diff --git a/.python-version b/.python-version
deleted file mode 100644
index 455808f8e1..0000000000
--- a/.python-version
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-3.12.4
diff --git a/Dockerfile.openpilot_base b/Dockerfile.openpilot_base
index 6818195d72..45b29bdcb1 100644
--- a/Dockerfile.openpilot_base
+++ b/Dockerfile.openpilot_base
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ ENV PYENV_VERSION=3.12.4
 ENV PYENV_ROOT="/home/$USER/pyenv"
 ENV PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PYENV_ROOT/shims:$PATH"
 
-COPY --chown=$USER pyproject.toml poetry.lock .python-version /tmp/
+COPY --chown=$USER pyproject.toml poetry.lock /tmp/
 COPY --chown=$USER tools/install_python_dependencies.sh /tmp/tools/
 
 RUN cd /tmp && \
diff --git a/tools/install_python_dependencies.sh b/tools/install_python_dependencies.sh
index df815b582f..af25ec6424 100755
--- a/tools/install_python_dependencies.sh
+++ b/tools/install_python_dependencies.sh
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ fi
 
 export MAKEFLAGS="-j$(nproc)"
 
-PYENV_PYTHON_VERSION=$(cat $ROOT/.python-version)
+PYENV_PYTHON_VERSION="3.12.4"
 if ! pyenv prefix ${PYENV_PYTHON_VERSION} &> /dev/null; then
   # no pyenv update on mac
   if [ "$(uname)" == "Linux" ]; then