diff --git a/net/strongswan/Makefile b/net/strongswan/Makefile
index 40962f96d7..bf121f97db 100644
--- a/net/strongswan/Makefile
+++ b/net/strongswan/Makefile
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk
 
 PKG_NAME:=strongswan
 PKG_VERSION:=6.0.2
-PKG_RELEASE:=3
+PKG_RELEASE:=4
 
 PKG_SOURCE:=$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION).tar.bz2
 PKG_SOURCE_URL:=https://download.strongswan.org/ https://download2.strongswan.org/
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ PKG_CONFIG_DEPENDS:= \
 PKG_FIXUP:=autoreconf
 PKG_INSTALL:=1
 PKG_BUILD_PARALLEL:=1
+PKG_BUILD_DEPENDS:=python3/host
 
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/package.mk
 # strongswan-mod-mysql needs iconv
@@ -458,6 +459,7 @@ CONFIGURE_ARGS+= \
 	--enable-mgf1 \
 	--enable-mediation \
 	--with-systemdsystemunitdir=no \
+	PYTHON="python3" \
 	$(if $(CONFIG_PACKAGE_strongswan-charon-cmd),--enable-cmd,--disable-cmd) \
 	$(if $(CONFIG_PACKAGE_strongswan-mod-gmpdh),--enable-gmpdh,) \
 	$(if $(CONFIG_PACKAGE_strongswan-pki),--enable-pki,--disable-pki) \