diff --git a/bin/yashchiki b/bin/yashchiki
index 296ecc0c33c62aa5862e96c00ff56d18455075a4..8970d3f17029682e24419f1cc6dd490b45b41ef6 100755
--- a/bin/yashchiki
+++ b/bin/yashchiki
@@ -172,7 +172,8 @@ env.update({
     # (2.7.18) will pollute the spec and lead to a conflict
     # can be removed as soon as the explicit preferred version
     # is dropped
-    "DEPENDENCY_PYTHON": "python@" + config["dependency_python"],
+    "DEPENDENCY_BUILD_PYTHON": str(int(config["dependency_python"]["build"])),
+    "DEPENDENCY_PYTHON": "python@" + config["dependency_python"]["version"],
     "YASHCHIKI_BUILD_SPACK_GCC": str(int(config["spack_gcc"]["build"])),
     "YASHCHIKI_SPACK_GCC_VERSION": config["spack_gcc"]["version"],
     "YASHCHIKI_SPACK_GCC": "gcc@" + config["spack_gcc"]["version"],
diff --git a/share/yashchiki/styles/asic/config.yaml b/share/yashchiki/styles/asic/config.yaml
index 357aadf8bca49717ea9ce91356daed760c79281a..bf0af4884343ef26489e37a9086b2e19f324fa3f 100644
--- a/share/yashchiki/styles/asic/config.yaml
+++ b/share/yashchiki/styles/asic/config.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 docker_base_image: "rockylinux:8"
 # ECM: it's 3.9.18 really, but that's not yet in the current spack; fix when ready
-dependency_python: "3.9.16"
+dependency_python:
+  build: false
+  version: "3.9.16"
 spack_gcc:
   build: false
   version: "8.5.0"
diff --git a/share/yashchiki/styles/f27/config.yaml b/share/yashchiki/styles/f27/config.yaml
index 7b8f7f4c4a1db63c8a449d3e23a2264f1c6bc8fa..21955bf419da7032e27dce52faaed1aa6ac91ee1 100644
--- a/share/yashchiki/styles/f27/config.yaml
+++ b/share/yashchiki/styles/f27/config.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 docker_base_image: "debian:bullseye"
-dependency_python: "3.8.2"
+dependency_python:
+  build: true
+  version: "3.8.2"
 spack_gcc:
   # Whether to build the specified gcc via spack or assume existance.
   build: true
diff --git a/share/yashchiki/styles/visionary/config.yaml b/share/yashchiki/styles/visionary/config.yaml
index 7b8f7f4c4a1db63c8a449d3e23a2264f1c6bc8fa..21955bf419da7032e27dce52faaed1aa6ac91ee1 100644
--- a/share/yashchiki/styles/visionary/config.yaml
+++ b/share/yashchiki/styles/visionary/config.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 docker_base_image: "debian:bullseye"
-dependency_python: "3.8.2"
+dependency_python:
+  build: true
+  version: "3.8.2"
 spack_gcc:
   # Whether to build the specified gcc via spack or assume existance.
   build: true