diff --git a/pkgs/development/interpreters/octave/default.nix b/pkgs/development/interpreters/octave/default.nix
index 4c23ebdb9718..0cf332403f46 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/interpreters/octave/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/interpreters/octave/default.nix
@@ -102,9 +102,7 @@ let
     inherit pkgs;
     inherit (pkgs) lib stdenv fetchurl newScope;
     octave = self;
-    inherit blas lapack gfortran texinfo gnuplot;
-    python3 = pkgs.python3;
-    python3Packages = pkgs.python3Packages;
+    inherit blas lapack gfortran python texinfo gnuplot;
     inherit enableJava jdk;
     nettle = pkgs.nettle;
   };
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/octave-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/octave-packages.nix
index d22c2ab4649f..1de228f61c07 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/octave-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/octave-packages.nix
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@
 , octave
 , lapack, blas
 , gfortran
-, python3
-, python3Packages
+# Use the same python that octave is using
+, python
 # Use the same Java that octave is using
 , enableJava
 , jdk
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ in rec {
             src = pkgs.python2Packages.sympy.src;
           });
         };
-      in python3.override {inherit packageOverrides; self = overridenPython; };
+      in python.override {inherit packageOverrides; self = overridenPython; };
     in overridenPython.withPackages (ps: [
       ps.sympy
       ps.mpmath