diff --git a/crates/vm/src/builtins/float.rs b/crates/vm/src/builtins/float.rs
index 1c861b14fc6..0b739694623 100644
--- a/crates/vm/src/builtins/float.rs
+++ b/crates/vm/src/builtins/float.rs
@@ -176,16 +176,18 @@ impl Constructor for PyFloat {
     type Args = OptionalArg<PyObjectRef>;
 
     fn slot_new(cls: PyTypeRef, args: FuncArgs, vm: &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult {
+        // Bind before the fast path so FromArgs::arity decides how many arguments
+        // are acceptable, rather than a count repeated here.
+        let arg: Self::Args = args.bind(vm)?;
+
         // Optimization: return exact float as-is
         if cls.is(vm.ctx.types.float_type)
-            && args.kwargs.is_empty()
-            && let Some(first) = args.args.first()
+            && let OptionalArg::Present(first) = &arg
             && first.class().is(vm.ctx.types.float_type)
         {
             return Ok(first.clone());
         }
 
-        let arg: Self::Args = args.bind(vm)?;
         let payload = Self::py_new(&cls, arg, vm)?;
         payload.into_ref_with_type(vm, cls).map(Into::into)
     }
diff --git a/extra_tests/snippets/builtin_float.py b/extra_tests/snippets/builtin_float.py
index 1417c5ae174..c459c2d0da6 100644
--- a/extra_tests/snippets/builtin_float.py
+++ b/extra_tests/snippets/builtin_float.py
@@ -561,3 +561,12 @@ def _check_msg(call, exc_type, expected_msg):
 assert repr(1.5) == "1.5"
 assert repr(0.1) == "0.1"
 assert repr(100.0) == "100.0"
+
+
+# float() takes at most one positional argument; the exact-float fast path
+# must not let extra ones through.
+assert_raises(TypeError, float, 1.5, True)
+assert_raises(TypeError, float, 1.5, 2, 3)
+assert_raises(TypeError, float, "1.5", 2)
+assert float(1.5) == 1.5
+assert float() == 0.0