diff --git a/tools/detect_python.fish b/tools/detect_python.fish
index bb72445c1d..c89c16a2ec 100644
--- a/tools/detect_python.fish
+++ b/tools/detect_python.fish
@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@
 set OLDEST_PYTHON_SUPPORTED_MAJOR 3
 set OLDEST_PYTHON_SUPPORTED_MINOR 7
 
-set -x ESP_PYTHON python
+set -q ESP_PYTHON; or set PYLIST python3 python python3.7 python3.8 python3.9 python3.10 python3.11 python3.12
+set -q ESP_PYTHON; or set -x ESP_PYTHON python
 
-for p_cmd in python3 python python3.7 python3.8 python3.9 python3.10 python3.11 python3.12;
+for p_cmd in $PYLIST;
     $p_cmd --version >/dev/null 2>&1; or continue
     echo "Checking \"$p_cmd\" ..."
 
diff --git a/tools/detect_python.sh b/tools/detect_python.sh
index ffedd6065d..18436b51d0 100644
--- a/tools/detect_python.sh
+++ b/tools/detect_python.sh
@@ -10,9 +10,10 @@
 OLDEST_PYTHON_SUPPORTED_MAJOR=3
 OLDEST_PYTHON_SUPPORTED_MINOR=7
 
-ESP_PYTHON=python
+PYLIST=${ESP_PYTHON:-python3 python python3.7 python3.8 python3.9 python3.10 python3.11 python3.12}
+ESP_PYTHON=${ESP_PYTHON:-python}
 
-for p_cmd in python3 python python3.7 python3.8 python3.9 python3.10 python3.11 python3.12; do
+for p_cmd in $PYLIST; do
     $p_cmd --version >/dev/null 2>&1 || continue
     echo "Checking \"$p_cmd\" ..."