diff --git a/python/features.bzl b/python/features.bzl
index 99050a7ca5..8e295ec747 100644
--- a/python/features.bzl
+++ b/python/features.bzl
@@ -148,6 +148,45 @@ _LOADABLE_SYMBOLS = {
     ],
 }
 
+def _major_minor(bazel_version):
+    # An empty version signifies a development build, which is treated as
+    # the latest version.
+    if not bazel_version:
+        return 99999, 99999
+
+    parts = bazel_version.split(".")
+    return int(parts[0]), int(parts[1])
+
+def bazel_features(bazel_version):
+    """Return the features of a Bazel version that `rules_python` uses.
+
+    The Bazel version is only available when a repository rule or a module
+    extension runs, so this is a function instead of fields of {obj}`features`,
+    e.g. `bazel_features(native.bazel_version).supports_whl_extraction`.
+
+    :::{versionadded} VERSION_NEXT_FEATURE
+    :::
+
+    Args:
+        bazel_version: {type}`str` the Bazel version, e.g.
+            `native.bazel_version`. An empty string is a development build,
+            which is treated as the latest version.
+
+    Returns:
+        {type}`struct` with:
+        * `supports_whl_extraction`: {type}`bool` whether
+          `repository_ctx.extract` can extract `.whl` files, which requires
+          Bazel 8.3.0 or later.
+        * `extract_needs_chmod`: {type}`bool` whether the files extracted by
+          `repository_ctx.extract` need their permissions fixed, which is the
+          case before Bazel 8.6.0.
+    """
+    major, minor = _major_minor(bazel_version)
+    return struct(
+        supports_whl_extraction = major > 8 or (major == 8 and minor >= 3),
+        extract_needs_chmod = major < 8 or (major == 8 and minor < 6),
+    )
+
 features = struct(
     TYPEDEF = _features_typedef,
     # keep sorted
diff --git a/python/private/BUILD.bazel b/python/private/BUILD.bazel
index dc0758efa5..1cdd28a847 100644
--- a/python/private/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/python/private/BUILD.bazel
@@ -907,10 +907,7 @@ bzl_library(
 bzl_library(
     name = "util",
     srcs = ["util.bzl"],
-    deps = [
-        ":py_internal",
-        "@bazel_skylib//lib:types",
-    ],
+    deps = [":py_internal"],
 )
 
 bzl_library(
diff --git a/python/private/internal_config_repo.bzl b/python/private/internal_config_repo.bzl
index 8f203bb89e..620be5b4d1 100644
--- a/python/private/internal_config_repo.bzl
+++ b/python/private/internal_config_repo.bzl
@@ -27,10 +27,8 @@ _ENABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS_DEFAULT = "0"
 _CONFIG_TEMPLATE = """
 config = struct(
   build_python_zip_default = {build_python_zip_default},
-  supports_whl_extraction = {supports_whl_extraction},
   enable_pystar = True,
   enable_deprecation_warnings = {enable_deprecation_warnings},
-  extract_needs_chmod = {extract_needs_chmod},
   bazel_8_or_later = {bazel_8_or_later},
   bazel_9_or_later = {bazel_9_or_later},
   bazel_10_or_later = {bazel_10_or_later},
@@ -81,20 +79,11 @@ def _internal_config_repo_impl(rctx):
     # An empty version signifies a development build, which is treated as
     # the latest version.
     if native.bazel_version:
-        version_parts = native.bazel_version.split(".")
-        bazel_major_version = int(version_parts[0])
-        bazel_minor_version = int(version_parts[1])
+        bazel_major_version = int(native.bazel_version.split(".")[0])
     else:
         bazel_major_version = 99999
-        bazel_minor_version = 99999
 
