diff --git a/crates/uv/src/commands/build_frontend.rs b/crates/uv/src/commands/build_frontend.rs
index 2c21b6fb4992f..110520180684e 100644
--- a/crates/uv/src/commands/build_frontend.rs
+++ b/crates/uv/src/commands/build_frontend.rs
@@ -357,6 +357,20 @@ async fn build_impl(
         vec![AnnotatedSource::from(src)]
     };
 
+    // Build backends can include arbitrary files from the source directory in the distribution.
+    // Reject an active cache within the source to avoid including cache contents in the build.
+    for source in &packages {
+        if let Source::Directory(source_dir) = &source.source
+            && is_path_within(cache.root(), source_dir)
+        {
+            return Err(anyhow::anyhow!(
+                "The cache directory `{}` is inside the build source directory `{}`",
+                cache.root().user_display(),
+                source_dir.user_display()
+            ));
+        }
+    }
+
     let results: Vec<_> = futures::future::join_all(packages.into_iter().map(|source| {
         let future = build_package(
             source.clone(),
@@ -1241,6 +1255,21 @@ impl Source<'_> {
     }
 }
 
+/// Return `true` if `path` is within `directory`, resolving symlinks when possible.
+fn is_path_within(path: &Path, directory: &Path) -> bool {
+    if path.starts_with(directory) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    if let Ok(path) = fs_err::canonicalize(path)
+        && let Ok(directory) = fs_err::canonicalize(directory)
+    {
+        path.starts_with(directory)
+    } else {
+        false
+    }
+}
+
 /// We run all builds in parallel, so we wait until all builds are done to show the success messages
 /// in order.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
diff --git a/crates/uv/tests/build/cache.rs b/crates/uv/tests/build/cache.rs
index 83b5f3d051d95..30ce8ad9ff3cf 100644
--- a/crates/uv/tests/build/cache.rs
+++ b/crates/uv/tests/build/cache.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,150 @@
 use anyhow::Result;
 use assert_fs::prelude::*;
+use predicates::prelude::predicate;
 use std::process::Command;
 
 #[cfg(unix)]
 use uv_fs::create_symlink;
 use uv_test::{get_bin, uv_snapshot};
 
+/// When the active cache directory is inside an explicit build source, we should error before
+/// invoking the build backend or creating the output directory.
+#[test]
+fn build_rejects_cache_inside_source() -> Result<()> {
+    let mut context = uv_test::test_context!("3.12");
+    let project = context.temp_dir.child("project");
+
+    project.child("pyproject.toml").write_str(
+        r#"
+        [project]
+        name = "project"
+        version = "0.1.0"
+        requires-python = ">=3.12"
+
+        [build-system]
+        requires = ["uv_build>=0.5.15,<10000"]
+        build-backend = "uv_build"
+        "#,
+    )?;
+    project.child("src/project/__init__.py").touch()?;
+
+    context.cache_dir = project.child(".uv-cache");
+
+    uv_snapshot!(context.filters(), context.build().arg("--sdist").arg("project"), @"
+    success: false
+    exit_code: 2
+    ----- stdout -----
+
+    ----- stderr -----
+    error: The cache directory `project/.uv-cache` is inside the build source directory `project`
+    ");
+
+    project.child("dist").assert(predicate::path::missing());
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+/// When the canonical cache directory is inside an explicit build source, we should error even if
+/// the configured cache path itself is outside the source.
+#[test]
+#[cfg(unix)]
+fn build_rejects_symlinked_cache_inside_source() -> Result<()> {
+    let context = uv_test::test_context!("3.12");
+    let project = context.temp_dir.child("project");
+
+    project.child("pyproject.toml").write_str(
+        r#"
+        [project]
+        name = "project"
+        version = "0.1.0"
+        requires-python = ">=3.12"
+
+        [build-system]
+        requires = ["uv_build>=0.5.15,<10000"]
+        build-backend = "uv_build"
+        "#,
+    )?;
+    project.child("src/project/__init__.py").touch()?;
+
+    let cache_dir = project.child(".uv-cache");
+    cache_dir.create_dir_all()?;
+    let cache_link = context.temp_dir.child("cache-link");
+    create_symlink(cache_dir.path(), cache_link.path())?;
+
+    let mut command = Command::new(get_bin!());
+    command
+        .arg("build")
+        .arg("--sdist")
+        .arg("project")
+        .arg("--cache-dir")
+        .arg(cache_link.path());
+    context.add_shared_env(&mut command, false);
+    command.current_dir(context.temp_dir.path());
+
+    uv_snapshot!(context.filters(), command, @"
+    success: false
+    exit_code: 2
+    ----- stdout -----
+
+    ----- stderr -----
+    error: The cache directory `cache-link` is inside the build source directory `project`
+    ");
+
+    project.child("dist").assert(predicate::path::missing());
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+/// A cache in the workspace root is allowed when building a member that does not contain it.
+#[test]
+fn build_allows_cache_outside_selected_source() -> Result<()> {
+    let mut context = uv_test::test_context!("3.12");
+    let workspace = context.temp_dir.child("workspace");
+    let member = workspace.child("member");
+
+    workspace.child("pyproject.toml").write_str(
+        r#"
+        [tool.uv.workspace]
+        members = ["member"]
+        "#,
+    )?;
+    member.child("pyproject.toml").write_str(
+        r#"
+        [project]
+        name = "member"
+        version = "0.1.0"
+        requires-python = ">=3.12"
+
+        [build-system]
+        requires = ["uv_build>=0.5.15,<10000"]
+        build-backend = "uv_build"
+        "#,
+    )?;
+    member.child("src/member/__init__.py").touch()?;
+
+    context.cache_dir = workspace.child(".uv-cache");
+
+    uv_snapshot!(context.filters(), context.build()
+        .arg("--sdist")
+        .arg("--package")
+        .arg("member")
+        .current_dir(&workspace), @"
+    success: true
+    exit_code: 0
+    ----- stdout -----
+
+    ----- stderr -----
+    Building source distribution (uv build backend)...
+    Successfully built dist/member-0.1.0.tar.gz
+    ");
+
+    workspace
+        .child("dist/member-0.1.0.tar.gz")
+        .assert(predicate::path::is_file());
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 /// When the project directory defaults to a current directory inside the cache directory, we should
 /// error before using the cache.
 #[test]