diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 5979de4dc6a..32febcabe9d 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([python],
 
 have_lxml=no
 AS_IF([test "x$with_python" != "xno"], [
-        AM_PATH_PYTHON(,, [:])
+        AM_PATH_PYTHON([3],, [:])
         AS_IF([test "x$PYTHON" != "x:"], [
                 AC_MSG_CHECKING([for python lxml module])
                 AS_IF(["$PYTHON" -c 'import lxml' 2>/dev/null], [have_lxml=yes])
diff --git a/src/journal-remote/log-generator.py b/src/journal-remote/log-generator.py
index fd6964e7582..24874e960ca 100755
--- a/src/journal-remote/log-generator.py
+++ b/src/journal-remote/log-generator.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/python
-from __future__ import print_function
+#!/usr/bin/python3
 import sys
 import argparse
 
diff --git a/test/rule-syntax-check.py b/test/rule-syntax-check.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index e43a3daeb3c..e4185cb0fa2
--- a/test/rule-syntax-check.py
+++ b/test/rule-syntax-check.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python3
 # Simple udev rules syntax checker
 #
 # (C) 2010 Canonical Ltd.
diff --git a/test/sysv-generator-test.py b/test/sysv-generator-test.py
index 838dd57a6f0..50175485f79 100755
--- a/test/sysv-generator-test.py
+++ b/test/sysv-generator-test.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/python
+#!/usr/bin/python3
 #
 # systemd-sysv-generator integration test
 #
diff --git a/tools/gdb-sd_dump_hashmaps.py b/tools/gdb-sd_dump_hashmaps.py
index 9ee81fb05a6..d20016e0058 100644
--- a/tools/gdb-sd_dump_hashmaps.py
+++ b/tools/gdb-sd_dump_hashmaps.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python3
 #  -*- Mode: python; coding: utf-8; indent-tabs-mode: nil -*- */
 #
 #  This file is part of systemd.
diff --git a/tools/make-directive-index.py b/tools/make-directive-index.py
index 256ff3dc5da..8ce09ca2fa0 100755
--- a/tools/make-directive-index.py
+++ b/tools/make-directive-index.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python3
 #  -*- Mode: python; coding: utf-8; indent-tabs-mode: nil -*- */
 #
 #  This file is part of systemd.
diff --git a/tools/make-man-index.py b/tools/make-man-index.py
index 74a47b821a9..50ad9532cdc 100755
--- a/tools/make-man-index.py
+++ b/tools/make-man-index.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python3
 #  -*- Mode: python; coding: utf-8; indent-tabs-mode: nil -*- */
 #
 #  This file is part of systemd.
diff --git a/tools/make-man-rules.py b/tools/make-man-rules.py
index 5e61917d603..18aa513952f 100644
--- a/tools/make-man-rules.py
+++ b/tools/make-man-rules.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python3
 #  -*- Mode: python; coding: utf-8; indent-tabs-mode: nil -*- */
 #
 #  This file is part of systemd.
diff --git a/tools/xml_helper.py b/tools/xml_helper.py
index e87126f2f77..b2c036909d9 100644
--- a/tools/xml_helper.py
+++ b/tools/xml_helper.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python3
 #  -*- Mode: python; coding: utf-8; indent-tabs-mode: nil -*- */
 #
 #  This file is part of systemd.