diff --git a/internal/runner/centos.go b/internal/runner/centos.go
index bb04c6d30..2c65fac9a 100644
--- a/internal/runner/centos.go
+++ b/internal/runner/centos.go
@@ -12,12 +12,28 @@ func (c *CentOS) String() string {
 
 func (c *CentOS) GetBuildPackages() []string {
 	packages := []string{
-		"glibc", // ldconfig
+		"glibc",           // ldconfig
+		"platform-python", // osbuild
 	}
 	if c.Version >= 8 {
 		packages = append(packages,
 			"systemd", // systemd-tmpfiles and systemd-sysusers
 		)
 	}
+	if c.Version < 9 {
+		packages = append(packages,
+			// The RHEL 8 runner (which is also used for CS8) in osbuild runs
+			// with platform-python but explicitly symlinks python 3.6 to
+			// /etc/alternatives (which in turn is the target for
+			// /usr/bin/python3) for the stages.
+			// https://github.com/osbuild/osbuild/blob/ea8261cad6c5c606c00c0f2824c3f483c01a0cc9/runners/org.osbuild.rhel82#L61
+			// Install python36 explicitly for CS8.
+			"python36",
+		)
+	} else {
+		packages = append(packages,
+			"python3", // osbuild stages
+		)
+	}
 	return packages
 }
diff --git a/internal/runner/fedora.go b/internal/runner/fedora.go
index cf555bab8..3482b0e11 100644
--- a/internal/runner/fedora.go
+++ b/internal/runner/fedora.go
@@ -14,5 +14,6 @@ func (p *Fedora) GetBuildPackages() []string {
 	return []string{
 		"glibc",   // ldconfig
 		"systemd", // systemd-tmpfiles and systemd-sysusers
+		"python3", // osbuild
 	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/runner/linux.go b/internal/runner/linux.go
index 5f42a843d..9e3ee7731 100644
--- a/internal/runner/linux.go
+++ b/internal/runner/linux.go
@@ -11,5 +11,6 @@ func (p *Linux) GetBuildPackages() []string {
 	return []string{
 		"glibc",   // ldconfig
 		"systemd", // systemd-tmpfiles and systemd-sysusers
+		"python3", // osbuild
 	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/runner/rhel.go b/internal/runner/rhel.go
index a3c2a70b5..7dcb5ca44 100644
--- a/internal/runner/rhel.go
+++ b/internal/runner/rhel.go
@@ -13,12 +13,27 @@ func (r *RHEL) String() string {
 
 func (p *RHEL) GetBuildPackages() []string {
 	packages := []string{
-		"glibc", // ldconfig
+		"glibc",           // ldconfig
+		"platform-python", // osbuild
 	}
 	if p.Major >= 8 {
 		packages = append(packages,
 			"systemd", // systemd-tmpfiles and systemd-sysusers
 		)
 	}
+	if p.Major < 9 {
+		packages = append(packages,
+			// The RHEL 8 runner in osbuild runs with platform-python but
+			// explicitly symlinks python 3.6 to /etc/alternatives (which in turn
+			// is the target for /usr/bin/python3) for the stages.
+			// https://github.com/osbuild/osbuild/blob/ea8261cad6c5c606c00c0f2824c3f483c01a0cc9/runners/org.osbuild.rhel82#L61
+			// Install python36 explicitly for RHEL 8.
+			"python36",
+		)
+	} else {
+		packages = append(packages,
+			"python3", // osbuild stages
+		)
+	}
 	return packages
 }