-    supports_whl_extraction = False
-    extract_needs_chmod = bazel_major_version < 8 or (bazel_major_version == 8 and bazel_minor_version < 6)
     if bazel_major_version >= 8:
-        # Extracting .whl files requires Bazel 8.3.0 or later.
-        if bazel_major_version > 8 or bazel_minor_version >= 3:
-            supports_whl_extraction = True
-
         builtin_py_info_symbol = "None"
         builtin_py_runtime_info_symbol = "None"
         builtin_py_cc_link_params_provider = "None"
@@ -109,8 +98,6 @@ def _internal_config_repo_impl(rctx):
         enable_deprecation_warnings = _bool_from_environ(rctx, _ENABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS_ENVVAR_NAME, _ENABLE_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS_DEFAULT),
         builtin_py_info_symbol = builtin_py_info_symbol,
         builtin_py_runtime_info_symbol = builtin_py_runtime_info_symbol,
-        supports_whl_extraction = str(supports_whl_extraction),
-        extract_needs_chmod = str(extract_needs_chmod),
         builtin_py_cc_link_params_provider = builtin_py_cc_link_params_provider,
         modules_using_explicit_initpy = str(explicit_init_py_modules),
         tool_deps_dev_only = str(rctx.attr.tool_deps_dev_only),
diff --git a/python/private/pypi/BUILD.bazel b/python/private/pypi/BUILD.bazel
index f94d24594f..eece782ef3 100644
--- a/python/private/pypi/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/python/private/pypi/BUILD.bazel
@@ -265,8 +265,8 @@ bzl_library(
     srcs = ["patch_whl.bzl"],
     deps = [
         ":parse_whl_name",
+        "//python:features",
         "//python/private:repo_utils",
-        "@rules_python_internal//:rules_python_config",
     ],
 )
 
@@ -371,7 +371,6 @@ bzl_library(
     deps = [
         "//python/private:repo_utils",
         "//python/private:util",
-        "@bazel_skylib//lib:types",
     ],
 )
 
@@ -475,8 +474,8 @@ bzl_library(
     srcs = ["whl_extract.bzl"],
     deps = [
         ":whl_metadata",
+        "//python:features",
         "//python/private:repo_utils",
-        "@rules_python_internal//:rules_python_config",
     ],
 )
 
diff --git a/python/private/pypi/patch_whl.bzl b/python/private/pypi/patch_whl.bzl
index b257f2b4fe..f8c01f94b7 100644
--- a/python/private/pypi/patch_whl.bzl
+++ b/python/private/pypi/patch_whl.bzl
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ repack patched wheels. Instead, after extracting and patching, we fix
 the RECORD file natively in Starlark and repack using system zip.
 """
 
-load("@rules_python_internal//:rules_python_config.bzl", rp_config = "config")
+load("//python:features.bzl", "bazel_features")
 load("//python/private:repo_utils.bzl", "repo_utils")
 load(":parse_whl_name.bzl", "parse_whl_name")
 
@@ -96,8 +96,8 @@ def patch_whl(rctx, *, whl_path, patches):
     repo_utils.extract(
         rctx,
         archive = whl_input,
-        supports_whl_extraction = rp_config.supports_whl_extraction,
-        extract_needs_chmod = rp_config.extract_needs_chmod,
+        supports_whl_extraction = bazel_features(native.bazel_version).supports_whl_extraction,
+        extract_needs_chmod = bazel_features(native.bazel_version).extract_needs_chmod,
     )
 
     if not patches:
diff --git a/python/private/pypi/pypi_repo_utils.bzl b/python/private/pypi/pypi_repo_utils.bzl
index 8ec7bd1dbe..d8ad340340 100644
--- a/python/private/pypi/pypi_repo_utils.bzl
+++ b/python/private/pypi/pypi_repo_utils.bzl
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 
 ""
 
-load("@bazel_skylib//lib:types.bzl", "types")
 load("//python/private:repo_utils.bzl", "repo_utils")
 load("//python/private:util.bzl", "is_importable_name")
 
@@ -113,7 +112,11 @@ def _execute_prep(mrctx, *, python, srcs, **kwargs):
 
     environment = kwargs.pop("environment", {})
     pythonpath = environment.get("PYTHONPATH", "")
-    if pythonpath and not types.is_string(pythonpath):
+
+    # NOTE: `types.is_string` from `@bazel_skylib` is not used, so that this
+    # file can be loaded before the `WORKSPACE` defines `@bazel_skylib`, e.g.
+    # via `whl_library` from `python/repositories.bzl`.
+    if pythonpath and type(pythonpath) != "string":
         environment["PYTHONPATH"] = _construct_pypath(mrctx, entries = pythonpath)
     kwargs["environment"] = environment
 
diff --git a/python/private/pypi/whl_extract.bzl b/python/private/pypi/whl_extract.bzl
index d7195fd681..c2b4a1a19b 100644
--- a/python/private/pypi/whl_extract.bzl
+++ b/python/private/pypi/whl_extract.bzl
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 """A simple whl extractor."""
 
