diff --git a/bin/setup_base b/bin/setup_base
index 95d93100c..76df739b0 100755
--- a/bin/setup_base
+++ b/bin/setup_base
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 ROOT=$(realpath $(dirname $0)/..)
 cd $ROOT
 
+PVERSION=3.8
 GO_VERSION=1.13.3
 
 sudo apt-get update
@@ -12,10 +13,10 @@ sudo add-apt-repository "deb [arch=amd64] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubun
 sudo apt-get update
 
 sudo apt-get install openvswitch-switch protobuf-compiler \
-     python3-venv python3-dev jq docker-ce net-tools
+     python$PVERSION-venv python$PVERSION-dev jq docker-ce net-tools
 
 if [ -z "$VIRTUAL_ENV" ]; then
-    python3 -m venv venv
+    python$PVERSION -m venv venv
     source venv/bin/activate
 fi
 
diff --git a/debian/control b/debian/control
index 4db0f31d2..549404227 100644
--- a/debian/control
+++ b/debian/control
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Priority: optional
 Maintainer: Faucet Maintainers <maintainers@faucet.nz>
 Build-Depends: debhelper (>= 9),
                dh-python,
-               python3-all (>= 3.7), python3-all (<< 3.8),
+               python3-all (>= 3.8),
                python3-setuptools,
                python3-yaml,
                python3-prometheus-client,
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ Build-Depends: debhelper (>= 9),
                pylint,
                python3-pbr (>= 1.9),
 Standards-Version: 3.9.6
-X-Python3-Version: >= 3.7, << 3.8
+X-Python3-Version: >= 3.8
 Homepage: https://github.com/faucetsdn/forch
 Vcs-Git: https://github.com/faucetsdn/forch.git
 Vcs-Browser: https://github.com/faucetsdn/forch
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ Vcs-Browser: https://github.com/faucetsdn/forch
 Package: python3-forch
 Architecture: all
 Depends: python3-faucet (= FAUCET_VERSION),
-         python3-all (>= 3.7), python3-all (<< 3.8),
+         python3-all (>= 3.8),
          python3-grpcio,
          python3-netaddr,
          python3-networkx,