diff --git a/jinja2.go b/jinja2.go
index a7b3f73..d8d2778 100644
--- a/jinja2.go
+++ b/jinja2.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 type Jinja2 struct {
-	ep          *python.EmbeddedPython
+	ep          python.Python
 	extractDir  string
 	jinja2Lib   *embed_util.EmbeddedFiles
 	rendererSrc *embed_util.EmbeddedFiles
@@ -69,9 +69,13 @@ func NewJinja2(name string, parallelism int, opts ...Jinja2Opt) (*Jinja2, error)
 	}
 	tmpDir = filepath.Join(tmpDir, name)
 
-	j2.ep, err = python.NewEmbeddedPythonWithTmpDir(tmpDir+"-python", true)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+	if j2.defaultOptions.python != nil {
+		j2.ep = j2.defaultOptions.python
+	} else {
+		j2.ep, err = python.NewEmbeddedPythonWithTmpDir(tmpDir+"-python", true)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 	}
 	j2.jinja2Lib, err = embed_util.NewEmbeddedFilesWithTmpDir(data.Data, tmpDir+"-jinja2-lib", true)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -120,7 +124,10 @@ func (j *Jinja2) Close() {
 func (j *Jinja2) Cleanup() {
 	_ = j.rendererSrc.Cleanup()
 	_ = j.jinja2Lib.Cleanup()
-	_ = j.ep.Cleanup()
+
+	if ep, ok := j.ep.(*python.EmbeddedPython); ok {
+		_ = ep.Cleanup()
+	}
 }
 
 func (j *Jinja2) RenderStrings(jobs []*RenderJob, opts ...Jinja2Opt) error {
diff --git a/jinja2_external_python_test.go b/jinja2_external_python_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dce2fca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jinja2_external_python_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+package jinja2
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"github.com/kluctl/go-embed-python/python"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"math/rand"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestExternalPython(t *testing.T) {
+	rndName := fmt.Sprintf("test-%d", rand.Uint32())
+	ep, err := python.NewEmbeddedPython(rndName)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	j2 := newJinja2(t, WithPython(ep))
+	t1 := newTemplateFile(t, `{{ "a" }}`)
+
+	r1, err := j2.RenderFile(t1)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "a", r1)
+}
+
+func TestSystemPython(t *testing.T) {
+	ep := python.NewPython()
+	if _, err := ep.GetExePath(); err != nil {
+		t.Skipf("skipping due to missing python binary")
+	}
+
+	j2 := newJinja2(t, WithPython(ep))
+	t1 := newTemplateFile(t, `{{ "a" }}`)
+
+	r1, err := j2.RenderFile(t1)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "a", r1)
+}
diff --git a/opts.go b/opts.go
index 9e5a310..3cd1815 100644
--- a/opts.go
+++ b/opts.go
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 package jinja2
 
+import "github.com/kluctl/go-embed-python/python"
+
 type jinja2Options struct {
 	DebugTrace   bool `json:"debugTrace"`
 	NonStrict    bool `json:"nonStrict"`
@@ -13,6 +15,7 @@ type jinja2Options struct {
 	Extensions []string          `json:"extensions"`
 
 	// not passed to renderer
+	python                 python.Python
 	pythonPath             []string
 	embeddedExtractDir     string
 	templateIgnoreRootPath string
@@ -28,6 +31,12 @@ func WithDebugTrace(debugTrace bool) Jinja2Opt {
 	}
 }
 
+func WithPython(p python.Python) Jinja2Opt {
+	return func(o *jinja2Options) {
+		o.python = p
+	}
+}
+
 func WithPythonPath(p string) Jinja2Opt {
 	return func(o *jinja2Options) {
 		o.pythonPath = append(o.pythonPath, p)