diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c13843d3a4b..c2de1df7b60 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 # simple makefile wrapper to run waf
 
-PYTHON?=python3
 WAF_BINARY=$(PYTHON) ./buildtools/bin/waf
 WAF=PYTHONHASHSEED=1 WAF_MAKE=1 $(WAF_BINARY)
 
diff --git a/buildtools/bin/waf b/buildtools/bin/waf
index e3c0cb5563d..3ee4d5bc4df 100755
--- a/buildtools/bin/waf
+++ b/buildtools/bin/waf
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
 # encoding: latin-1
 # Thomas Nagy, 2005-2018
 #
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 6a89b17e733..a6ca50feb47 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -13,5 +13,5 @@ export JOBS
 unset LD_PRELOAD
 
 cd . || exit 1
-${PYTHON:=python3} $WAF configure "$@" || exit 1
+$PYTHON $WAF configure "$@" || exit 1
 cd $PREVPATH
diff --git a/ctdb/Makefile b/ctdb/Makefile
index 142998a9652..ec362e29408 100644
--- a/ctdb/Makefile
+++ b/ctdb/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 # simple makefile wrapper to run waf
 
-PYTHON?=python3
 WAF_BINARY=$(PYTHON) ../buildtools/bin/waf
 WAF=WAF_MAKE=1 $(WAF_BINARY)
 
diff --git a/ctdb/configure b/ctdb/configure
index 370ddccb6a5..dbb0c1446b5 100755
--- a/ctdb/configure
+++ b/ctdb/configure
@@ -11,5 +11,5 @@ JOBS=1
 export JOBS
 
 cd . || exit 1
-${PYTHON:=python3} $WAF configure "$@" || exit 1
+$PYTHON $WAF configure "$@" || exit 1
 cd $PREVPATH
diff --git a/lib/ldb/Makefile b/lib/ldb/Makefile
index 0ac14aae74e..18ef459eb16 100644
--- a/lib/ldb/Makefile
+++ b/lib/ldb/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 # simple makefile wrapper to run waf
 
-PYTHON?=python3
 WAF_BINARY=$(PYTHON) ../../buildtools/bin/waf
 WAF=PYTHONHASHSEED=1 WAF_MAKE=1 $(WAF_BINARY)
 
diff --git a/lib/ldb/configure b/lib/ldb/configure
index 8625206d611..6c931bfbf5e 100755
--- a/lib/ldb/configure
+++ b/lib/ldb/configure
@@ -17,5 +17,5 @@ JOBS=1
 export JOBS
 
 cd . || exit 1
-${PYTHON:=python3} $WAF configure "$@" || exit 1
+$PYTHON $WAF configure "$@" || exit 1
 cd $PREVPATH
diff --git a/lib/replace/Makefile b/lib/replace/Makefile
index 3e54a16927c..a123a37b937 100644
--- a/lib/replace/Makefile
+++ b/lib/replace/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 # simple makefile wrapper to run waf
 
-PYTHON?=python3
 WAF_BINARY=$(PYTHON) ../../buildtools/bin/waf
 WAF=PYTHONHASHSEED=1 WAF_MAKE=1 $(WAF_BINARY)
 
diff --git a/lib/replace/configure b/lib/replace/configure
index 69bbc4a1bae..d8a8d2ac2f3 100755
--- a/lib/replace/configure
+++ b/lib/replace/configure
@@ -17,5 +17,5 @@ JOBS=1
 export JOBS
 
 cd . || exit 1
-${PYTHON:=python3} $WAF configure "$@" || exit 1
+$PYTHON $WAF configure "$@" || exit 1
 cd $PREVPATH
diff --git a/lib/talloc/Makefile b/lib/talloc/Makefile
index 7cfac0cafc9..36048e56e2d 100644
--- a/lib/talloc/Makefile
+++ b/lib/talloc/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 # simple makefile wrapper to run waf
 
-PYTHON?=python3
 WAF_BINARY=$(PYTHON) ../../buildtools/bin/waf
 WAF=PYTHONHASHSEED=1 WAF_MAKE=1 $(WAF_BINARY)
 
diff --git a/lib/talloc/configure b/lib/talloc/configure
index 69bbc4a1bae..d8a8d2ac2f3 100755
--- a/lib/talloc/configure
+++ b/lib/talloc/configure
@@ -17,5 +17,5 @@ JOBS=1
 export JOBS
 
 cd . || exit 1
-${PYTHON:=python3} $WAF configure "$@" || exit 1
+$PYTHON $WAF configure "$@" || exit 1
 cd $PREVPATH
diff --git a/lib/tdb/Makefile b/lib/tdb/Makefile
index 0f088ea2231..3e70146c248 100644
--- a/lib/tdb/Makefile
+++ b/lib/tdb/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 # simple makefile wrapper to run waf
 
-PYTHON?=python3
 WAF_BINARY=$(PYTHON) ../../buildtools/bin/waf
 WAF=PYTHONHASHSEED=1 WAF_MAKE=1 $(WAF_BINARY)
 
diff --git a/lib/tdb/configure b/lib/tdb/configure
index 69bbc4a1bae..d8a8d2ac2f3 100755
--- a/lib/tdb/configure
+++ b/lib/tdb/configure
@@ -17,5 +17,5 @@ JOBS=1
 export JOBS
 
 cd . || exit 1
-${PYTHON:=python3} $WAF configure "$@" || exit 1
+$PYTHON $WAF configure "$@" || exit 1
 cd $PREVPATH
diff --git a/lib/tevent/Makefile b/lib/tevent/Makefile
index 989f4b9845c..c3676a4f425 100644
--- a/lib/tevent/Makefile
+++ b/lib/tevent/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 # simple makefile wrapper to run waf
-PYTHON?=python3
 WAF_BINARY=$(PYTHON) ../../buildtools/bin/waf
 WAF=PYTHONHASHSEED=1 WAF_MAKE=1 $(WAF_BINARY)
 
diff --git a/lib/tevent/configure b/lib/tevent/configure
index df0bdac0ed0..c3c444754e3 100755
--- a/lib/tevent/configure
+++ b/lib/tevent/configure
@@ -17,5 +17,5 @@ JOBS=1
 export JOBS
 
 cd . || exit 1
-${PYTHON:=python3} $WAF configure "$@" || exit 1
+$PYTHON $WAF configure "$@" || exit 1
 cd $PREVPATH