diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/README.rst b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/README.rst
index 89124a655..6110c4e10 100644
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/README.rst
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/README.rst
@@ -39,12 +39,12 @@ Notes:
 * Gentoo supports many different versions of python, in order to select one
   you may use the `GENTOO_PYTHON_TARGETS` environment variable to select
   the versions of python you want on your image.  The format of this variable
-  is a string as follows `"python2_7 python3_5"`.
+  is a string as follows `"python2_7 python3_6"`.
 
 * In addition you can select the primary python version you wish to use (that
   which will be called by running the `python` command.  The
   `GENTOO_PYTHON_ACTIVE_VERSION` is used to set that mapping.  The variable
-  contents can be something like `python3.5`.
+  contents can be something like `python3.6`.
 
 * You can enable overlays using the `GENTOO_OVERLAYS` variable.  In it you
   should put a space separated list of overlays.  The overlays must be in the
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/environment.d/00-gentoo-envars.bash b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/environment.d/00-gentoo-envars.bash
index 84350f7fe..6d358ce27 100644
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/environment.d/00-gentoo-envars.bash
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/environment.d/00-gentoo-envars.bash
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ export DIB_RELEASE=gentoo
 export DISTRO_NAME=gentoo
 export GENTOO_PROFILE=${GENTOO_PROFILE:-'default/linux/amd64/17.0'}
 export GENTOO_PORTAGE_CLEANUP=${GENTOO_PORTAGE_CLEANUP:-'True'}
-export GENTOO_PYTHON_TARGETS=${GENTOO_PYTHON_TARGETS:-'python2_7 python3_5'}
-export GENTOO_PYTHON_ACTIVE_VERSION=${GENTOO_PYTHON_ACTIVE_VERSION:-'python3.5'}
+export GENTOO_PYTHON_TARGETS=${GENTOO_PYTHON_TARGETS:-'python2_7 python3_6'}
+export GENTOO_PYTHON_ACTIVE_VERSION=${GENTOO_PYTHON_ACTIVE_VERSION:-'python3.6'}
 export GENTOO_OVERLAYS=${GENTOO_OVERLAYS:-''}
 export GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS=${GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS:-"--binpkg-respect-use --rebuilt-binaries=y --usepkg=y --with-bdeps=y --binpkg-changed-deps=y --quiet --jobs=2"}