diff --git a/.github/workflows/linux.yml b/.github/workflows/linux.yml
index c0c21bd02..3b70b5f83 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/linux.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/linux.yml
@@ -60,9 +60,6 @@ jobs:
           - build.cross
           - build.cross-riscv64
           - gcc
-          - xcb
-          - xcb.cross
-          - xcb.cross-riscv64
     name: ${{ matrix.image }}
     runs-on: depot-ubuntu-22.04
     permissions:
diff --git a/cpython-unix/Makefile b/cpython-unix/Makefile
index 2413d7a15..4cacaff3c 100644
--- a/cpython-unix/Makefile
+++ b/cpython-unix/Makefile
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ PYTHON_DEP_DEPENDS := \
     $(TOOLCHAIN_DEPENDS) \
     $(NULL)
 
+HOST_PYTHON_DEPENDS := $(OUTDIR)/cpython-$(PYTHON_MAJOR_VERSION)-$(CPYTHON_$(PYTHON_MAJOR_VERSION)_VERSION)-$(HOST_PLATFORM).tar
+
 default: $(OUTDIR)/cpython-$(CPYTHON_$(PYTHON_MAJOR_VERSION)_VERSION)-$(PACKAGE_SUFFIX).tar
 
 ifndef PYBUILD_NO_DOCKER
@@ -149,8 +151,8 @@ $(OUTDIR)/libXau-$(LIBXAU_VERSION)-$(PACKAGE_SUFFIX).tar: $(LIBXAU_DEPENDS)
 
 LIBXCB_DEPENDS = \
     $(PYTHON_DEP_DEPENDS) \
+    $(HOST_PYTHON_DEPENDS) \
     $(HERE)/build-libxcb.sh \
-    $(OUTDIR)/image-$(DOCKER_IMAGE_XCB).tar \
     $(OUTDIR)/xcb-proto-$(XCB_PROTO_VERSION)-$(PACKAGE_SUFFIX).tar \
     $(OUTDIR)/libXau-$(LIBXAU_VERSION)-$(PACKAGE_SUFFIX).tar \
     $(OUTDIR)/xorgproto-$(XORGPROTO_VERSION)-$(PACKAGE_SUFFIX).tar \
@@ -158,7 +160,7 @@ LIBXCB_DEPENDS = \
     $(NULL)
 
 $(OUTDIR)/libxcb-$(LIBXCB_VERSION)-$(PACKAGE_SUFFIX).tar: $(LIBXCB_DEPENDS)
-	$(RUN_BUILD) --docker-image $(DOCKER_IMAGE_XCB) libxcb
+	$(RUN_BUILD) --docker-image $(DOCKER_IMAGE_BUILD) --python-host-version $(PYBUILD_PYTHON_VERSION) libxcb
 
 $(OUTDIR)/m4-$(M4_VERSION)-$(PACKAGE_SUFFIX).tar: $(PYTHON_DEP_DEPENDS) $(HERE)/build-m4.sh
 	$(RUN_BUILD) --docker-image $(DOCKER_IMAGE_BUILD) m4
@@ -204,13 +206,14 @@ $(OUTDIR)/tix-$(TIX_VERSION)-$(PACKAGE_SUFFIX).tar: $(TIX_DEPENDS)
 	$(RUN_BUILD) --docker-image $(DOCKER_IMAGE_BUILD) tix
 
 TK_DEPENDS = \
+    $(HOST_PYTHON_DEPENDS) \
     $(HERE)/build-tk.sh \
     $(OUTDIR)/tcl-$(TCL_VERSION)-$(PACKAGE_SUFFIX).tar \
     $(if $(NEED_LIBX11),$(OUTDIR)/libX11-$(LIBX11_VERSION)-$(PACKAGE_SUFFIX).tar) \
     $(NULL)
 
 $(OUTDIR)/tk-$(TK_VERSION)-$(PACKAGE_SUFFIX).tar: $(TK_DEPENDS)
-	$(RUN_BUILD) --docker-image $(DOCKER_IMAGE_XCB) tk
+	$(RUN_BUILD) --docker-image $(DOCKER_IMAGE_BUILD) --python-host-version $(PYBUILD_PYTHON_VERSION) tk
 
