diff --git a/server/bin/postinstall b/server/bin/postinstall
index 880c34308..a893c48ec 100644
--- a/server/bin/postinstall
+++ b/server/bin/postinstall
@@ -1,2 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env node
-require('./packaged-python').installScryptedServerRequirements();
+// install portable python if the SCRYPTED_PYTHON_PATH variable is unset.
+// this variable will be unset for docker and lxc environments.
+if (!process.env.SCRYPTED_PYTHON_PATH) {
+    require('./packaged-python').installScryptedServerRequirements();
+}
diff --git a/server/package-lock.json b/server/package-lock.json
index b07fe895f..947c1f5a5 100644
--- a/server/package-lock.json
+++ b/server/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "@scrypted/server",
-  "version": "0.94.38",
+  "version": "0.94.39",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "@scrypted/server",
-      "version": "0.94.38",
+      "version": "0.94.39",
       "hasInstallScript": true,
       "license": "ISC",
       "dependencies": {
diff --git a/server/package.json b/server/package.json
index 364023309..1d8fbf32a 100644
--- a/server/package.json
+++ b/server/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@scrypted/server",
-  "version": "0.94.39",
+  "version": "0.94.40",
   "description": "",
   "dependencies": {
     "@mapbox/node-pre-gyp": "^1.0.11",