diff --git a/use_python3_interpreter_in_tests.diff b/use_python3_interpreter_in_tests.diff
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..af6e8a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/use_python3_interpreter_in_tests.diff
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+Description: Use python3 in tests
+ Some upstream tests for the custom `process` module call the python interpreter
+ in a subprocess. In Debian, where we only build for python3, "python" is not
+ available during build and thus makes those tests fail. This patch replaces
+ "python" with "python3" where applicable.
+Author: Lukas Puehringer <lukas.puehringer@nyu.edu>
+Forwarded: not-needed
+
+--- python-securesystemslib-0.16.0.orig/tests/test_process.py
++++ python-securesystemslib-0.16.0/tests/test_process.py
+@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class Test_Process(unittest.TestCase):
+ 
+     stdin_file = open(path)
+     cmd = \
+-        "python -c \"import sys; assert(sys.stdin.read() == '{}')\""
++        "python3 -c \"import sys; assert(sys.stdin.read() == '{}')\""
+ 
+     # input is used in favor of stdin
+     securesystemslib.process.run(cmd.format("use input kwarg"),
+@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class Test_Process(unittest.TestCase):
+   def test_run_duplicate_streams(self):
+     """Test output as streams and as returned.  """
+     # Command that prints 'foo' to stdout and 'bar' to stderr.
+-    cmd = ("python -c \""
++    cmd = ("python3 -c \""
+         "import sys;"
+         "sys.stdout.write('foo');"
+         "sys.stderr.write('bar');\"")
+@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ class Test_Process(unittest.TestCase):
+ 
+   def test_run_cmd_arg_return_code(self):
+     """Test command arg as string and list using return code. """
+-    cmd_str = ("python -c \""
++    cmd_str = ("python3 -c \""
+         "import sys;"
+         "sys.exit(100)\"")
+     cmd_list = shlex.split(cmd_str)
+@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ class Test_Process(unittest.TestCase):
+   def test_run_duplicate_streams_timeout(self):
+     """Test raise TimeoutExpired. """
+     with self.assertRaises(securesystemslib.process.subprocess.TimeoutExpired):
+-      securesystemslib.process.run_duplicate_streams("python --version",
++      securesystemslib.process.run_duplicate_streams("python3 --version",
+           timeout=-1)
+ 
+