diff --git a/library/roles/python3-env/defaults/main.yml b/library/roles/python3-env/defaults/main.yml
index 4e3fe155..21b5c8d3 100644
--- a/library/roles/python3-env/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/library/roles/python3-env/defaults/main.yml
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 ---
 py3_env_install: False
 py3_ppa: 'ppa:deadsnakes/ppa'
-py3_env_version: 3.6
+py3_env_major_version: 3
+py3_env_minor_version: 6
+py3_env_version: '{{ py3_env_major_version }}.{{py3_env_minor_version }}'
 py3_env_pkgs_state: present
 py3_pip_pkgs_state: present
 py3_env_site: False
diff --git a/library/roles/python3-env/tasks/main.yml b/library/roles/python3-env/tasks/main.yml
index ec627703..97b3a440 100644
--- a/library/roles/python3-env/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/library/roles/python3-env/tasks/main.yml
@@ -12,15 +12,31 @@
   - name: Install the python3 deb packages
     apt: name={{ py3_env_dpkg }} state={{ py3_env_pkgs_state }} update_cache=yes cache_valid_time=600
 
-  - name: Install the correct pip3 version
+  - name: Install python3-pip deb packages
+    apt: name=python3-pip state={{ py3_env_pkgs_state }} update_cache=yes cache_valid_time=600
+    when: ansible_distribution_version is version_compare('18.04', '>=')
+
+  - name: Install the correct pip3 version on Ubuntu < 18.04
     shell: python{{ py3_env_version }} -m ensurepip && pip{{ py3_env_version }} install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
+    when: ansible_distribution_version is version_compare('18.04', '<')
 
   - name: Install a list of pip packages
     pip: executable=pip{{ py3_env_version }} name={{ py3_env_pip_pkgs }} state={{ py3_pip_pkgs_state }}
+    when: ansible_distribution_version is version_compare('18.04', '<')
+
+  - name: Install a list of pip packages
+    pip: executable=pip{{ py3_env_major_version }} name={{ py3_env_pip_pkgs }} state={{ py3_pip_pkgs_state }}
+    when: ansible_distribution_version is version_compare('18.04', '>=')
 
   - name: Install a list of versioned pip packages
     pip: executable=pip{{ py3_env_version }} name={{ item.pkg }} version={{ item.version }}
     with_items: '{{ py3_env_versioned_pip_pkgs | default ([]) }}'
+    when: ansible_distribution_version is version_compare('18.04', '<')
+
+  - name: Install a list of versioned pip packages
+    pip: executable=pip{{ py3_env_major_version }} name={{ item.pkg }} version={{ item.version }}
+    with_items: '{{ py3_env_versioned_pip_pkgs | default ([]) }}'
+    when: ansible_distribution_version is version_compare('18.04', '>=')
 
   when: py3_env_install
   tags: [ "python", "py3_env", "py3_env_pkgs", 'python3' ]