-load("@rules_python_internal//:rules_python_config.bzl", rp_config = "config")
+load("//python:features.bzl", "bazel_features")
 load("//python/private:repo_utils.bzl", "repo_utils")
 load(":whl_metadata.bzl", "find_whl_metadata")
 
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ def whl_extract(rctx, *, whl_path, logger):
         rctx,
         archive = whl_path,
         output = install_dir_path,
-        supports_whl_extraction = rp_config.supports_whl_extraction,
-        extract_needs_chmod = rp_config.extract_needs_chmod,
+        supports_whl_extraction = bazel_features(native.bazel_version).supports_whl_extraction,
+        extract_needs_chmod = bazel_features(native.bazel_version).extract_needs_chmod,
     )
 
     metadata_file = find_whl_metadata(
diff --git a/python/private/util.bzl b/python/private/util.bzl
index 31f317fedf..e96bd569e9 100644
--- a/python/private/util.bzl
+++ b/python/private/util.bzl
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 
 """Functionality shared by multiple pieces of code."""
 
-load("@bazel_skylib//lib:types.bzl", "types")
 load("//python/private:py_internal.bzl", "py_internal")
 
 def copy_propagating_kwargs(from_kwargs, into_kwargs = None):
@@ -62,7 +61,11 @@ def add_tag(attrs, tag):
 
         # Preserve the input type: this allows a test verifying the underlying
         # rule can accept the tuple for the tags argument.
-        if types.is_tuple(tags):
+        # NOTE: `types.is_tuple` from `@bazel_skylib` is not used, so that
+        # this file can be loaded before the `WORKSPACE` defines
+        # `@bazel_skylib`, e.g. via `whl_library` from
+        # `python/repositories.bzl`.
+        if type(tags) == "tuple":
             attrs["tags"] = tags + (tag,)
         else:
             # List concatenation is necessary because the original value
diff --git a/tests/bazel_features/BUILD.bazel b/tests/bazel_features/BUILD.bazel
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2af882e20d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/bazel_features/BUILD.bazel
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+load(":bazel_features_tests.bzl", "bazel_features_test_suite")
+
+bazel_features_test_suite(name = "bazel_features_tests")
diff --git a/tests/bazel_features/bazel_features_tests.bzl b/tests/bazel_features/bazel_features_tests.bzl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f452d65817
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/bazel_features/bazel_features_tests.bzl
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+"""Tests for the features of the Bazel versions."""
+
+load("@rules_testing//lib:test_suite.bzl", "test_suite")
+load("//python:features.bzl", "bazel_features")
+
+_tests = []
+
+def _test_bazel_features(env):
+    for bazel_version, (supports_whl_extraction, extract_needs_chmod) in {
+        # A development build is treated as the latest version.
+        "": (True, False),
+        "7.4.1": (False, True),
+        "8.2.1": (False, True),
+        "8.3.0": (True, True),
+        "8.5.1": (True, True),
+        "8.6.0": (True, False),
+        "9.1.1": (True, False),
+    }.items():
+        got = bazel_features(bazel_version)
+        env.expect.where(bazel_version = bazel_version).that_bool(
+            got.supports_whl_extraction,
+        ).equals(supports_whl_extraction)
+        env.expect.where(bazel_version = bazel_version).that_bool(
+            got.extract_needs_chmod,
+        ).equals(extract_needs_chmod)
+
+_tests.append(_test_bazel_features)
+
+def bazel_features_test_suite(name):
+    """Create the test suite.
+
+    Args:
+        name: the name of the test suite
+    """
+    test_suite(name = name, basic_tests = _tests)