRequest {
                     .with_version(version.clone()),
             ),
             PythonRequest::Key(request) => Some(request.clone()),
-            PythonRequest::Default => Some(Self::default()),
+            PythonRequest::Default | PythonRequest::Any => Some(Self::default()),
             // We can't download a managed installation for these request kinds
             PythonRequest::Directory(_)
             | PythonRequest::ExecutableName(_)
diff --git a/crates/uv-python/src/environment.rs b/crates/uv-python/src/environment.rs
index ec1eafd53662..a6dcfd614411 100644
--- a/crates/uv-python/src/environment.rs
+++ b/crates/uv-python/src/environment.rs
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ impl fmt::Display for EnvironmentNotFound {
             EnvironmentPreference::OnlyVirtual => SearchType::Virtual,
         };
 
-        if matches!(self.request, PythonRequest::Default) {
+        if matches!(self.request, PythonRequest::Default | PythonRequest::Any) {
             write!(f, "No {search_type} found")?;
         } else {
             write!(f, "No {search_type} found for {}", self.request)?;
diff --git a/crates/uv-python/src/managed.rs b/crates/uv-python/src/managed.rs
index 1122f6772f0f..7f5d538ff454 100644
--- a/crates/uv-python/src/managed.rs
+++ b/crates/uv-python/src/managed.rs
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ impl ManagedPythonInstallation {
     pub fn satisfies(&self, request: &PythonRequest) -> bool {
         match request {
             PythonRequest::File(path) => self.executable() == *path,
-            PythonRequest::Default => true,
+            PythonRequest::Default | PythonRequest::Any => true,
             PythonRequest::Directory(path) => self.path() == *path,
             PythonRequest::ExecutableName(name) => self
                 .executable()
diff --git a/crates/uv/src/commands/python/list.rs b/crates/uv/src/commands/python/list.rs
index 65700b3ae9ec..b8f089cf3ef1 100644
--- a/crates/uv/src/commands/python/list.rs
+++ b/crates/uv/src/commands/python/list.rs
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn list(
     };
 
     let installed = find_python_installations(
-        &PythonRequest::Default,
+        &PythonRequest::Any,
         EnvironmentPreference::OnlySystem,
         python_preference,
         cache,