 $(OUTDIR)/uuid-$(UUID_VERSION)-$(PACKAGE_SUFFIX).tar: $(PYTHON_DEP_DEPENDS) $(HERE)/build-uuid.sh
 	$(RUN_BUILD) --docker-image $(DOCKER_IMAGE_BUILD) uuid
@@ -218,8 +221,8 @@ $(OUTDIR)/uuid-$(UUID_VERSION)-$(PACKAGE_SUFFIX).tar: $(PYTHON_DEP_DEPENDS) $(HE
 $(OUTDIR)/x11-util-macros-$(X11_UTIL_MACROS_VERSION)-$(PACKAGE_SUFFIX).tar: $(PYTHON_DEP_DEPENDS) $(HERE)/build-x11-util-macros.sh
 	$(RUN_BUILD) --docker-image $(DOCKER_IMAGE_BUILD) x11-util-macros
 
-$(OUTDIR)/xcb-proto-$(XCB_PROTO_VERSION)-$(PACKAGE_SUFFIX).tar: $(PYTHON_DEP_DEPENDS) $(HERE)/build-xcb-proto.sh
-	$(RUN_BUILD) --docker-image $(DOCKER_IMAGE_XCB) xcb-proto
+$(OUTDIR)/xcb-proto-$(XCB_PROTO_VERSION)-$(PACKAGE_SUFFIX).tar: $(PYTHON_DEP_DEPENDS) $(HOST_PYTHON_DEPENDS) $(HERE)/build-xcb-proto.sh
+	$(RUN_BUILD) --docker-image $(DOCKER_IMAGE_BUILD) --python-host-version $(PYBUILD_PYTHON_VERSION) xcb-proto
 
 $(OUTDIR)/xorgproto-$(XORGPROTO_VERSION)-$(PACKAGE_SUFFIX).tar: $(PYTHON_DEP_DEPENDS) $(HERE)/build-xorgproto.sh
 	$(RUN_BUILD) --docker-image $(DOCKER_IMAGE_BUILD) xorgproto
diff --git a/cpython-unix/base.Dockerfile b/cpython-unix/base.Dockerfile
index 580165504..7e666e045 100644
--- a/cpython-unix/base.Dockerfile
+++ b/cpython-unix/base.Dockerfile
@@ -29,10 +29,6 @@ RUN for s in debian_jessie debian_jessie-updates debian-security_jessie/updates;
       echo 'Acquire::Retries "5";'; \
     ) > /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/99cpython-portable
 
-RUN ( echo 'amd64'; \
-      echo 'i386'; \
-    ) > /var/lib/dpkg/arch
-
 # apt iterates all available file descriptors up to rlim_max and calls
 # fcntl(fd, F_SETFD, FD_CLOEXEC). This can result in millions of system calls
 # (we've seen 1B in the wild) and cause operations to take seconds to minutes.
diff --git a/cpython-unix/build-cpython.sh b/cpython-unix/build-cpython.sh
index 73fb8c451..fcf469ec1 100755
--- a/cpython-unix/build-cpython.sh
+++ b/cpython-unix/build-cpython.sh
@@ -91,6 +91,9 @@ fi
 
