diff --git a/build/jam/BuildSetup b/build/jam/BuildSetup
index 13c9a4a620..895327065f 100644
--- a/build/jam/BuildSetup
+++ b/build/jam/BuildSetup
@@ -567,6 +567,10 @@ HOST_BE_API_CCFLAGS = -include [ FDirName $(HAIKU_TOP) headers build
 	BeOSBuildCompatibility.h ] ;
 HOST_BE_API_C++FLAGS = $(HOST_BE_API_CCFLAGS) ;
 
+if ! $(HOST_PYTHON) {
+	Echo "HOST_PYTHON variable not defined --> will default to 'python'" ;
+	HOST_PYTHON ?= "python" ;
+}
 
 #pragma mark - target platform settings
 
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 4667dae2d4..966cdd20a0 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -821,6 +821,15 @@ if [ $HOST_PLATFORM = "darwin" ]; then
 	HOST_EXTENDED_REGEX_SED="sed -E"
 fi
 
+if command -v "python3" ; then
+	HOST_PYTHON="python3"
+elif command -v "python" ; then
+	HOST_PYTHON="python"
+else
+	echo "a python interpreter is required"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
 # check if nasm can actually output ELF files
 # (the stock version in OSX can't)
 # XXX: should probably only test for x86* arch
@@ -1056,6 +1065,7 @@ HOST_LD						?= ${HOST_GCC_LD} ;
 HOST_OBJCOPY				?= ${HOST_GCC_OBJCOPY} ;
 HOST_EXTENDED_REGEX_SED		?= ${HOST_EXTENDED_REGEX_SED} ;
 HOST_SHA256					?= ${HOST_SHA256} ;
+HOST_PYTHON					?= ${HOST_PYTHON} ;
 HAIKU_NASM					?= ${HAIKU_NASM} ;
 
 HAIKU_BUILD_ATTRIBUTES_DIR	?= "${HAIKU_BUILD_ATTRIBUTES_DIR}" ;
diff --git a/src/apps/haikudepot/build/jam/HdsSchemaGenRules b/src/apps/haikudepot/build/jam/HdsSchemaGenRules
index c72a3e15e2..8c3bf8c1d5 100644
--- a/src/apps/haikudepot/build/jam/HdsSchemaGenRules
+++ b/src/apps/haikudepot/build/jam/HdsSchemaGenRules
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ rule HdsSchemaGenModel
 actions HdsSchemaGenModel1
 {
 	mkdir -p $(2[3])
-	python $(2[2]) -i $(2[1]) --outputdirectory $(2[3])
+	$(HOST_PYTHON) $(2[2]) -i $(2[1]) --outputdirectory $(2[3])
 	touch $(1)
 }
 
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ rule HdsSchemaGenBulkParser
 actions HdsSchemaGenBulkParser1
 {
 	mkdir -p $(2[3])
-	python $(2[2]) -i $(2[1]) --outputdirectory $(2[3]) --supportbulkcontainer
+	$(HOST_PYTHON) $(2[2]) -i $(2[1]) --outputdirectory $(2[3]) --supportbulkcontainer
 	touch $(1)
 }