diff --git a/lang/python/python/Makefile b/lang/python/python/Makefile
index b1bccfc8e..5bab469e7 100644
--- a/lang/python/python/Makefile
+++ b/lang/python/python/Makefile
@@ -12,9 +12,7 @@ include ./files/python-version.mk
 
 PKG_NAME:=python
 PKG_VERSION:=$(PYTHON_VERSION).$(PYTHON_VERSION_MICRO)
-# XXX: reset PKG_RELEASE to 1 only if Python's pip & setuptools versions have also bumped;
-#      otherwise, keep bumping PKG_RELEASE
-PKG_RELEASE:=6
+PKG_RELEASE:=7
 
 PKG_SOURCE:=Python-$(PKG_VERSION).tar.xz
 PKG_SOURCE_URL:=https://www.python.org/ftp/python/$(PKG_VERSION)
@@ -42,7 +40,7 @@ PKG_CONFIG_DEPENDS:= \
 	CONFIG_PYTHON_BLUETOOTH_SUPPORT
 
 PKG_BUILD_DEPENDS:=python/host
-HOST_BUILD_DEPENDS:=bzip2/host expat/host
+HOST_BUILD_DEPENDS:=bzip2/host expat/host zlib/host
 
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/host-build.mk
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/package.mk
diff --git a/lang/python/python3/Makefile b/lang/python/python3/Makefile
index 5193b160c..5c10442f3 100644
--- a/lang/python/python3/Makefile
+++ b/lang/python/python3/Makefile
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ PYTHON_VERSION:=$(PYTHON3_VERSION)
 PYTHON_VERSION_MICRO:=$(PYTHON3_VERSION_MICRO)
 
 PKG_NAME:=python3
-PKG_RELEASE:=1
+PKG_RELEASE:=2
 PKG_VERSION:=$(PYTHON_VERSION).$(PYTHON_VERSION_MICRO)
 
 PKG_SOURCE:=Python-$(PKG_VERSION).tar.xz
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ PKG_CONFIG_DEPENDS:= \
 	CONFIG_PYTHON3_BLUETOOTH_SUPPORT
 
 PKG_BUILD_DEPENDS:=python3/host
-HOST_BUILD_DEPENDS:=bzip2/host expat/host libffi/host
+HOST_BUILD_DEPENDS:=bzip2/host expat/host libffi/host zlib/host
 
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/host-build.mk
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/package.mk