 # Configure nerfs RUNSHARED when cross-compiling, which prevents PGO from running when
 # we can in fact run the target binaries (e.g. x86_64 host and i686 target). Undo that.
+# TODO this may not be needed after removing support for i686 builds. But it
+# may still be useful since CPython's definition of cross-compiling has historically
+# been very liberal and kicks in when it arguably shouldn't.
 if [ -n "${CROSS_COMPILING}" ]; then
     if [ -n "${PYTHON_MEETS_MINIMUM_VERSION_3_14}" ]; then
         patch -p1 -i ${ROOT}/patch-dont-clear-runshared-14.patch
@@ -1058,9 +1061,6 @@ armv7-unknown-linux-gnueabi)
 armv7-unknown-linux-gnueabihf)
     PYTHON_ARCH="arm-linux-gnueabihf"
     ;;
-i686-unknown-linux-gnu)
-    PYTHON_ARCH="i386-linux-gnu"
-    ;;
 mips-unknown-linux-gnu)
     PYTHON_ARCH="mips-linux-gnu"
     ;;
diff --git a/cpython-unix/build-libX11.sh b/cpython-unix/build-libX11.sh
index e8f65ad45..bb45028bb 100755
--- a/cpython-unix/build-libX11.sh
+++ b/cpython-unix/build-libX11.sh
@@ -54,9 +54,6 @@ if [ -n "${CROSS_COMPILING}" ]; then
     armv7-unknown-linux-gnueabihf)
       EXTRA_FLAGS="${EXTRA_FLAGS} --enable-malloc0returnsnull"
       ;;
-    i686-unknown-linux-gnu)
-      EXTRA_FLAGS="${EXTRA_FLAGS} --enable-malloc0returnsnull"
-      ;;
     mips-unknown-linux-gnu)
       EXTRA_FLAGS="${EXTRA_FLAGS} --enable-malloc0returnsnull"
       ;;
@@ -81,9 +78,6 @@ if [ -n "${CROSS_COMPILING}" ]; then
     aarch64-unknown-linux-musl)
       EXTRA_FLAGS="${EXTRA_FLAGS} --enable-malloc0returnsnull"
       ;;
-    i686-unknown-linux-musl)
-      EXTRA_FLAGS="${EXTRA_FLAGS} --enable-malloc0returnsnull"
-      ;;
     mips-unknown-linux-musl)
       EXTRA_FLAGS="${EXTRA_FLAGS} --enable-malloc0returnsnull"
       ;;
diff --git a/cpython-unix/build-xcb-proto.sh b/cpython-unix/build-xcb-proto.sh
index 21e8c2e4e..5ac092a2a 100755
--- a/cpython-unix/build-xcb-proto.sh
+++ b/cpython-unix/build-xcb-proto.sh
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ pkg-config --version
 export PATH=/tools/${TOOLCHAIN}/bin:/tools/host/bin:$PATH
 export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/tools/deps/share/pkgconfig
 
-tar -xf xcb-proto-${XCB_PROTO_VERSION}.tar.gz
+tar -xf xcb-proto-${XCB_PROTO_VERSION}.tar.xz
 pushd xcb-proto-${XCB_PROTO_VERSION}
 
 CFLAGS="${EXTRA_TARGET_CFLAGS} -fPIC" CPPFLAGS="${EXTRA_TARGET_CFLAGS} -fPIC" LDFLAGS="${EXTRA_TARGET_LDFLAGS}" ./configure \
diff --git a/cpython-unix/build.Dockerfile b/cpython-unix/build.Dockerfile
index 09e37faba..e44d0a2e2 100644
--- a/cpython-unix/build.Dockerfile
+++ b/cpython-unix/build.Dockerfile
@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
 {% include 'base.Dockerfile' %}
 
-# libc6-dev:i386 pulls in 32-bit system libraries to enable cross-compiling
-# to i386.
-#
 # libffi-dev and zlib1g-dev are present so host Python (during cross-builds)
 # can build the ctypes and zlib extensions. So comment in build-cpython.sh
 # for more context.
@@ -14,7 +11,6 @@ RUN ulimit -n 10000 && apt-get install \
     bzip2 \
     file \
     libc6-dev \
-    libc6-dev:i386 \
     libffi-dev \
     make \
     patch \
diff --git a/cpython-unix/build.py b/cpython-unix/build.py
index 05783fe82..6829e9101 100755
--- a/cpython-unix/build.py
+++ b/cpython-unix/build.py
@@ -246,6 +246,7 @@ def simple_build(
     dest_archive,
     extra_archives=None,
     tools_path="deps",
+    python_host_version=None,
 ):
     archive = download_entry(entry, DOWNLOADS_PATH)
 
@@ -264,6 +265,15 @@ def simple_build(
         for a in extra_archives or []:
             build_env.install_artifact_archive(BUILD, a, target_triple, build_options)
 
