diff --git a/Tools/build/patchlevel.py b/Tools/build/patchlevel.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..0f71dd72ba8130
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tools/build/patchlevel.py
@@ -0,0 +1,160 @@
+"""Extract version information from Include/patchlevel.h."""
+
+import re
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Literal, NamedTuple
+
+CPYTHON_ROOT = Path(
+    __file__,  # cpython/Tools/build/patchlevel.py
+    "..",  # cpython/Tools/build
+    "..",  # cpython/Tools
+    "..",  # cpython
+).resolve()
+PATCHLEVEL_H = CPYTHON_ROOT / "Include" / "patchlevel.h"
+
+RELEASE_LEVELS = {
+    "PY_RELEASE_LEVEL_ALPHA": "alpha",
+    "PY_RELEASE_LEVEL_BETA": "beta",
+    "PY_RELEASE_LEVEL_GAMMA": "candidate",
+    "PY_RELEASE_LEVEL_FINAL": "final",
+}
+
+
+class version_info(NamedTuple):
+    major: int  #: Major release number
+    minor: int  #: Minor release number
+    micro: int  #: Patch release number
+    releaselevel: Literal["alpha", "beta", "candidate", "final"]
+    serial: int  #: Serial release number
+
+
+def get_header_version_info() -> version_info:
+    # Capture PY_ prefixed #defines.
+    pat = re.compile(r"\s*#define\s+(PY_\w*)\s+(\w+)", re.ASCII)
+
+    defines = {}
+    patchlevel_h = PATCHLEVEL_H.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    for line in patchlevel_h.splitlines():
+        if (m := pat.match(line)) is not None:
+            name, value = m.groups()
+            defines[name] = value
+
+    return version_info(
+        major=int(defines["PY_MAJOR_VERSION"]),
+        minor=int(defines["PY_MINOR_VERSION"]),
+        micro=int(defines["PY_MICRO_VERSION"]),
+        releaselevel=RELEASE_LEVELS[defines["PY_RELEASE_LEVEL"]],
+        serial=int(defines["PY_RELEASE_SERIAL"]),
+    )
+
+
+def format_version_info(info: version_info) -> tuple[str, str]:
+    version = f"{info.major}.{info.minor}"
+    release = f"{info.major}.{info.minor}.{info.micro}"
+    if info.releaselevel != "final":
+        suffix = {"alpha": "a", "beta": "b", "candidate": "rc"}
+        release += f"{suffix[info.releaselevel]}{info.serial}"
+    return version, release
+
+
+def get_version_info():
+    try:
+        info = get_header_version_info()
+        return format_version_info(info)
+    except OSError:
+        version, release = format_version_info(sys.version_info)
+        print(
+            f"Failed to get version info from Include/patchlevel.h, "
+            f"using version of this interpreter ({release}).",
+            file=sys.stderr,
+        )
+        return version, release
+
+
+def get_version_hex(info: version_info) -> int:
+    """Convert a version_info object to a hex version number."""
+    levels = {"alpha": 0xA, "beta": 0xB, "candidate": 0xC, "final": 0xF}
+    return (
+        (info.major << 24)
+        | (info.minor << 16)
+        | (info.micro << 8)
+        | (levels[info.releaselevel] << 4)
+        | (info.serial << 0)
+    )
+
+
+def parse_str_version(version: str) -> version_info:
+    """Convert a version string to a version_info object."""
+    tag_cre = re.compile(r"(\d+)(?:\.(\d+)(?:\.(\d+))?)?(?:([ab]|rc)(\d+))?$")
+    result = tag_cre.match(version)
+    if not result:
+        raise ValueError(f"Invalid version string: {version}")
+
+    parts = list(result.groups())
+    levels = {"a": "alpha", "b": "beta", "rc": "candidate"}
+    return version_info(
+        major=int(parts[0]),
+        minor=int(parts[1]),
+        micro=int(parts[2] or 0),
+        releaselevel=levels.get(parts[3], "final"),
+        serial=int(parts[4]) if parts[4] else 0,
+    )
+
+
+def parse_hex_version(version: int) -> version_info:
+    """Convert a hex version number to a version_info object."""
+    if not isinstance(version, int):
+        raise ValueError(f"Invalid hex version: {version}")
+
+    levels = {0xA: "alpha", 0xB: "beta", 0xC: "candidate", 0xF: "final"}
+    return version_info(
+        major=(version >> 24) & 0xFF,
+        minor=(version >> 16) & 0xFF,
+        micro=(version >> 8) & 0xFF,
+        releaselevel=levels.get((version >> 4) & 0xF, "final"),
+        serial=version & 0xF,
+    )
+
+
+def main() -> None:
+    import argparse
+
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(color=True)
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "version",
+        nargs="?",
+        help="version to convert (default: repo version)",
+    )
+    group = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group()
+    group.add_argument(
+        "--short",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="print version as x.y",
+    )
+    group.add_argument(
+        "--hex",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="print version as a 4-byte hex number",
+    )
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    if args.version:
+        try:
+            info = parse_str_version(args.version)
+        except ValueError:
+            info = parse_hex_version(int(args.version, 16))
+    else:
+        info = get_header_version_info()
+
+    short_ver, full_ver = format_version_info(info)
+    if args.short:
+        print(short_ver)
+    elif args.hex:
+        print(hex(get_version_hex(info)))
+    else:
+        print(full_ver)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()