diff --git a/bin/make_backend_docs.py b/bin/make_backend_docs.py
index 83db62366..046433050 100755
--- a/bin/make_backend_docs.py
+++ b/bin/make_backend_docs.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env python2
 """
 Make backend documentation
 """
diff --git a/bin/make_manual.py b/bin/make_manual.py
index 8a905ea9d..1ef8ead70 100755
--- a/bin/make_manual.py
+++ b/bin/make_manual.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env python2
 """
 Make single page versions of the documentation for release and
 conversion into man pages etc.