+        if python_host_version:
+            majmin = ".".join(python_host_version.split(".")[0:2])
+            build_env.install_toolchain_archive(
+                BUILD,
+                f"cpython-{majmin}",
+                host_platform,
+                version=python_host_version,
+            )
+
         build_env.copy_file(archive)
         build_env.copy_file(SUPPORT / ("build-%s.sh" % entry))
 
@@ -796,6 +806,7 @@ def build_cpython(
         for p in sorted(packages):
             build_env.install_artifact_archive(BUILD, p, target_triple, build_options)
 
+        # Install the host CPython.
         build_env.install_toolchain_archive(
             BUILD, entry_name, host_platform, version=python_version
         )
@@ -1032,6 +1043,11 @@ def main():
         default=None,
         help="A custom path to CPython source files to use",
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--python-host-version",
+        default=None,
+        help="Python X.Y version for host Python installation",
+    )
     parser.add_argument("action")
 
     args = parser.parse_args()
@@ -1047,6 +1063,8 @@ def main():
     dest_archive = pathlib.Path(args.dest_archive)
     docker_image = args.docker_image
 
+    python_host_version = args.python_host_version
+
     settings = get_target_settings(TARGETS_CONFIG, target_triple)
 
     if args.action == "dockerfiles":
@@ -1213,6 +1231,7 @@ def main():
                 target_triple=target_triple,
                 build_options=build_options,
                 dest_archive=dest_archive,
+                python_host_version=python_host_version,
             )
 
         elif action == "libxcb":
@@ -1226,6 +1245,7 @@ def main():
                 build_options=build_options,
                 dest_archive=dest_archive,
                 extra_archives={"libpthread-stubs", "libXau", "xcb-proto", "xorgproto"},
+                python_host_version=python_host_version,
             )
 
         elif action == "tix":
@@ -1260,6 +1280,7 @@ def main():
                 build_options=build_options,
                 dest_archive=dest_archive,
                 extra_archives=extra_archives,
+                python_host_version=python_host_version,
             )
 
         elif action.startswith("cpython-") and action.endswith("-host"):
diff --git a/cpython-unix/extension-modules.yml b/cpython-unix/extension-modules.yml
index c52078573..028eadde5 100644
--- a/cpython-unix/extension-modules.yml
+++ b/cpython-unix/extension-modules.yml
@@ -249,7 +249,6 @@ _decimal:
     - define: CONFIG_32=1
       targets:
         - armv7-.*
-        - i686-.*
         - mips-.*
         - mipsel-.*
     - define: CONFIG_64=1
@@ -299,7 +298,6 @@ _hashlib:
     # a static library so there isn't a runtime dependency.
     - name: ':libatomic.a'
       targets:
-        - i686-unknown-linux-gnu
         - mips-unknown-linux-gnu
         - mipsel-unknown-linux-gnu
         - x86_64.*-unknown-linux-gnu
@@ -570,7 +568,6 @@ _ssl:
     # a static library so there isn't a runtime dependency.
     - name: ':libatomic.a'
       targets:
-        - i686-unknown-linux-gnu
         - mips-unknown-linux-gnu
         - mipsel-unknown-linux-gnu
         - x86_64.*-unknown-linux-gnu
diff --git a/cpython-unix/targets.yml b/cpython-unix/targets.yml
index 46a92e31e..1b47dba4b 100644
--- a/cpython-unix/targets.yml
+++ b/cpython-unix/targets.yml
@@ -318,52 +318,6 @@ armv7-unknown-linux-gnueabihf:
     - zlib
   openssl_target: linux-armv4
 
