diff --git a/Ghidra/Features/PyGhidra/build.gradle b/Ghidra/Features/PyGhidra/build.gradle
index 7eac96cb73..f701a80891 100644
--- a/Ghidra/Features/PyGhidra/build.gradle
+++ b/Ghidra/Features/PyGhidra/build.gradle
@@ -65,7 +65,10 @@ task installEditablePyGhidra(type: Exec) {
 
 	commandLine "$PYTHON3_VENV", "-m", "pip", "install", "-e", "src/main/py"
 }
-rootProject.prepDev.dependsOn installEditablePyGhidra
+
+if (findPython3(false)) {
+	rootProject.prepDev.dependsOn installEditablePyGhidra
+}
 
 // Add pyghidra_launcher.py to the release
 rootProject.assembleDistribution {
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index c0abec5b7d..754a98c949 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ if ("32".equals(System.getProperty("sun.arch.data.model"))) {
  * Identify supported Python command
  ***************************************************************************************/
 project.ext.SUPPORTED_PY_VERSIONS = ['3.12', '3.11', '3.10', '3.9']
-project.ext.PYTHON3 = findPython3()
+project.ext.PYTHON3 = findPython3(true)
 project.ext.PYTHON_DEPS = new HashSet<String>()
 
 /*********************************************************************************
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ def checkPip(String pyCmd) {
 	}
 }
 
-def findPython3() {
+def findPython3(boolean useDefault) {
 	for (pyCmd in ['py', 'python3', 'python']) {
 		def pyVer = checkPythonVersion(pyCmd)
 		if (pyVer in SUPPORTED_PY_VERSIONS) {
@@ -219,7 +219,8 @@ def findPython3() {
 	// Force use of non-existent python3.9 instead of unsupported python version
 	// which should fail if a python build is performed.
 	println("Warning: Python3 command not found (required for build)")
-	return 'python3.9'
+	
+	return useDefault ? 'python3.9' : null
 }
 
 /******************************************************************************************
diff --git a/gradle/root/venv.gradle b/gradle/root/venv.gradle
index 96fd614925..29a292847d 100644
--- a/gradle/root/venv.gradle
+++ b/gradle/root/venv.gradle
@@ -28,4 +28,6 @@ task createPythonVirtualEnvironment(type: Exec) {
 	commandLine	rootProject.PYTHON3, "-m", "venv", venvDir, "--copies"
 }
 
-rootProject.prepDev.dependsOn createPythonVirtualEnvironment
+if (findPython3(false)) {
+	rootProject.prepDev.dependsOn createPythonVirtualEnvironment
+}