diff --git a/.agents/skills/lancedb-update-lance-dependency/SKILL.md b/.agents/skills/lancedb-update-lance-dependency/SKILL.md
index e97fae7ac..3cba2ae75 100644
--- a/.agents/skills/lancedb-update-lance-dependency/SKILL.md
+++ b/.agents/skills/lancedb-update-lance-dependency/SKILL.md
@@ -48,6 +48,23 @@ Inputs can be a version (`7.2.0-beta.1`), a tag (`v7.2.0-beta.1`), a tag ref (`r
 
    This updates the Rust workspace Lance dependencies through `ci/set_lance_version.py`, updates `java/pom.xml`, refreshes Cargo metadata, and prints JSON metadata containing `branch_name`, `commit_message`, and `pr_title`.
 
+   Also synchronize the Python requirements in `python/pyproject.toml`: set the
+   `tests` extra's exact `pylance` pin to the matching published Python release,
+   and update the `pylance` extra's minimum when needed to exclude older bundled
+   Lance majors. The minimum must still accept the test pin. Python prerelease
+   spelling differs from Rust (for example, `15.0.0-beta.1` becomes `15.0.0b1`).
+   Confirm the matching Python release is published before changing the pin.
+
+   Refresh and check `python/uv.lock` from the repository root:
+
+   ```bash
+   uv lock --project python --index https://pypi.fury.io/lancedb/ --index https://pypi.fury.io/lance-format/ --index-strategy unsafe-best-match
+   uv lock --project python --check --index https://pypi.fury.io/lancedb/ --index https://pypi.fury.io/lance-format/ --index-strategy unsafe-best-match
+   ```
+
+   This strategy considers versions across indexes; use it only with trusted
+   indexes. Commit the Python requirements and lockfile together with the bump.
+
 5. Run validation:
 
    ```bash
@@ -57,6 +74,16 @@ Inputs can be a version (`7.2.0-beta.1`), a tag (`v7.2.0-beta.1`), a tag ref (`r
 
    Fix real diagnostics and rerun clippy until it succeeds. Do not skip warnings.
 
+   Run the Python dependency guards with Python 3.11+ and `packaging` installed:
+
+   ```bash
+   python3 -m unittest discover -s ci/tests -p test_python_dependencies.py -v
+   ```
+
+   These checks reject older Lance majors and ensure the `pylance` and `tests`
+   extras remain compatible. The full CI-script suite uses
+   `python3 -m unittest discover -s ci/tests -v`.
+
 6. Inspect `git status --short` and `git diff` to ensure only the Lance dependency update and required compatibility fixes are present.
 
