diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index bba522788965..9a070cbd4d44 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -6315,7 +6315,7 @@ if test "$cross_compiling" = "yes"; then
     # similarly: at least skia headers need to be available in the cross-toolset
     test "${PLATFORMID}" = "windows_aarch64" && sub_conf_opts="$sub_conf_opts --enable-openssl --with-tls=openssl --enable-skia"
     # cross-compilations don't necessarily enable python support in the product/the sub-configure needs to know
-    # that the minimum supported python version is 3.7 or later...
+    # that the minimum supported python version is 3.11 or later...
     test "$with_system_harfbuzz" != "yes" && sub_conf_opts="$sub_conf_opts NEED_MESON=TRUE"
 
     # Don't bother having configure look for stuff not needed for the build platform anyway
@@ -10594,7 +10594,7 @@ AC_SUBST(LIBXML_LIBS)
 AC_SUBST(XMLLINT)
 
 # =====================================================================
-# Checking for a Python interpreter with version >= 3.3 (or 3.7 if the build needs meson)
+# Checking for a Python interpreter with version >= 3.11
 # Optionally user can pass an option to configure, i. e.
 # ./configure PYTHON=/usr/bin/python
 # =====================================================================
@@ -10608,12 +10608,7 @@ if test "$build_os" != "cygwin" -a "$enable_python" != fully-internal; then
         PYTHON_FOR_BUILD=$PYTHON
     else
         # This allows a lack of system python with no error, we use internal one in that case.
-        if test "$with_system_harfbuzz" = "yes"; then
-            AM_PATH_PYTHON([3.3],, [:])
-        else
-            # harfbuzz is built using meson, and current meson requires at least python 3.7
-            AM_PATH_PYTHON([3.7],, [:])
-        fi
+        AM_PATH_PYTHON([3.11],, [:])
         # Clean PYTHON_VERSION checked below if cross-compiling
         PYTHON_VERSION=""
         if test "$PYTHON" != ":"; then
@@ -10655,11 +10650,7 @@ no|disable)
         # we actually do check anew.
         AC_MSG_RESULT([])
         unset PYTHON am_cv_pathless_PYTHON ac_cv_path_PYTHON am_cv_python_version am_cv_python_platform am_cv_python_pythondir am_cv_python_pyexecdir
-        if test -z "$NEED_MESON"; then
-            AM_PATH_PYTHON([3.3],, [:])
-        else
-            AM_PATH_PYTHON([3.7],, [:])
-        fi
+        AM_PATH_PYTHON([3.11],, [:])
         AC_MSG_CHECKING([which Python to use for Pyuno])
         if test "$PYTHON" = ":"; then
             if test -z "$PYTHON_FOR_BUILD"; then
@@ -10707,12 +10698,8 @@ if test $enable_python = system; then
         unset PYTHON am_cv_pathless_PYTHON ac_cv_path_PYTHON am_cv_python_version am_cv_python_platform am_cv_python_pythondir am_cv_python_pyexecdir
         # This causes an error if no python command is found
         # the version found here also sets PYTHON_FOR_BUILD below, so the python picked here
-        # needs to be suitable for meson/the harfbuzz build
-        if test "$with_system_harfbuzz" = "yes" -o -n "$NEED_MESON" ; then
-            AM_PATH_PYTHON([3.7])
-        else
-            AM_PATH_PYTHON([3.3])
-        fi
+        # needs to be suitable for the build
+        AM_PATH_PYTHON([3.11])
         python_include=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; print(distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var('INCLUDEPY'));"`
         python_version=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; print(distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var('VERSION'));"`
         python_libs=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; print(distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var('LIBS'));"`
@@ -10824,10 +10811,10 @@ system)
 #include <Python.h>
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv) {
-   if ((PY_MAJOR_VERSION == 3 && PY_MINOR_VERSION >= 3)) return 0;
+   if ((PY_MAJOR_VERSION == 3 && PY_MINOR_VERSION >= 11)) return 0;
    else return 1;
 }
-       ]])],[AC_MSG_RESULT([ok])],[AC_MSG_ERROR([Python >= 3.3 is needed when building with Python 3])],[AC_MSG_RESULT([skipped; cross-compiling])])
+       ]])],[AC_MSG_RESULT([ok])],[AC_MSG_ERROR([Python >= 3.11 is needed when building with Python 3])],[AC_MSG_RESULT([skipped; cross-compiling])])
     AC_LANG_POP(C)
 
     dnl FIXME Check if the Python library can be linked with, too?