diff --git a/easybuild/easyconfigs/e/ESPResSo/ESPResSo-4.2.1-foss-2021a-CUDA-11.3.1.eb b/easybuild/easyconfigs/e/ESPResSo/ESPResSo-4.2.1-foss-2021a-CUDA-11.3.1.eb
index 9690edeb0ea8..4808bb966328 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyconfigs/e/ESPResSo/ESPResSo-4.2.1-foss-2021a-CUDA-11.3.1.eb
+++ b/easybuild/easyconfigs/e/ESPResSo/ESPResSo-4.2.1-foss-2021a-CUDA-11.3.1.eb
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ dependencies = [
 ]
 
 configopts = ' -DCMAKE_SKIP_RPATH=OFF -DWITH_TESTS=ON -DWITH_CUDA=ON'
+# make sure the right Python is used (note: -DPython3_EXECUTABLE or -DPython_EXECUTABLE does not work!)
+configopts += ' -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=$EBROOTPYTHON/bin/python '
 
 runtest = 'check_unit_tests && make check_python'
 
diff --git a/easybuild/easyconfigs/e/ESPResSo/ESPResSo-4.2.1-foss-2021a.eb b/easybuild/easyconfigs/e/ESPResSo/ESPResSo-4.2.1-foss-2021a.eb
index b18d54ed895a..edaea20c78cc 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyconfigs/e/ESPResSo/ESPResSo-4.2.1-foss-2021a.eb
+++ b/easybuild/easyconfigs/e/ESPResSo/ESPResSo-4.2.1-foss-2021a.eb
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ dependencies = [
 ]
 
 configopts = ' -DCMAKE_SKIP_RPATH=OFF -DWITH_TESTS=ON -DWITH_CUDA=OFF'
+# make sure the right Python is used (note: -DPython3_EXECUTABLE or -DPython_EXECUTABLE does not work!)
+configopts += ' -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=$EBROOTPYTHON/bin/python '
 
 runtest = 'check_unit_tests && make check_python'
 
diff --git a/easybuild/easyconfigs/e/ESPResSo/ESPResSo-4.2.1-foss-2022a-CUDA-11.8.0.eb b/easybuild/easyconfigs/e/ESPResSo/ESPResSo-4.2.1-foss-2022a-CUDA-11.8.0.eb
index 907da191566a..c524dee3c8c5 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyconfigs/e/ESPResSo/ESPResSo-4.2.1-foss-2022a-CUDA-11.8.0.eb
+++ b/easybuild/easyconfigs/e/ESPResSo/ESPResSo-4.2.1-foss-2022a-CUDA-11.8.0.eb
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ dependencies = [
 ]
 
 configopts = ' -DCMAKE_SKIP_RPATH=OFF -DWITH_TESTS=ON -DWITH_CUDA=ON'
+# make sure the right Python is used (note: -DPython3_EXECUTABLE or -DPython_EXECUTABLE does not work!)
+configopts += ' -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=$EBROOTPYTHON/bin/python '
 
 runtest = 'check_unit_tests && make check_python'
 
diff --git a/easybuild/easyconfigs/e/ESPResSo/ESPResSo-4.2.1-foss-2022a.eb b/easybuild/easyconfigs/e/ESPResSo/ESPResSo-4.2.1-foss-2022a.eb
index 032b259661db..e5bd5a63f742 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyconfigs/e/ESPResSo/ESPResSo-4.2.1-foss-2022a.eb
+++ b/easybuild/easyconfigs/e/ESPResSo/ESPResSo-4.2.1-foss-2022a.eb
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ dependencies = [
 ]
 
 configopts = ' -DCMAKE_SKIP_RPATH=OFF -DWITH_TESTS=ON -DWITH_CUDA=OFF'
+# make sure the right Python is used (note: -DPython3_EXECUTABLE or -DPython_EXECUTABLE does not work!)
+configopts += ' -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=$EBROOTPYTHON/bin/python '
 
 runtest = 'check_unit_tests && make check_python'