diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 9776a7f..a41ac20 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -108,6 +108,14 @@
 {#v0-0-0-added}
 ### Added
 * (toolchains) `3.9.25` Python toolchain from [20251031] release.
+* (pypi) API to tell `pip.parse` which platforms users care about. This is very useful to  ensure
+  that when users do `bazel query` for their deps, they don't have to download all of the
+  dependencies for all of the available wheels. Torch wheels can be up of 1GB and it takes a lot
+  of time to download those, which is unnecessary if only the host platform builds are necessary
+  to be performed. This is mainly for backwards/forwards compatibility whilst rolling out
+  `RULES_PYTHON_ENABLE_PIPSTAR=1` by default. Users of `experimental_index_url` that perform
+  cross-builds should add {obj}`target_platforms` to their `pip.parse` invocations, which will
+  become mandatory if any cross-builds are required from the next release.
 
 [20251031]: https://github.com/astral-sh/python-build-standalone/releases/tag/20251031
 {#v1-7-0}
diff --git a/python/private/pypi/extension.bzl b/python/private/pypi/extension.bzl
index be1a8e4..eaa6c0d 100644
--- a/python/private/pypi/extension.bzl
+++ b/python/private/pypi/extension.bzl
@@ -669,6 +669,26 @@
 :::
 """,
         ),
+        "target_platforms": attr.string_list(
+            default = ["{os}_{arch}"],
+            doc = """\
+The list of platforms for which we would evaluate the requirements files. If you need to be able to
+only evaluate for a particular platform (e.g. "linux_x86_64"), then put it in here.
+
+If you want `freethreaded` variant, then you can use `_freethreaded` suffix as `rules_python` is
+defining target platforms for these variants in its `MODULE.bazel` file. The identifiers for this
+function in general are the same as used in the {obj}`pip.default.platform` attribute.
+
+If you only care for the host platform and do not have a usecase to cross-build, then you can put in
+a string `"{os}_{arch}"` as the value here. You could also use `"{os}_{arch}_freethreaded"` as well.
+
+:::{include} /_includes/experimental_api.md
+:::
+
+:::{versionadded} VERSION_NEXT_FEATURE
+:::
+""",
+        ),
         "whl_modifications": attr.label_keyed_string_dict(
             mandatory = False,
             doc = """\
diff --git a/python/private/pypi/hub_builder.bzl b/python/private/pypi/hub_builder.bzl
index 1378e2f..3a1a3b0 100644
--- a/python/private/pypi/hub_builder.bzl
+++ b/python/private/pypi/hub_builder.bzl
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 load("//python/private:full_version.bzl", "full_version")
 load("//python/private:normalize_name.bzl", "normalize_name")
+load("//python/private:repo_utils.bzl", "repo_utils")
 load("//python/private:version.bzl", "version")
 load("//python/private:version_label.bzl", "version_label")
 load(":attrs.bzl", "use_isolated")
@@ -135,11 +136,15 @@
         ))
         return
 
+    default_cross_setup = _set_get_index_urls(self, pip_attr)
     self._platforms[python_version] = _platforms(
+        module_ctx,
         python_version = full_python_version,
         config = self._config,
+        # FIXME @aignas 2025-12-06: should we have this behaviour?
+        # TODO @aignas 2025-12-06: use target_platforms always even when the get_index_urls is set.
+        target_platforms = [] if default_cross_setup else pip_attr.target_platforms,
     )
-    _set_get_index_urls(self, pip_attr)
     _add_group_map(self, pip_attr.experimental_requirement_cycles)
     _add_extra_aliases(self, pip_attr.extra_hub_aliases)
     _create_whl_repos(
@@ -249,7 +254,7 @@
 
         # parallel_download is set to True by default, so we are not checking/validating it
         # here
-        return
+        return False
 
     python_version = pip_attr.python_version
     self._use_downloader.setdefault(python_version, {}).update({
@@ -275,6 +280,7 @@
         cache = self._simpleapi_cache,
         parallel_download = pip_attr.parallel_download,
     )
+    return True
 
 def _detect_interpreter(self, pip_attr):
     python_interpreter_target = pip_attr.python_interpreter_target
@@ -301,14 +307,25 @@
         path = pip_attr.python_interpreter,
     )
 
