diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/environment.d/00-gentoo-envars.bash b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/environment.d/00-gentoo-envars.bash
index 2581e69e..8cc9c7e5 100644
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/environment.d/00-gentoo-envars.bash
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/environment.d/00-gentoo-envars.bash
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ export DISTRO_NAME=gentoo
 export EFI_BOOT_DIR="EFI/gentoo"
 export GENTOO_PROFILE=${GENTOO_PROFILE:-'default/linux/amd64/17.1'}
 export GENTOO_PORTAGE_CLEANUP=${GENTOO_PORTAGE_CLEANUP:-'True'}
-export GENTOO_PYTHON_TARGETS=${GENTOO_PYTHON_TARGETS:-'python3_10'}
+export GENTOO_PYTHON_TARGETS=${GENTOO_PYTHON_TARGETS:-''}
 export GENTOO_OVERLAYS=${GENTOO_OVERLAYS:-''}
 export GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS=${GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS:-"--binpkg-respect-use --rebuilt-binaries=y --usepkg=y --with-bdeps=y --binpkg-changed-deps=y --quiet --jobs=2 --autounmask=n"}
 
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/pre-install.d/02-gentoo-04-install-desired-python b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/pre-install.d/02-gentoo-04-install-desired-python
index dec830c7..ae147d30 100755
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/pre-install.d/02-gentoo-04-install-desired-python
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/pre-install.d/02-gentoo-04-install-desired-python
@@ -6,34 +6,34 @@ fi
 set -eu
 set -o pipefail
 
-if mountpoint -q /dev/shm; then
-    echo "/dev/shm found in /proc/self/mountinfo"
-elif [[ -k /dev/shm ]]; then
-    echo "/dev/shm exists and is stickied"
-else
-    fix_shm
+if [[ ${GENTOO_PYTHON_TARGETS} != '' ]]; then
+    if mountpoint -q /dev/shm; then
+        echo "/dev/shm found in /proc/self/mountinfo"
+    elif [[ -k /dev/shm ]]; then
+        echo "/dev/shm exists and is stickied"
+    else
+        fix_shm
+    fi
+
+    [[ ! -f ${PORTDIR}/profiles ]] && emerge-webrsync -q
+
+    # set active python targets
+    echo "PYTHON_TARGETS=\"${GENTOO_PYTHON_TARGETS}\"" >> /etc/portage/make.conf
+
+    # install portage first due to bug in env vars not being passed when portage installs itself and re-inits
+    emerge ${GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS} --update --newuse --deep sys-apps/portage
+    # set the active python version
+    emerge ${GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS} --oneshot --update --newuse --nodeps dev-lang/python-exec dev-lang/python-exec-conf
+    echo yes | etc-update --automode -3 /etc/python-exec/python-exec.conf
+
+    # make world consistant
+    emerge ${GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS} --complete-graph=y --update --newuse --deep @world
+    # rebuild packages that might need it
+    emerge ${GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS} --usepkg=n @preserved-rebuild
+    # remove unneeded packages
+    emerge --verbose=n --depclean
+    # rebuild packages that might have somehow depended on the unneeded packages
+    emerge ${GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS} --usepkg=n @preserved-rebuild
+
+    unfix_shm
 fi
-
-[[ ! -f ${PORTDIR}/profiles ]] && emerge-webrsync -q
-
-# set active python targets
-echo "PYTHON_TARGETS=\"${GENTOO_PYTHON_TARGETS}\"" >> /etc/portage/make.conf
-# disable python in git if we have to, it only supports python-2.7
-[[ "${GENTOO_PYTHON_TARGETS}" != *"python2_7"* ]] && echo 'dev-vcs/git -python' >> /etc/portage/package.use/git
-
-# install portage first due to bug in env vars not being passed when portage installs itself and re-inits
-emerge ${GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS} --update --newuse --deep sys-apps/portage
-# set the active python version
-emerge ${GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS} --oneshot --update --newuse --nodeps dev-lang/python-exec dev-lang/python-exec-conf
-echo yes | etc-update --automode -3 /etc/python-exec/python-exec.conf
-
-# make world consistant
-emerge ${GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS} --complete-graph=y --update --newuse --deep @world
-# rebuild packages that might need it
-emerge ${GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS} --usepkg=n @preserved-rebuild
-# remove unneeded packages
-emerge --verbose=n --depclean
-# rebuild packages that might have somehow depended on the unneeded packages
-emerge ${GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS} --usepkg=n @preserved-rebuild
-
-unfix_shm