diff --git a/colcon_core/command.py b/colcon_core/command.py
index fd159be1..228d3b36 100644
--- a/colcon_core/command.py
+++ b/colcon_core/command.py
@@ -226,7 +226,15 @@ class CustomArgumentParser(argparse.ArgumentParser):
 
         def _parse_optional(self, arg_string):
             result = super()._parse_optional(arg_string)
-            if result == (None, arg_string, None):
+            # Up until https://github.com/python/cpython/pull/114180 ,
+            # _parse_optional() returned a 3-tuple when it couldn't classify
+            # the option.  As of that PR (which is in Python 3.13, and
+            # backported to Python 3.12), it returns a 4-tuple.  Check for
+            # either here.
+            if result in (
+                (None, arg_string, None),
+                (None, arg_string, None, None),
+            ):
                 # in the case there the arg is classified as an unknown 'O'
                 # override that and classify it as an 'A'
                 return None
diff --git a/test/spell_check.words b/test/spell_check.words
index 96051a0f..83548464 100644
--- a/test/spell_check.words
+++ b/test/spell_check.words
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ apache
 argparse
 asyncio
 autouse
+backported
 basepath
 bazqux
 blocklist
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ configparser
 contextlib
 coroutine
 coroutines
+cpython
 datetime
 debian
 debinfo