diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2021-08-09-21-05-16.bpo-44062._FgDh-.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2021-08-09-21-05-16.bpo-44062._FgDh-.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..1a3898d1d1ab8f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2021-08-09-21-05-16.bpo-44062._FgDh-.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fail appropriately in cross-compile scenarios if no proper python interpreter is found in PATH.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 1756d25d16fa47..f62dca47ef13b2 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -2997,12 +2997,11 @@ if test "$cross_compiling" = yes; then
     { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for python interpreter for cross build" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for python interpreter for cross build... " >&6; }
     if test -z "$PYTHON_FOR_BUILD"; then
-        for interp in python$PACKAGE_VERSION python3 python; do
+        for interp in python$PACKAGE_VERSION python3 python ''; do
 	    which $interp >/dev/null 2>&1 || continue
 	    if $interp -c "import sys;sys.exit(not '.'.join(str(n) for n in sys.version_info[:2]) == '$PACKAGE_VERSION')"; then
 	        break
 	    fi
-            interp=
 	done
         if test x$interp = x; then
 	    as_fn_error $? "python$PACKAGE_VERSION interpreter not found" "$LINENO" 5
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 2f792aa60ee40f..bc358e4dfe3d9e 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -71,12 +71,11 @@ AC_SUBST(PYTHON_FOR_REGEN)
 if test "$cross_compiling" = yes; then
     AC_MSG_CHECKING([for python interpreter for cross build])
     if test -z "$PYTHON_FOR_BUILD"; then
-        for interp in python$PACKAGE_VERSION python3 python; do
+        for interp in python$PACKAGE_VERSION python3 python ''; do
 	    which $interp >/dev/null 2>&1 || continue
 	    if $interp -c "import sys;sys.exit(not '.'.join(str(n) for n in sys.version_info@<:@:2@:>@) == '$PACKAGE_VERSION')"; then
 	        break
 	    fi
-            interp=
 	done
         if test x$interp = x; then
 	    AC_MSG_ERROR([python$PACKAGE_VERSION interpreter not found])