diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 69e39be6de4..2548f47c350 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ include(CheckFunctionExists)
 if (POLICY CMP0148)
     cmake_policy(SET CMP0148 OLD) # https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/policy/CMP0148.html
 endif()
-include(FindPythonInterp)
 
 if (IOS)
     INCLUDE(CmakeLists_IOS.txt)
@@ -1151,7 +1150,6 @@ include(external/supercop/functions.cmake) # place after setting flags and befor
 add_subdirectory(contrib)
 add_subdirectory(src)
 
-find_package(PythonInterp)
 option(ENABLE_FUZZ_TEST "Enable fuzz testing." OFF)
 if(BUILD_TESTS)
   message(STATUS "Building tests")
diff --git a/tests/block_weight/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/block_weight/CMakeLists.txt
index f622d5a3d30..64424c061a5 100644
--- a/tests/block_weight/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/block_weight/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@
 # STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF
 # THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
+find_package(Python3 REQUIRED)
+
 set(block_weight_sources
   block_weight.cpp)
 
@@ -42,4 +44,4 @@ target_link_libraries(block_weight
 
 add_test(
   NAME    block_weight
-  COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/compare.py ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/block_weight.py ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/block_weight)
+  COMMAND ${Python3_EXECUTABLE} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/compare.py ${Python3_EXECUTABLE} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/block_weight.py ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/block_weight)
diff --git a/tests/functional_tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/functional_tests/CMakeLists.txt
index e7e021a2de0..1ba3743ae99 100644
--- a/tests/functional_tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/functional_tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -65,16 +65,17 @@ target_link_libraries(make_test_signature
     ${EXTRA_LIBRARIES})
 
 monero_add_minimal_executable(cpu_power_test cpu_power_test.cpp)
-find_program(PYTHON3_FOUND python3 REQUIRED)
 
-execute_process(COMMAND ${PYTHON3_FOUND} "-c" "import requests; import psutil; import monotonic; import zmq; import deepdiff; print('OK')" OUTPUT_VARIABLE REQUESTS_OUTPUT OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+find_package(Python3 REQUIRED)
+
+execute_process(COMMAND ${Python3_EXECUTABLE} "-c" "import requests; import psutil; import monotonic; import zmq; import deepdiff; print('OK')" OUTPUT_VARIABLE REQUESTS_OUTPUT OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
 if (REQUESTS_OUTPUT STREQUAL "OK")
   add_test(
     NAME    functional_tests_rpc
-    COMMAND ${PYTHON3_FOUND} "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/functional_tests_rpc.py" "${PYTHON3_FOUND}" "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}" "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}" all)
+    COMMAND ${Python3_EXECUTABLE} "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/functional_tests_rpc.py" "${Python3_EXECUTABLE}" "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}" "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}" all)
   add_test(
     NAME    check_missing_rpc_methods
-    COMMAND ${PYTHON3_FOUND} "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/check_missing_rpc_methods.py" "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}")
+    COMMAND ${Python3_EXECUTABLE} "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/check_missing_rpc_methods.py" "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}")
 else()
   message(WARNING "functional_tests_rpc and check_missing_rpc_methods skipped, needs the 'requests', 'psutil', 'monotonic', 'zmq', and 'deepdiff' python modules")
   set(CTEST_CUSTOM_TESTS_IGNORE ${CTEST_CUSTOM_TESTS_IGNORE} functional_tests_rpc check_missing_rpc_methods)