diff --git a/test cases/python/2 extmodule/meson.build b/test cases/python/2 extmodule/meson.build
index c3f4eec6a..239492c44 100644
--- a/test cases/python/2 extmodule/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/python/2 extmodule/meson.build	
@@ -34,10 +34,17 @@ py.install_sources(blaster, subdir: 'pure')
 
 py3_pkg_dep = dependency('python3', method: 'pkg-config', required : false)
 if py3_pkg_dep.found()
-  python_lib_dir = py3_pkg_dep.get_pkgconfig_variable('libdir')
-
-  # Check we can apply a version constraint
-  dependency('python3', version: '>=@0@'.format(py_dep.version()))
+  py3_dep_majver = py3_pkg_dep.version().split('.')
+  py3_dep_majver = py3_dep_majver[0] + '.' + py3_dep_majver[1]
+  message(f'got two pythons: pkg-config is @py3_dep_majver@, and module is', py.language_version())
+  if py3_dep_majver != py.language_version()
+    message('skipped python3 pkg-config test because the default python3 is different from Meson\'s')
+  else
+    python_lib_dir = py3_pkg_dep.get_pkgconfig_variable('libdir')
+
+    # Check we can apply a version constraint
+    dependency('python3', version: '>=@0@'.format(py_dep.version()))
+  endif
 else
-  message('Skipped python3 pkg-config test')
+  message('Skipped python3 pkg-config test because it was not found')
 endif
diff --git a/test cases/python3/3 cython/meson.build b/test cases/python3/3 cython/meson.build
index 753b906cf..d41fc93c4 100644
--- a/test cases/python3/3 cython/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/python3/3 cython/meson.build	
@@ -6,8 +6,14 @@ py3_dep = dependency('python3', required : false)
 
 if cython.found() and py3_dep.found()
   py3_dep = dependency('python3')
+  py3_dep_majver = py3_dep.version().split('.')
+  py3_dep_majver = py3_dep_majver[0] + '.' + py3_dep_majver[1]
   py3_mod = import('python3')
   py3 = py3_mod.find_python()
+  if py3_dep_majver != py3_mod.language_version()
+      v = py3_mod.language_version()
+      error('MESON_SKIP_TEST: deprecated python3 module is non-functional when default python3 is different from Meson\'s', v)
+  endif
   subdir('libdir')
 
   test('cython tester',