diff --git a/boot/at91bootstrap3/Config.in b/boot/at91bootstrap3/Config.in
index 18301a0dc0..966e393db5 100644
--- a/boot/at91bootstrap3/Config.in
+++ b/boot/at91bootstrap3/Config.in
@@ -101,3 +101,11 @@ config BR2_TARGET_AT91BOOTSTRAP3_CUSTOM_CONFIG_FILE
 	  Path to the at91bootstrap3 configuration file
 
 endif # BR2_TARGET_AT91BOOTSTRAP3
+
+config BR2_TARGET_AT91BOOTSTRAP3_NEEDS_PYTHON3
+	bool "needs host-python3"
+	help
+	  Enable this option if the at91bootstrap build process needs
+	  Python 3.x to be available on the host. This is needed in
+	  some at91bootstrap configurations to use NAND/PMECC Python
+	  scripts.
diff --git a/boot/at91bootstrap3/at91bootstrap3.mk b/boot/at91bootstrap3/at91bootstrap3.mk
index c4d7bd6106..b253129dfb 100644
--- a/boot/at91bootstrap3/at91bootstrap3.mk
+++ b/boot/at91bootstrap3/at91bootstrap3.mk
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ AT91BOOTSTRAP3_CPE_ID_PRODUCT = at91bootstrap
 AT91BOOTSTRAP3_INSTALL_IMAGES = YES
 AT91BOOTSTRAP3_INSTALL_TARGET = NO
 
+ifeq ($(BR2_TARGET_AT91BOOTSTRAP3_NEEDS_PYTHON3),y)
+AT91BOOTSTRAP3_DEPENDENCIES += host-python3
+endif
+
 AT91BOOTSTRAP3_CUSTOM_PATCH_DIR = \
 	$(call qstrip,$(BR2_TARGET_AT91BOOTSTRAP3_CUSTOM_PATCH_DIR))