diff --git a/config/python.m4 b/config/python.m4
index c7310ee37d..52f34070dd 100644
--- a/config/python.m4
+++ b/config/python.m4
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@
 # Look for Python and set the output variable 'PYTHON' if found,
 # fail otherwise.
 #
+# Since we are supporting only Python 3.x, prefer python3 to plain python.  If
+# the latter exists at all, it very possibly points to python2.
+
 # As the Python 3 transition happens and PEP 394 isn't updated, we
 # need to cater to systems that don't have unversioned "python" by
 # default.  Some systems ship with "python3" by default and perhaps
@@ -16,7 +19,7 @@
 # "python2" and "python3", in which case it's reasonable to prefer the
 # newer version.
 AC_DEFUN([PGAC_PATH_PYTHON],
-[PGAC_PATH_PROGS(PYTHON, [python python3 python2])
+[PGAC_PATH_PROGS(PYTHON, [python3 python])
 AC_ARG_VAR(PYTHON, [Python program])dnl
 if test x"$PYTHON" = x""; then
   AC_MSG_ERROR([Python not found])
@@ -37,8 +40,8 @@ python_majorversion=`echo "$python_fullversion" | sed '[s/^\([0-9]*\).*/\1/]'`
 python_minorversion=`echo "$python_fullversion" | sed '[s/^[0-9]*\.\([0-9]*\).*/\1/]'`
 python_version=`echo "$python_fullversion" | sed '[s/^\([0-9]*\.[0-9]*\).*/\1/]'`
 # Reject unsupported Python versions as soon as practical.
-if test "$python_majorversion" -lt 3 -a "$python_minorversion" -lt 7; then
-  AC_MSG_ERROR([Python version $python_version is too old (version 2.7 or later is required)])
+if test "$python_majorversion" -lt 3; then
+  AC_MSG_ERROR([Python version $python_version is too old (version 3 or later is required)])
 fi
 
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([for Python sysconfig module])
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 9305555658..ba635a0062 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -10280,7 +10280,7 @@ fi
 
 if test "$with_python" = yes; then
   if test -z "$PYTHON"; then
-  for ac_prog in python python3 python2
+  for ac_prog in python3 python
 do
   # Extract the first word of "$ac_prog", so it can be a program name with args.
 set dummy $ac_prog; ac_word=$2
@@ -10346,8 +10346,8 @@ python_majorversion=`echo "$python_fullversion" | sed 's/^\([0-9]*\).*/\1/'`
 python_minorversion=`echo "$python_fullversion" | sed 's/^[0-9]*\.\([0-9]*\).*/\1/'`
 python_version=`echo "$python_fullversion" | sed 's/^\([0-9]*\.[0-9]*\).*/\1/'`
 # Reject unsupported Python versions as soon as practical.
-if test "$python_majorversion" -lt 3 -a "$python_minorversion" -lt 7; then
-  as_fn_error $? "Python version $python_version is too old (version 2.7 or later is required)" "$LINENO" 5
+if test "$python_majorversion" -lt 3; then
+  as_fn_error $? "Python version $python_version is too old (version 3 or later is required)" "$LINENO" 5
 fi
 
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for Python sysconfig module" >&5
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/install-windows.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/install-windows.sgml
index 30dd0c7f75..b3435eabc4 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/install-windows.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/install-windows.sgml
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@
   to specify the location of your <productname>Python</productname> installation,
   put the following in <filename>config.pl</filename>:
 <programlisting>
-$config->{python} = 'c:\python26';
+$config->{python} = 'c:\python310';
 </programlisting>
   You only need to specify those parameters that are different from what's in
   <filename>config_default.pl</filename>.
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/installation.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/installation.sgml
index 655095f3b1..094d23c292 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/installation.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/installation.sgml
@@ -196,11 +196,7 @@ su - postgres
       language, you need a <productname>Python</productname>
       installation with the header files and
       the <application>sysconfig</application> module.  The minimum
-      required version is <productname>Python</productname> 2.7.
-      <productname>Python 3</productname> is supported if it's
-      version 3.2 or later; but see
-      <xref linkend="plpython-python23"/>
-      when using Python 3.
+      required version is <productname>Python</productname> 3.2.
      </para>
 
      <para>
@@ -1868,14 +1864,10 @@ build-postgresql:
        <term><envar>PYTHON</envar></term>
        <listitem>
         <para>
-         Python interpreter program.  This will be used to
-         determine the dependencies for building PL/Python.  Also,
-         whether Python 2 or 3 is specified here (or otherwise
-         implicitly chosen) determines which variant of the PL/Python
-         language becomes available.  See
-         <xref linkend="plpython-python23"/>
-         for more information.  If this is not set, the following are probed
-         in this order: <literal>python python3 python2</literal>.
+         Python interpreter program.  This will be used to determine the
+         dependencies for building PL/Python.  If this is not set, the
+         following are probed in this order:
+         <literal>python3 python</literal>.
         </para>
        </listitem>
       </varlistentry>
diff --git a/src/tools/msvc/Mkvcbuild.pm b/src/tools/msvc/Mkvcbuild.pm
index bab81bd459..105f5c72a2 100644
--- a/src/tools/msvc/Mkvcbuild.pm
+++ b/src/tools/msvc/Mkvcbuild.pm
@@ -490,6 +490,10 @@ sub mkvcbuild
 		  if (!(defined($pyprefix) && defined($pyver)));
 
 		my $pymajorver = substr($pyver, 0, 1);
+
+		die "Python version $pyver is too old (version 3 or later is required)"
+		  if int($pymajorver) < 3;
+
 		my $plpython = $solution->AddProject('plpython' . $pymajorver,
 			'dll', 'PLs', 'src/pl/plpython');
 		$plpython->AddIncludeDir($pyprefix . '/include');