diff --git a/riotbuild/Dockerfile b/riotbuild/Dockerfile
index e1c1ec6d..f8cf029d 100644
--- a/riotbuild/Dockerfile
+++ b/riotbuild/Dockerfile
@@ -76,7 +76,6 @@ RUN \
         ninja-build \
         parallel \
         protobuf-compiler \
-        python2 \
         python3-setuptools \
         python3-wheel \
         p7zip \
@@ -122,7 +121,6 @@ RUN \
     && echo 'Installing additional packages required for ESP32 toolchain' >&2 && \
     apt-get -y --no-install-recommends install \
         python3-serial \
-        libpython2.7 \
         telnet \
     && echo 'Installing local packages' >&2 && \
     apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends /pkgs/*.deb \
diff --git a/riotdocker-base/Dockerfile b/riotdocker-base/Dockerfile
index 75401897..f0bc75e6 100644
--- a/riotdocker-base/Dockerfile
+++ b/riotdocker-base/Dockerfile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-FROM ubuntu:jammy
+FROM ubuntu:noble
 
 LABEL maintainer="Kaspar Schleiser <kaspar@riot-os.org>"
 
@@ -12,10 +12,15 @@ RUN \
         python3 \
         python3-dev \
         python3-pip \
+        python3-venv \
         && \
     echo 'Clean up installation files' >&2 && \
     apt-get clean && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/* /tmp/* /var/tmp/*
 
+# create python environment that allows "pip install" despite PEP 668
+RUN python3 -m venv /local/python-riot
+ENV PATH="/local/python-riot/bin:$PATH"
+
 # compile suid create_user binary
 COPY create_user.c /tmp/create_user.c
 RUN gcc -DHOMEDIR=\"/data/riotbuild\" -DUSERNAME=\"riotbuild\" /tmp/create_user.c -o /usr/local/bin/create_user \