diff --git a/cloudbuild.yaml b/cloudbuild.yaml
index 85c21ba8c..0a2f0ae89 100644
--- a/cloudbuild.yaml
+++ b/cloudbuild.yaml
@@ -17,17 +17,22 @@ steps:
     set -o errexit
     set -o xtrace
 
-    bazel build --host_force_python=PY2 //package_manager:dpkg_parser.par
+    # Make sure python points to python3
+    # perhaps the gcr.io/cloud-marketplace-containers/google/bazel image
+    # should be doing this though
+    update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/python python /usr/bin/python3 0
+
+    bazel build //package_manager:dpkg_parser.par
 
     # Optional: trigger building package bundles without concurrency to avoid
     # flakiness: https://github.com/GoogleContainerTools/distroless/issues/646
-    bazel build --jobs=1 --host_force_python=PY2 @package_bundle_amd64_debian10//file:packages.bzl
-    bazel build --jobs=1 --host_force_python=PY2 @package_bundle_arm_debian10//file:packages.bzl
-    bazel build --jobs=1 --host_force_python=PY2 @package_bundle_arm64_debian10//file:packages.bzl
-    bazel build --jobs=1 --host_force_python=PY2 @package_bundle_s390x_debian10//file:packages.bzl
-    bazel build --jobs=1 --host_force_python=PY2 @package_bundle_ppc64le_debian10//file:packages.bzl
+    bazel build --jobs=1 @package_bundle_amd64_debian10//file:packages.bzl
+    bazel build --jobs=1 @package_bundle_arm_debian10//file:packages.bzl
+    bazel build --jobs=1 @package_bundle_arm64_debian10//file:packages.bzl
+    bazel build --jobs=1 @package_bundle_s390x_debian10//file:packages.bzl
+    bazel build --jobs=1 @package_bundle_ppc64le_debian10//file:packages.bzl
 
-    bazel run --host_force_python=PY2 //:publish
+    bazel run //:publish
 
 - name: docker
   env:
diff --git a/package_manager/version_utils.py b/package_manager/version_utils.py
index 6cddde101..cb96926a9 100644
--- a/package_manager/version_utils.py
+++ b/package_manager/version_utils.py
@@ -27,11 +27,11 @@ def get_epoch(version_str):
 
     try:
         epoch = int(version_str[0:e_index])
-    except ValueError:
+    except ValueError as value_error:
         raise Exception(
             'Corrupt dpkg version %s: epochs can only be ints, and '
             'epochless versions cannot use the colon character.' %
-            version_str)
+            version_str) from value_error
 
     return epoch, version_str[e_index + 1:]
 
diff --git a/test.sh b/test.sh
index bc7e23c21..dab69da84 100755
--- a/test.sh
+++ b/test.sh
@@ -21,17 +21,26 @@ set -o xtrace
 buildifier -mode=fix $(find . -name 'BUILD*' -o -name 'WORKSPACE*' -o -name '*.bzl' -type f)
 find . -name "*.py" | xargs pylint --disable=R,C
 
+# Make sure python points to python3
+PYTHON_VERSION=$(python --version)
+if [[ ! $PYTHON_VERSION == Python\ 3* ]];
+then
+  echo "python must point to a python3, currently points to $(readlink -f "$(which python)")"
+  echo "maybe run: update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/python python /usr/bin/python3"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 # Bazel build and test
 bazel clean --curses=no
 bazel build --curses=no //package_manager:dpkg_parser.par
 
 # Optional: trigger building package bundles without concurrency to avoid
 # flakiness: https://github.com/GoogleContainerTools/distroless/issues/646
-bazel build --jobs=1 --host_force_python=PY2 @package_bundle_amd64_debian10//file:packages.bzl
-bazel build --jobs=1 --host_force_python=PY2 @package_bundle_arm_debian10//file:packages.bzl
-bazel build --jobs=1 --host_force_python=PY2 @package_bundle_arm64_debian10//file:packages.bzl
-bazel build --jobs=1 --host_force_python=PY2 @package_bundle_s390x_debian10//file:packages.bzl
-bazel build --jobs=1 --host_force_python=PY2 @package_bundle_ppc64le_debian10//file:packages.bzl
+bazel build --jobs=1 @package_bundle_amd64_debian10//file:packages.bzl
+bazel build --jobs=1 @package_bundle_arm_debian10//file:packages.bzl
+bazel build --jobs=1 @package_bundle_arm64_debian10//file:packages.bzl
+bazel build --jobs=1 @package_bundle_s390x_debian10//file:packages.bzl
+bazel build --jobs=1 @package_bundle_ppc64le_debian10//file:packages.bzl
 
 bazel build --curses=no //...
 # Run all tests not tagged as "manual"