diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index d8ebe2944919d626b225e1993f20602fb02736f9..a230f30c6de30400cf83d7b3b3d5535b69f8edf1 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ python-defaults (2.7.2-6) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
 
   [ Piotr Ożarowski ]
   * dh_python2:
-    - handle private dirs without leading slash
+    - handle private dir paths without leading slash
+    - add python to Depends if unversioned python shebang is detected in
+      private directory
 
  -- Scott Kitterman <scott@kitterman.com>  Sat, 03 Sep 2011 11:21:35 -0400
 
diff --git a/debpython/depends.py b/debpython/depends.py
index 5899d5d6371e4cff6844a7ab32ce636b94902508..d025af03dc367c708c4df1a70f9be7cd13dc78a7 100644
--- a/debpython/depends.py
+++ b/debpython/depends.py
@@ -128,6 +128,9 @@ class Dependencies(object):
                 else:
                     log.warn('dependency on python%s (from shebang) ignored'
                              ' - it\'s not supported anymore', vrepr(v))
+            # /usr/bin/python shebang → add python to Depends
+            if any(True for i, v in details.get('shebangs', []) if v is None):
+                self.depend('python')
 
             if details.get('compile', False):
                 self.depend(MINPYCDEP)