-i686-unknown-linux-gnu:
-  host_platforms:
-    - linux_x86_64
-  pythons_supported:
-    - '3.9'
-    - '3.10'
-    - '3.11'
-    - '3.12'
-    - '3.13'
-    - '3.14'
-  needs_toolchain: true
-  host_cc: clang
-  host_cxx: clang++
-  target_cc: clang
-  target_cxx: clang++
-  target_cflags:
-    - '-m32'
-    - '-fvisibility=hidden'
-  target_ldflags:
-    - '-m32'
-  needs:
-    - autoconf
-    - bdb
-    - binutils
-    - bzip2
-    - expat
-    - libedit
-    - libffi
-    - libX11
-    - libXau
-    - libxcb
-    - m4
-    - mpdecimal
-    - ncurses
-    - openssl-3.0
-    - patchelf
-    - sqlite
-    - tcl
-    - tk
-    - tix
-    - uuid
-    - xorgproto
-    - xz
-    - zlib
-  openssl_target: linux-x86-clang
-
 mips-unknown-linux-gnu:
   host_platforms:
     - linux_x86_64
diff --git a/cpython-unix/xcb.Dockerfile b/cpython-unix/xcb.Dockerfile
deleted file mode 100644
index 33d350e23..000000000
--- a/cpython-unix/xcb.Dockerfile
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-{% include 'build.Dockerfile' %}
-RUN ulimit -n 10000 && apt-get install \
-    python
diff --git a/cpython-unix/xcb.cross-riscv64.Dockerfile b/cpython-unix/xcb.cross-riscv64.Dockerfile
deleted file mode 100644
index 260aa7d7e..000000000
--- a/cpython-unix/xcb.cross-riscv64.Dockerfile
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-{% include 'build.cross-riscv64.Dockerfile' %}
-RUN apt-get install \
-    python
diff --git a/cpython-unix/xcb.cross.Dockerfile b/cpython-unix/xcb.cross.Dockerfile
deleted file mode 100644
index cc003ff2a..000000000
--- a/cpython-unix/xcb.cross.Dockerfile
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-{% include 'build.cross.Dockerfile' %}
-RUN apt-get install \
-    python
diff --git a/pythonbuild/downloads.py b/pythonbuild/downloads.py
index c6fd22146..12abd7aed 100644
--- a/pythonbuild/downloads.py
+++ b/pythonbuild/downloads.py
@@ -156,13 +156,11 @@
         "licenses": ["MIT"],
         "license_file": "LICENSE.libXau.txt",
     },
-    # Newer versions of libxcb require a modern Python to build. We can take this
-    # dependency once we feel like doing the work.
     "libxcb": {
-        "url": "https://xcb.freedesktop.org/dist/libxcb-1.14.tar.gz",
-        "size": 640322,
-        "sha256": "2c7fcddd1da34d9b238c9caeda20d3bd7486456fc50b3cc6567185dbd5b0ad02",
-        "version": "1.14",
+        "url": "https://xcb.freedesktop.org/dist/libxcb-1.17.0.tar.gz",
+        "size": 661593,
+        "sha256": "2c69287424c9e2128cb47ffe92171e10417041ec2963bceafb65cb3fcf8f0b85",
+        "version": "1.17.0",
         "library_names": ["xcb"],
         "licenses": ["MIT"],
         "license_file": "LICENSE.libxcb.txt",
@@ -380,10 +378,10 @@
         "version": "1.20.1",
     },
     "xcb-proto": {
-        "url": "https://www.x.org/archive/individual/proto/xcb-proto-1.14.1.tar.gz",
-        "size": 194674,
-        "sha256": "85cd21e9d9fbc341d0dbf11eace98d55d7db89fda724b0e598855fcddf0944fd",
-        "version": "1.14.1",
+        "url": "https://xcb.freedesktop.org/dist/xcb-proto-1.17.0.tar.xz",
+        "size": 151748,
+        "sha256": "2c1bacd2110f4799f74de6ebb714b94cf6f80fb112316b1219480fd22562148c",
+        "version": "1.17.0",
     },
     # Newer versions from at least 2023 have build failures for reasons we haven't
     # fully investigated.
diff --git a/pythonbuild/utils.py b/pythonbuild/utils.py
index 1c4f4ffc4..3df0f7839 100644
--- a/pythonbuild/utils.py
+++ b/pythonbuild/utils.py
@@ -195,7 +195,6 @@ def write_triples_makefiles(
             image_suffix = settings.get("docker_image_suffix", "")
 
             lines.append("DOCKER_IMAGE_BUILD := build%s\n" % image_suffix)
-            lines.append("DOCKER_IMAGE_XCB := xcb%s\n" % image_suffix)
 
             entry = clang_toolchain(host_platform, triple)
             lines.append(