diff --git a/group_vars/aws_node_local.yml b/group_vars/aws_node_local.yml
index e00bd65..4e6dcff 100644
--- a/group_vars/aws_node_local.yml
+++ b/group_vars/aws_node_local.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
 #
 #    https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/user_guide/playbooks_variables.html
 
-ansible_python_interpreter: "{{ pipenv_venv | default('/usr/bin/python') }}"
+pipenv_venv: /usr/bin/python  # this will get overridden by the wrapper scripts, but should allow molecule to run
+ansible_python_interpreter: "{{ pipenv_venv }}"
 
 java_major_version: "8"
 postgres_version: "9.6"
diff --git a/roles/linux_common/defaults/main.yml b/roles/linux_common/defaults/main.yml
index cb751b1..fb0d831 100644
--- a/roles/linux_common/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/linux_common/defaults/main.yml
@@ -2,3 +2,4 @@
 
 atl_product_user_uid: '2001'
 git_version: "2.14.4"
+pipenv_venv: "/usr/bin/python"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/roles/linux_common/molecule/default/converge.yml b/roles/linux_common/molecule/default/converge.yml
index 22677b5..cfbd05c 100644
--- a/roles/linux_common/molecule/default/converge.yml
+++ b/roles/linux_common/molecule/default/converge.yml
@@ -3,5 +3,6 @@
   hosts: all
   vars:
     atl_product_user: "jira"
+    pipenv_venv: "/usr/bin/python"
   roles:
     - role: linux_common
diff --git a/roles/linux_common/tasks/main.yml b/roles/linux_common/tasks/main.yml
index 6155140..2c631c9 100644
--- a/roles/linux_common/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/linux_common/tasks/main.yml
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
       - curl
       - unzip
       - fontconfig
+  vars:
+    ansible_python_interpreter: "{{ '/usr/bin/python2' if ((ansible_distribution | lower == 'amazon') and (ansible_distribution_version == '2')) else pipenv_venv }}"
 
 - name: Create product group
   ansible.builtin.group: