diff --git a/scripts/pentoo-updater.sh b/scripts/pentoo-updater.sh
index c67d6bc61..36747abce 100755
--- a/scripts/pentoo-updater.sh
+++ b/scripts/pentoo-updater.sh
@@ -292,30 +292,45 @@ main_checks() {
   #deep checks for python, including fix
   RESET_PYTHON=0
   #first we set the python interpreters to match PYTHON_TARGETS (and ensure the versions we set are actually built)
-  PYTHON2=$(emerge --info | grep -oE 'PYTHON_TARGETS\="(python[23]_[0-9]\s*)+"' | head -n1 | cut -d\" -f2 | cut -d" " -f 1 |sed 's#_#.#')
-  PYTHON3=$(emerge --info | grep -oE 'PYTHON_TARGETS\="(python[23]_[0-9]\s*)+"' | head -n1 | cut -d\" -f2 | cut -d" " -f 2 |sed 's#_#.#')
-  if [ -z "${PYTHON2}" ] || [ -z "${PYTHON3}" ]; then
+  PYTHON2=$(emerge --info | grep -oE '^PYTHON_TARGETS\="(python[23]_[0-9]\s*)+"' | grep 'python2' | cut -d\" -f2 | cut -d" " -f 1 |sed 's#_#.#')
+  #PYTHON_SINGLE_TARGET is the *main* python3 implementation
+  PYTHON3=$(emerge --info | grep -oE '^PYTHON_SINGLE_TARGET\="(python3*_[0-9]\s*)+"' | cut -d\" -f2 | sed 's#_#.#')
+  if [ -z "${PYTHON2}" ]; then
+    printf "Detected Python 2 is disabled\n"
+    printf "From PYTHON_TARGETS: $(emerge --info | grep '^PYTHON_TARGETS')\n"
+    printf "This is a good thing :-)\n"
+  fi
+  if [ -z "${PYTHON3}" ]; then
     printf "Failed to autodetect PYTHON_TARGETS\n"
-    printf "Detected Python 2: ${PYTHON2:-none}\n"
     printf "Detected Python 3: ${PYTHON3:-none}\n"
-    printf "From PYTHON_TARGETS: $(emerge --info | grep '^PYTHON TARGETS')\n"
+    printf "From PYTHON_TARGETS: $(emerge --info | grep '^PYTHON_TARGETS')\n"
+    printf "From PYTHON_SINGLE_TARGET: $(emerge --info | grep '^PYTHON_SINGLE_TARGET')\n"
+    printf "This is fatal, python3 support is required, it is $(date +'%Y')\n"
     exit 1
   fi
-  if eselect python list --python2 | grep -q "${PYTHON2}"; then
-    eselect python set --python2 "${PYTHON2}" || safe_exit
-  else
-    printf "System wants ${PYTHON2} as default python2 version but it isn't installed yet.\n"
-    RESET_PYTHON=1
-  fi
+  #set default implementation
+  eselect python set "${PYTHON3}"
+  #set python 3 implementation
   if eselect python list --python3 | grep -q "${PYTHON3}"; then
     eselect python set --python3 "${PYTHON3}" || safe_exit
   else
     printf "System wants ${PYTHON3} as default python3 version but it isn't installed yet.\n"
     RESET_PYTHON=1
   fi
-  "${PYTHON2}" -c "from _multiprocessing import SemLock" || emerge -1 python:"${PYTHON2#python}"
   "${PYTHON3}" -c "from _multiprocessing import SemLock" || emerge -1 python:"${PYTHON3#python}"
 
+  #fix python2, if it's even requested
+  if [ -n "${PYTHON2}" ]; then
+    # set python 2 implementation if requested
+    if eselect python list --python2 | grep -q "${PYTHON2}"; then
+      eselect python set --python2 "${PYTHON2}" || safe_exit
+      "${PYTHON2}" -c "from _multiprocessing import SemLock" || emerge -1 python:"${PYTHON2#python}"
+    else
+      printf "System wants ${PYTHON2} as default python2 version but it isn't installed yet.\n"
+      RESET_PYTHON=1
+    fi
+  fi
+
   #always update portage as early as we can (after making sure python works)
   emerge --update --newuse --oneshot --changed-deps --newrepo portage || safe_exit
 
@@ -403,10 +418,12 @@ main_upgrades() {
   set_java #might fail, run it a few times
 
   if [ ${RESET_PYTHON} = 1 ]; then
-    eselect python set --python2 "${PYTHON2}" || safe_exit
     eselect python set --python3 "${PYTHON3}" || safe_exit
-    "${PYTHON2}" -c "from _multiprocessing import SemLock" || emerge -1 python:"${PYTHON2#python}"
     "${PYTHON3}" -c "from _multiprocessing import SemLock" || emerge -1 python:"${PYTHON3#python}"
+    if [ -n "${PYTHON2}" ]; then
+      eselect python set --python2 "${PYTHON2}" || safe_exit
+      "${PYTHON2}" -c "from _multiprocessing import SemLock" || emerge -1 python:"${PYTHON2#python}"
+    fi
   fi
 
 #if we are in catalyst, update the extra binpkgs