 7. If the task only asks to prepare local changes, stop here and report the changed files and validation result.
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-scripts.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-scripts.yml
index f7f0dbb07..d45289c2d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-scripts.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-scripts.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ on:
     branches:
       - main
     paths:
+      - Cargo.toml
+      - python/pyproject.toml
       - ci/check_cargo_lock.py
       - ci/check_sdist.py
       - ci/set_lance_version.py
@@ -12,6 +14,8 @@ on:
       - .github/workflows/ci-scripts.yml
   pull_request:
     paths:
+      - Cargo.toml
+      - python/pyproject.toml
       - ci/check_cargo_lock.py
       - ci/check_sdist.py
       - ci/set_lance_version.py
@@ -30,5 +34,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/setup-python@v6
         with:
           python-version: "3.13"
+      - name: Install test dependencies
+        run: python -m pip install packaging
       - name: Run tests
         run: python -m unittest discover -s ci/tests -v
diff --git a/ci/tests/test_python_dependencies.py b/ci/tests/test_python_dependencies.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..97fb672c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/tests/test_python_dependencies.py
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+import tomllib
+import unittest
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from packaging.requirements import Requirement
+from packaging.version import Version
+
+
+REPO_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]
+
+
+class PythonDependenciesTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        with (REPO_ROOT / "python/pyproject.toml").open("rb") as f:
+            self.project = tomllib.load(f)["project"]
+        self.pylance = Requirement(self.project["optional-dependencies"]["pylance"][0])
+
+    def test_pylance_extra_excludes_older_lance_majors(self):
+        with (REPO_ROOT / "Cargo.toml").open("rb") as f:
+            lance = tomllib.load(f)["workspace"]["dependencies"]["lance"]
+        if "version" not in lance:
+            self.skipTest("Local Lance checkout has no version requirement")
+        major = Version(lance["version"].lstrip("=")).major
+        for older_major in range(major):
+            for suffix in (".0.0", ".0.0b6", ".999.999"):
+                version = f"{older_major}{suffix}"
+                with self.subTest(version=version):
+                    self.assertFalse(
+                        self.pylance.specifier.contains(version, prereleases=True),
+                        f"The pylance extra must exclude Lance {version}; "
+                        f"the bundled Lance is major {major}",
+                    )
+
+    def test_pylance_extra_accepts_tested_version(self):
+        requirements = [
+            Requirement(dep) for dep in self.project["optional-dependencies"]["tests"]
+        ]
+        tested = next(dep for dep in requirements if dep.name == "pylance")
+        pin = next(spec for spec in tested.specifier if spec.operator == "==")
+        self.assertTrue(
+            self.pylance.specifier.contains(pin.version, prereleases=True),
+            f"The tests and pylance extras must be installable together: {tested}",
+        )
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()
diff --git a/docs/web/quickstart.mdx b/docs/web/quickstart.mdx
index 788dd6585..3f466041d 100644
--- a/docs/web/quickstart.mdx
+++ b/docs/web/quickstart.mdx
@@ -58,6 +58,33 @@ uv add --prerelease allow --index https://pypi.fury.io/lancedb/ lancedb
 ```
 </CodeGroup>
 
+If you also need the optional `lance` Python API, install the `pylance` extra and
+include the Lance preview index:
+
+<CodeGroup>
+```bash Python (pip) icon="terminal"
+pip install --pre \
+  --extra-index-url https://pypi.fury.io/lancedb/ \
+  --extra-index-url https://pypi.fury.io/lance-format/ \
+  "lancedb[pylance]"
+```
+
+```bash Python (uv) icon="terminal"
+uv pip install --prerelease allow \
+  --index https://pypi.fury.io/lancedb/ \
+  --index https://pypi.fury.io/lance-format/ \
+  --index-strategy unsafe-best-match \
+  "lancedb[pylance]"
+```
+</CodeGroup>
+
+The LanceDB preview index contains old `pylance` releases; current Lance previews
+are published to the `lance-format` index. By default, uv only considers versions
+from the first index containing a package, which can select an old `pylance` or
+backtrack to an older LanceDB release. `unsafe-best-match` searches all configured
+indexes, like pip; use it only with indexes you trust. Install the extra rather
+than an unconstrained `pylance` so LanceDB's minimum supported version is enforced.
+
 <Note>
 Pre-release builds receive the same level of testing as stable releases, but their availability is not guaranteed
 for more than 6 months after release. For real-world workloads, we recommend you use the latest stable release
diff --git a/python/README.md b/python/README.md
index f941c9e20..907f7c099 100644
--- a/python/README.md
+++ b/python/README.md
@@ -40,6 +40,33 @@ Stable releases are created about every 2 weeks. For the latest features and bug
 pip install --pre --extra-index-url https://pypi.fury.io/lancedb/ lancedb
 ```
 
+If you also need the optional `lance` Python API, install the `pylance` extra
+and include the Lance preview index:
+
+```bash
+pip install --pre \
+  --extra-index-url https://pypi.fury.io/lancedb/ \
+  --extra-index-url https://pypi.fury.io/lance-format/ \
+  "lancedb[pylance]"
+```
+
+With uv, also select the best matching version across the indexes:
+
+```bash
+uv pip install --prerelease allow \
+  --index https://pypi.fury.io/lancedb/ \
+  --index https://pypi.fury.io/lance-format/ \
+  --index-strategy unsafe-best-match \
+  "lancedb[pylance]"
+```
+
+The LanceDB preview index contains old `pylance` releases; current Lance previews
+are published to the `lance-format` index. By default, uv only considers versions
+from the first index containing a package, which can select an old `pylance` or
+backtrack to an older LanceDB release. `unsafe-best-match` searches all configured
+indexes, like pip; use it only with indexes you trust. Install the extra rather
+than an unconstrained `pylance` so LanceDB's minimum supported version is enforced.
+
 ### Threading in CPU-limited containers
 
 LanceDB uses separate pools for compute work and storage I/O. On a container with
diff --git a/python/pyproject.toml b/python/pyproject.toml
index ed54ae536..a0de6509c 100644
--- a/python/pyproject.toml
+++ b/python/pyproject.toml
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ repository = "https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb"
 