-def _platforms(*, python_version, config):
+def _platforms(module_ctx, *, python_version, config, target_platforms):
     platforms = {}
     python_version = version.parse(
         python_version,
         strict = True,
     )
 
+    target_platforms = sorted({
+        p.format(
+            os = repo_utils.get_platforms_os_name(module_ctx),
+            arch = repo_utils.get_platforms_cpu_name(module_ctx),
+        ): None
+        for p in target_platforms
+    })
+
     for platform, values in config.platforms.items():
+        if target_platforms and platform not in target_platforms:
+            continue
+
         # TODO @aignas 2025-07-07: this is probably doing the parsing of the version too
         # many times.
         abi = "{}{}{}.{}".format(
diff --git a/python/private/pypi/requirements_files_by_platform.bzl b/python/private/pypi/requirements_files_by_platform.bzl
index 356bd44..2027b41 100644
--- a/python/private/pypi/requirements_files_by_platform.bzl
+++ b/python/private/pypi/requirements_files_by_platform.bzl
@@ -140,9 +140,10 @@
 
     platforms_from_args = _platforms_from_args(extra_pip_args)
     if logger:
-        logger.debug(lambda: "Platforms from pip args: {}".format(platforms_from_args))
+        logger.debug(lambda: "Platforms from pip args: {} (from {})".format(platforms_from_args, extra_pip_args))
 
-    default_platforms = platforms
+    input_platforms = platforms
+    default_platforms = [_platform(p, python_version) for p in platforms]
 
     if platforms_from_args:
         lock_files = [
@@ -174,6 +175,7 @@
                 platform
                 for filter_or_platform in specifier.split(",")
                 for platform in (_default_platforms(filter = filter_or_platform, platforms = platforms) if filter_or_platform.endswith("*") else [filter_or_platform])
+                if _platform(platform, python_version) in default_platforms
             ]
             for file, specifier in requirements_by_platform.items()
         }.items()
@@ -227,9 +229,10 @@
                 configured_platforms[p] = file
 
         elif logger:
-            logger.warn(lambda: "File {} will be ignored because there are no configured platforms: {}".format(
+            logger.info(lambda: "File {} will be ignored because there are no configured platforms: {} out of {}".format(
                 file,
                 default_platforms,
+                input_platforms,
             ))
             continue
 
diff --git a/tests/pypi/extension/pip_parse.bzl b/tests/pypi/extension/pip_parse.bzl
index 21569cf..edac12e 100644
--- a/tests/pypi/extension/pip_parse.bzl
+++ b/tests/pypi/extension/pip_parse.bzl
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
         requirements_linux = None,
         requirements_lock = None,
         requirements_windows = None,
+        target_platforms = [],
         simpleapi_skip = [],
         timeout = 600,
         whl_modifications = {},
@@ -41,7 +42,9 @@
         envsubst = envsubst,
         experimental_index_url = experimental_index_url,
         experimental_requirement_cycles = experimental_requirement_cycles,
+        # TODO @aignas 2025-12-02: decide on a single attr - should we reuse this?
         experimental_target_platforms = experimental_target_platforms,
+        target_platforms = target_platforms,
         extra_hub_aliases = extra_hub_aliases,
         extra_pip_args = extra_pip_args,
         hub_name = hub_name,
diff --git a/tests/pypi/hub_builder/hub_builder_tests.bzl b/tests/pypi/hub_builder/hub_builder_tests.bzl
index 414ad12..e267f4c 100644
--- a/tests/pypi/hub_builder/hub_builder_tests.bzl
+++ b/tests/pypi/hub_builder/hub_builder_tests.bzl
@@ -25,12 +25,12 @@
 
 _tests = []
 
-def _mock_mctx(environ = {}, read = None):
+def _mock_mctx(os = "unittest", arch = "exotic", environ = {}, read = None):
     return struct(
         os = struct(
             environ = environ,
-            name = "unittest",
-            arch = "exotic",
+            name = os,
+            arch = arch,
         ),
         read = read or (lambda _: """\
 simple==0.0.1 \
@@ -723,6 +723,10 @@
                 "requirements.linux_x86_64.txt": "linux_x86_64",
                 "requirements.osx_aarch64.txt": "osx_aarch64",
             },
+            target_platforms = [
+                "linux_x86_64",
+                "osx_aarch64",
+            ],
         ),
     )
     pypi = builder.build()
@@ -1221,6 +1225,73 @@
 
