diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index 7a9a7b63..85685201 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -33,6 +33,12 @@ inputs:
     description: "Used to specify the version of pip to install with the Python. Supported format: major[.minor][.patch]."
   pip-install:
     description: "Used to specify the packages to install with pip after setting up Python. Can be a requirements file or package names."
+  preclean-pip:
+    description: "When 'true', removes all existing pip packages before installing new ones."
+    default: false
+  postclean-pip:
+    description: "When 'true', removes all pip packages installed by this action after the action completes."
+    default: false
 outputs:
   python-version:
     description: "The installed Python or PyPy version. Useful when given a version range as input."
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 3383f219..c808525c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -8,12 +8,12 @@
     "node": ">=24.0.0"
   },
   "scripts": {
-    "build": "ncc build -o dist/setup src/setup-python.ts && ncc build -o dist/cache-save src/cache-save.ts",
+  "build": "ncc build -o dist/setup src/setup-python.ts && ncc build -o dist/post-python src/post-python.ts",
     "format": "prettier --no-error-on-unmatched-pattern --config ./.prettierrc.js --write \"**/*.{ts,yml,yaml}\"",
     "format-check": "prettier --no-error-on-unmatched-pattern --config ./.prettierrc.js --check \"**/*.{ts,yml,yaml}\"",
     "lint": "eslint --config ./.eslintrc.js \"**/*.ts\"",
     "lint:fix": "eslint --config ./.eslintrc.js \"**/*.ts\" --fix",
-    "release": "ncc build -o dist/setup src/setup-python.ts && ncc build -o dist/cache-save src/cache-save.ts && git add -f dist/",
+  "release": "ncc build -o dist/setup src/setup-python.ts && ncc build -o dist/post-python src/post-python.ts && git add -f dist/",
     "test": "jest --runInBand --coverage"
   },
   "repository": {
diff --git a/src/clean-pip.ts b/src/clean-pip.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..233c8207
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/clean-pip.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import * as core from '@actions/core';
+import {exec} from '@actions/exec';
+
+// Shared helper to uninstall all pip packages in the current environment.
+export async function cleanPipPackages() {
+  core.info('Cleaning up pip packages');
+  try {
+    // uninstall all currently installed packages (if any)
+    // Use a shell so we can pipe the output of pip freeze into xargs
+    await exec('bash', [
+      '-c',
+      'python -m pip freeze | xargs python -m pip uninstall'
+    ]);
+    core.info('Successfully cleaned up pip packages');
+  } catch (error) {
+    core.setFailed(`Failed to clean up pip packages.`);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/cache-save.ts b/src/post-python.ts
similarity index 70%
rename from src/cache-save.ts
rename to src/post-python.ts
index abeef2f3..41abd179 100644
--- a/src/cache-save.ts
+++ b/src/post-python.ts
@@ -1,21 +1,34 @@
 import * as core from '@actions/core';
 import * as cache from '@actions/cache';
+import {cleanPipPackages} from './clean-pip';
 
 import fs from 'fs';
 import {State} from './cache-distributions/cache-distributor';
 
 // Added early exit to resolve issue with slow post action step:
-// - https://github.com/actions/setup-node/issues/878
-// https://github.com/actions/cache/pull/1217
+// See: https://github.com/actions/setup-node/issues/878
+// See: https://github.com/actions/cache/pull/1217
 export async function run(earlyExit?: boolean) {
   try {
     const cache = core.getInput('cache');
     if (cache) {
       await saveCache(cache);
-
+      // Preserve early-exit behavior for the post action when requested.
+      // Some CI setups may want the post step to exit early to avoid long-running
+      // processes during cleanup. If enabled, exit with success immediately.
       if (earlyExit) {
         process.exit(0);
       }
+      // Optionally clean up pip packages after the post-action if requested.
+      // This mirrors the `preclean-pip` behavior used in the main action.
+      try {
+        const postcleanPip = core.getBooleanInput('postclean-pip');
+        if (postcleanPip) {
+          await cleanPipPackages();
+        }
+      } catch (err) {
+        // getBooleanInput throws if input missing in some contexts; ignore and continue
+      }
     }
   } catch (error) {
     const err = error as Error;
@@ -84,4 +97,6 @@ function isCacheDirectoryExists(cacheDirectory: string[]) {
   return result;
 }
 
-run(true);
+// Invoke the post action runner. No early-exit — this must complete so the cache
+// can be saved during the post step.
+run();
diff --git a/src/setup-python.ts b/src/setup-python.ts
index 91a0c176..f6157340 100644
--- a/src/setup-python.ts
+++ b/src/setup-python.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {
   getVersionsInputFromPlainFile
 } from './utils';
 import {exec} from '@actions/exec';
+import {cleanPipPackages} from './clean-pip';
 
 function isPyPyVersion(versionSpec: string) {
   return versionSpec.startsWith('pypy');
@@ -159,6 +160,10 @@ async function run() {
       if (cache && isCacheFeatureAvailable()) {
         await cacheDependencies(cache, pythonVersion);
       }
+      const precleanPip = core.getBooleanInput('preclean-pip');
+      if (precleanPip) {
+        await cleanPipPackages();
+      } 
       const pipInstall = core.getInput('pip-install');
       if (pipInstall) {
         await installPipPackages(pipInstall);