diff --git a/tools/run_tests/build_python.sh b/tools/run_tests/build_python.sh
index 56761b802e064b10ed144d2b7d8cf2318e96d5f7..6ce2d354bfc598343f6a1441ef46de72090d57e6 100755
--- a/tools/run_tests/build_python.sh
+++ b/tools/run_tests/build_python.sh
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ set -ex
 cd $(dirname $0)/../..
 
 root=`pwd`
-virtualenv python2.7_virtual_environment
+virtualenv -p /usr/bin/python2.7 python2.7_virtual_environment
 source python2.7_virtual_environment/bin/activate
 echo $PATH
 which pip
diff --git a/tools/run_tests/run_python.sh b/tools/run_tests/run_python.sh
index 94e61f369280291bccb2125d4734aee8a11d6717..16fee1a7619ced5a6e0ff758fe30d03009d5a52e 100755
--- a/tools/run_tests/run_python.sh
+++ b/tools/run_tests/run_python.sh
@@ -39,24 +39,24 @@ source python2.7_virtual_environment/bin/activate
 echo $PATH
 ls -l python2.7_virtual_environment
 ls -l python2.7_virtual_environment/bin
-which python2.7
+which python
 # TODO(issue 215): Properly itemize these in run_tests.py so that they can be parallelized.
 # TODO(atash): Enable dynamic unused port discovery for this test.
-python2.7 -B test/compiler/python_plugin_test.py --build_mode=opt
-python2.7 -B -m grpc._adapter._blocking_invocation_inline_service_test
-python2.7 -B -m grpc._adapter._c_test
-python2.7 -B -m grpc._adapter._event_invocation_synchronous_event_service_test
-python2.7 -B -m grpc._adapter._future_invocation_asynchronous_event_service_test
-python2.7 -B -m grpc._adapter._links_test
-python2.7 -B -m grpc._adapter._lonely_rear_link_test
-python2.7 -B -m grpc._adapter._low_test
-python2.7 -B -m grpc.early_adopter.implementations_test
-python2.7 -B -m grpc.framework.assembly.implementations_test
-python2.7 -B -m grpc.framework.base.packets.implementations_test
-python2.7 -B -m grpc.framework.face.blocking_invocation_inline_service_test
-python2.7 -B -m grpc.framework.face.event_invocation_synchronous_event_service_test
-python2.7 -B -m grpc.framework.face.future_invocation_asynchronous_event_service_test
-python2.7 -B -m grpc.framework.foundation._later_test
-python2.7 -B -m grpc.framework.foundation._logging_pool_test
+python -B test/compiler/python_plugin_test.py --build_mode=opt
+python -B -m grpc._adapter._blocking_invocation_inline_service_test
+python -B -m grpc._adapter._c_test
+python -B -m grpc._adapter._event_invocation_synchronous_event_service_test
+python -B -m grpc._adapter._future_invocation_asynchronous_event_service_test
+python -B -m grpc._adapter._links_test
+python -B -m grpc._adapter._lonely_rear_link_test
+python -B -m grpc._adapter._low_test
+python -B -m grpc.early_adopter.implementations_test
+python -B -m grpc.framework.assembly.implementations_test
+python -B -m grpc.framework.base.packets.implementations_test
+python -B -m grpc.framework.face.blocking_invocation_inline_service_test
+python -B -m grpc.framework.face.event_invocation_synchronous_event_service_test
+python -B -m grpc.framework.face.future_invocation_asynchronous_event_service_test
+python -B -m grpc.framework.foundation._later_test
+python -B -m grpc.framework.foundation._logging_pool_test
 # TODO(nathaniel): Get tests working under 3.4 (requires 3.X-friendly protobuf)
 # python3.4 -B -m unittest discover -s src/python -p '*.py'