diff --git a/.cirrus.yml b/.cirrus.yml
index 1c2a6cb812..00e4c57678 100644
--- a/.cirrus.yml
+++ b/.cirrus.yml
@@ -7,10 +7,11 @@ freebsd_template: &FREEBSD_TEMPLATE
   install_script: pkg install -y seabios gmake ninja bash
                                  pkgconf python bison perl5
                                  yajl lzo2 pixman argp-standalone
-                                 libxml2 glib git
+                                 libxml2 glib git python311
 
   build_script:
     - cc --version
+    - export PYTHON=/usr/local/bin/python3.11
     - ./configure --with-system-seabios=/usr/local/share/seabios/bios.bin
     - gmake -j`sysctl -n hw.ncpu` clang=y
 
diff --git a/automation/build/ubuntu/22.04-x86_64.dockerfile b/automation/build/ubuntu/22.04-x86_64.dockerfile
index 230903f624..6aa3c4d188 100644
--- a/automation/build/ubuntu/22.04-x86_64.dockerfile
+++ b/automation/build/ubuntu/22.04-x86_64.dockerfile
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ RUN <<EOF
         meson
         ninja-build
         python3-packaging
+        python3-tomli
+        python3-venv
     )
 
     apt-get -y --no-install-recommends install "${DEPS[@]}"
diff --git a/automation/build/ubuntu/24.04-x86_64.dockerfile b/automation/build/ubuntu/24.04-x86_64.dockerfile
index 277f92facf..c46d152abf 100644
--- a/automation/build/ubuntu/24.04-x86_64.dockerfile
+++ b/automation/build/ubuntu/24.04-x86_64.dockerfile
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ RUN <<EOF
         meson
         ninja-build
         python3-packaging
+        python3-venv
     )
 
     apt-get -y --no-install-recommends install "${DEPS[@]}"
diff --git a/automation/scripts/build b/automation/scripts/build
index 1879c1db6d..34416297a4 100755
--- a/automation/scripts/build
+++ b/automation/scripts/build
@@ -91,9 +91,9 @@ else
         cfgargs+=("--with-extra-qemuu-configure-args=\"--disable-werror\"")
     fi
 
-    # Qemu requires Python 3.5 or later, and ninja
+    # Qemu requires Python 3.8 or later, and ninja
     # and Clang 10 or later
-    if ! type python3 || python3 -c "import sys; res = sys.version_info < (3, 5); exit(not(res))" \
+    if ! type python3 || ! python3 automation/scripts/qemu-deps-check.py \
             || [[ "$cc_is_clang" == y && "$cc_ver" -lt 0x0a0000 ]] \
             || ! type ninja; then
         cfgargs+=("--with-system-qemu=/bin/false")
diff --git a/automation/scripts/qemu-deps-check.py b/automation/scripts/qemu-deps-check.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..f6188afb3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/automation/scripts/qemu-deps-check.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+import sys
+
+if sys.version_info < (3, 8):
+    print("Python %d.%d.%d too old" %
+          (sys.version_info.major,
+           sys.version_info.minor,
+           sys.version_info.micro))
+    exit(1)
+
+try:
+    import tomllib
+except ImportError:
+    try:
+        import tomli
+    except ImportError:
+        print("No tomli")
+        exit(1)