 _tests.append(_test_pipstar_platforms)
 
+def _test_pipstar_platforms_limit(env):
+    builder = hub_builder(
+        env,
+        enable_pipstar = True,
+        config = struct(
+            enable_pipstar = True,
+            netrc = None,
+            auth_patterns = {},
+            platforms = {
+                "my{}{}".format(os, cpu): _plat(
+                    name = "my{}{}".format(os, cpu),
+                    os_name = os,
+                    arch_name = cpu,
+                    marker = "python_version ~= \"3.13\"",
+                    config_settings = [
+                        "@platforms//os:{}".format(os),
+                        "@platforms//cpu:{}".format(cpu),
+                    ],
+                )
+                for os, cpu in [
+                    ("linux", "x86_64"),
+                    ("osx", "aarch64"),
+                ]
+            },
+        ),
+    )
+    builder.pip_parse(
+        _mock_mctx(
+            os = "linux",
+            arch = "amd64",
+            read = lambda x: {
+                "universal.txt": """\
+optimum[onnxruntime]==1.17.1 ; sys_platform == 'darwin'
+optimum[onnxruntime-gpu]==1.17.1 ; sys_platform == 'linux'
+""",
+            }[x],
+        ),
+        _parse(
+            hub_name = "pypi",
+            python_version = "3.15",
+            requirements_lock = "universal.txt",
+            target_platforms = ["my{os}{arch}"],
+        ),
+    )
+    pypi = builder.build()
+
+    pypi.exposed_packages().contains_exactly(["optimum"])
+    pypi.group_map().contains_exactly({})
+    pypi.whl_map().contains_exactly({
+        "optimum": {
+            "pypi_315_optimum": [
+                whl_config_setting(version = "3.15"),
+            ],
+        },
+    })
+    pypi.whl_libraries().contains_exactly({
+        "pypi_315_optimum": {
+            "config_load": "@pypi//:config.bzl",
+            "dep_template": "@pypi//{name}:{target}",
+            "python_interpreter_target": "unit_test_interpreter_target",
+            "requirement": "optimum[onnxruntime-gpu]==1.17.1",
+        },
+    })
+    pypi.extra_aliases().contains_exactly({})
+
+_tests.append(_test_pipstar_platforms_limit)
+
 def hub_builder_test_suite(name):
     """Create the test suite.
 
diff --git a/tests/pypi/requirements_files_by_platform/requirements_files_by_platform_tests.bzl b/tests/pypi/requirements_files_by_platform/requirements_files_by_platform_tests.bzl
index 6688d72..d6aaf3c 100644
--- a/tests/pypi/requirements_files_by_platform/requirements_files_by_platform_tests.bzl
+++ b/tests/pypi/requirements_files_by_platform/requirements_files_by_platform_tests.bzl
@@ -115,6 +115,12 @@
             },
             platforms = ["linux_x86_64", "osx_x86_64"],
         ),
+        requirements_files_by_platform(
+            requirements_by_platform = {
+                "requirements_lock": "linux_x86_64,osx_aarch64,osx_x86_64",
+            },
+            platforms = ["linux_x86_64", "osx_x86_64", "windows_x86_64"],
+        ),
     ]:
         env.expect.that_dict(got).contains_exactly({
             "requirements_lock": [
@@ -219,6 +225,17 @@
             "requirements_linux": "linux_x86_64,linux_aarch64",
         },
         requirements_lock = "requirements_lock",
+        platforms = [
+            "linux_super_exotic",
+            "linux_x86_64",
+            "linux_aarch64",
+            "linux_arm",
+            "linux_ppc",
+            "linux_s390x",
+            "osx_aarch64",
+            "osx_x86_64",
+            "windows_x86_64",
+        ],
     )
     env.expect.that_dict(got).contains_exactly({
         "requirements_exotic": ["linux_super_exotic"],