diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 0ef6ae27..90c8423b 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -43,6 +43,11 @@ byobu (5.127) unreleased; urgency=medium
     - add a comment about motd printing
   * usr/share/man/man1/byobu.1: LP: #1618185
     - update documentation on setting a logo
+  * debian/compat, debian/control:
+  * debian/compat, debian/control, usr/lib/byobu/include/config.py.in,
+    usr/lib/byobu/include/select-session.py:
+    - neverending fight with lintian
+    - hardcode python3 as our interpreter
 
  -- Dustin Kirkland <kirkland@ubuntu.com>  Sun, 27 May 2018 18:07:11 -0500
 
diff --git a/debian/compat b/debian/compat
index 1e8b3149..ec635144 100644
--- a/debian/compat
+++ b/debian/compat
@@ -1 +1 @@
-6
+9
diff --git a/debian/control b/debian/control
index d73e5f2e..cd05f999 100644
--- a/debian/control
+++ b/debian/control
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Priority: optional
 Maintainer: Dustin Kirkland <kirkland@ubuntu.com>
 Uploaders: Antoine Beaupré <anarcat@koumbit.org>
 Standards-Version: 4.1.3
-Build-Depends: debhelper (>= 7.0.50~), gettext-base, automake, autoconf, pep8, dh-python
+Build-Depends: debhelper (>= 7.0.50~), gettext-base, automake, autoconf, pep8, dh-python, python3
 Homepage: http://byobu.org
 Vcs-Bzr: http://bazaar.launchpad.net/~kirkland/byobu/trunk
 
diff --git a/usr/lib/byobu/include/config.py.in b/usr/lib/byobu/include/config.py.in
index b064b0ec..75781486 100755
--- a/usr/lib/byobu/include/config.py.in
+++ b/usr/lib/byobu/include/config.py.in
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/python
+#!/usr/bin/python3
 #
 #    config.py
 #    Copyright (C) 2008 Canonical Ltd.
diff --git a/usr/lib/byobu/include/select-session.py b/usr/lib/byobu/include/select-session.py
index 4a7ef4fd..f06695d8 100755
--- a/usr/lib/byobu/include/select-session.py
+++ b/usr/lib/byobu/include/select-session.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/python
+#!/usr/bin/python3
 #
 #    select-session.py
 #    Copyright (C) 2010 Canonical Ltd.