 [project.optional-dependencies]
 pylance = [
-    "pylance>=5.0.0b5",
+    # Keep the minimum in the bundled Lance major and compatible with tests below.
+    "pylance>=15.0.0b1",
 ]
 # A library only needs the OpenTelemetry API; the application supplies and
 # configures the SDK (the actual exporter/reader). See
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ tests = [
     "polars>=0.19, <=1.32.3",
     "pyarrow<25",
     "pyarrow-stubs>=16.0",
-    "pylance==14.0.0b12",
+    "pylance==15.0.0b1",
     "requests>=2.31.0",
     "datafusion>=54,<55",
     "opentelemetry-sdk>=1.30.0",
diff --git a/python/uv.lock b/python/uv.lock
index e808f5f9e..99bcb439c 100644
--- a/python/uv.lock
+++ b/python/uv.lock
@@ -2006,8 +2006,8 @@ requires-dist = [
     { name = "pyarrow", marker = "extra == 'tests'", specifier = "<25" },
     { name = "pyarrow-stubs", marker = "extra == 'tests'", specifier = ">=16.0" },
     { name = "pydantic", specifier = ">=2.7.4,<3" },
-    { name = "pylance", marker = "extra == 'pylance'", specifier = ">=5.0.0b5" },
-    { name = "pylance", marker = "extra == 'tests'", specifier = "==14.0.0b12" },
+    { name = "pylance", marker = "extra == 'pylance'", specifier = ">=15.0.0b1" },
+    { name = "pylance", marker = "extra == 'tests'", specifier = "==15.0.0b1" },
     { name = "pyright", marker = "extra == 'dev'", specifier = ">=1.1.350" },
     { name = "pytest", marker = "extra == 'tests'", specifier = ">=7.0" },
     { name = "pytest-asyncio", marker = "extra == 'tests'", specifier = ">=0.21" },
@@ -3938,7 +3938,7 @@ crypto = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "pylance"
-version = "14.0.0b12"
+version = "15.0.0b1"
 source = { registry = "https://pypi.fury.io/lance-format/" }
 dependencies = [
     { name = "lance-namespace" },
@@ -3948,12 +3948,12 @@ dependencies = [
     { name = "pyarrow" },
 ]
 wheels = [
-    { url = "https://pypi.fury.io/lance-format/-/ver_1Ixasc/pylance-14.0.0b12-cp310-abi3-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl", hash = "sha256:84350a3c5c1eea3398f4c4fad7cfe85b831d831a5e43b5ca2a783dbdb0e11969" },
-    { url = "https://pypi.fury.io/lance-format/-/ver_sCEkG/pylance-14.0.0b12-cp310-abi3-manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux2014_aarch64.whl", hash = "sha256:76b386c182a6a8e7b86fbef28f84d1dd39e4626ac8681a0cf36f40a45dd7cb87" },
-    { url = "https://pypi.fury.io/lance-format/-/ver_1vdT1C/pylance-14.0.0b12-cp310-abi3-manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux2014_x86_64.whl", hash = "sha256:6aa548c7937fcdfa8f1943a2d59041a42f8b500199880dbb509c7195fa253381" },
-    { url = "https://pypi.fury.io/lance-format/-/ver_2fXu1V/pylance-14.0.0b12-cp310-abi3-manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl", hash = "sha256:79f82d6a6c50f37aab338470e3733436e6a27fbb5972d29fcf453ece56d3b3c6" },
-    { url = "https://pypi.fury.io/lance-format/-/ver_24UavN/pylance-14.0.0b12-cp310-abi3-manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl", hash = "sha256:de0305999257002785f60169e6926896584d66f1da050bb5afd1d48c6e3d9bb9" },
-    { url = "https://pypi.fury.io/lance-format/-/ver_XNynX/pylance-14.0.0b12-cp310-abi3-win_amd64.whl", hash = "sha256:4d0cdb689e898ce71e8e434d00a3b97639cea8fb97da21f1c921543be363268f" },
+    { url = "https://pypi.fury.io/lance-format/-/ver_23L1Nd/pylance-15.0.0b1-cp310-abi3-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl", hash = "sha256:19605d3daca1224cc0db079054be5d4eec403dcf286bf4617430bfc259ab0a52" },
+    { url = "https://pypi.fury.io/lance-format/-/ver_1Ho3RK/pylance-15.0.0b1-cp310-abi3-manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux2014_aarch64.whl", hash = "sha256:be22b0b6f1e1d250ffaa82b449e982c817db33103c483d1005020285310623cf" },
+    { url = "https://pypi.fury.io/lance-format/-/ver_1QmyF0/pylance-15.0.0b1-cp310-abi3-manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux2014_x86_64.whl", hash = "sha256:a5b2761d60b1b9db112058213f1f7b2de82b08cbe65888fab08b0a56e702482e" },
+    { url = "https://pypi.fury.io/lance-format/-/ver_1in2Ph/pylance-15.0.0b1-cp310-abi3-manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl", hash = "sha256:294a0fedae312ed32d1b66cddbf7e69770ec9b4c82a873af60c619ed88450718" },
+    { url = "https://pypi.fury.io/lance-format/-/ver_21xpLH/pylance-15.0.0b1-cp310-abi3-manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl", hash = "sha256:ff20a16703d4d3f3bc675b25ce1871ba1d54137929dc46305bffdd07f7b35a6b" },
+    { url = "https://pypi.fury.io/lance-format/-/ver_AAGzF/pylance-15.0.0b1-cp310-abi3-win_amd64.whl", hash = "sha256:3b134e24a5becfc940ca134cf78aa3bae8b80ec40f8927a1b856273ab76213f2" },
 ]
 
 [[package]]