diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 9c55d2bc807f7..f843a1ff8f45c 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ if m_dep.found()
   add_project_link_arguments('-lm', language : 'c')
 endif
 
-tempita = files('sklearn/_build_utils/tempita.py')
+tempita = find_program('sklearn/_build_utils/tempita.py')
 
 py = import('python').find_installation(pure: false)
 
diff --git a/sklearn/_build_utils/tempita.py b/sklearn/_build_utils/tempita.py
index c92ea17d2a9b9..c8a7a35a62fee 100644
--- a/sklearn/_build_utils/tempita.py
+++ b/sklearn/_build_utils/tempita.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
 # Authors: The scikit-learn developers
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 
diff --git a/sklearn/_loss/meson.build b/sklearn/_loss/meson.build
index bb187fd03f71b..ead867dcfa746 100644
--- a/sklearn/_loss/meson.build
+++ b/sklearn/_loss/meson.build
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ _loss_pyx = custom_target(
   '_loss_pyx',
   output: '_loss.pyx',
   input: '_loss.pyx.tp',
-  command: [py, tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
+  command: [tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
   # TODO in principle this should go in py.exension_module below. This is
   # temporary work-around for dependency issue with .pyx.tp files. For more
   # details, see https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/13212
diff --git a/sklearn/linear_model/meson.build b/sklearn/linear_model/meson.build
index 00ab496fb60aa..53d44d45b0a2d 100644
--- a/sklearn/linear_model/meson.build
+++ b/sklearn/linear_model/meson.build
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ foreach name: name_list
     name + '_pyx',
     output: name + '.pyx',
     input: name + '.pyx.tp',
-    command: [py, tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
+    command: [tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
     # TODO in principle this should go in py.exension_module below. This is
     # temporary work-around for dependency issue with .pyx.tp files. For more
     # details, see https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/13212
diff --git a/sklearn/metrics/_pairwise_distances_reduction/meson.build b/sklearn/metrics/_pairwise_distances_reduction/meson.build
index 76760ac271cef..4803305e85ec4 100644
--- a/sklearn/metrics/_pairwise_distances_reduction/meson.build
+++ b/sklearn/metrics/_pairwise_distances_reduction/meson.build
@@ -24,13 +24,13 @@ _datasets_pair_pxd = custom_target(
   '_datasets_pair_pxd',
   output: '_datasets_pair.pxd',
   input: '_datasets_pair.pxd.tp',
-  command: [py, tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@']
+  command: [tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@']
 )
 _datasets_pair_pyx = custom_target(
   '_datasets_pair_pyx',
   output: '_datasets_pair.pyx',
   input: '_datasets_pair.pyx.tp',
-  command: [py, tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
+  command: [tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
   # TODO in principle this should go in py.exension_module below. This is
   # temporary work-around for dependency issue with .pyx.tp files. For more
   # details, see https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/13212
@@ -50,13 +50,13 @@ _base_pxd = custom_target(
   '_base_pxd',
   output: '_base.pxd',
   input: '_base.pxd.tp',
-  command: [py, tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@']
+  command: [tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@']
 )
 _base_pyx = custom_target(
   '_base_pyx',
   output: '_base.pyx',
   input: '_base.pyx.tp',
-  command: [py, tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
+  command: [tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
   # TODO in principle this should go in py.exension_module below. This is
   # temporary work-around for dependency issue with .pyx.tp files. For more
   # details, see https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/13212
@@ -77,13 +77,13 @@ _middle_term_computer_pxd = custom_target(
   '_middle_term_computer_pxd',
   output: '_middle_term_computer.pxd',
   input: '_middle_term_computer.pxd.tp',
-  command: [py, tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@']
+  command: [tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@']
 )
 _middle_term_computer_pyx = custom_target(
   '_middle_term_computer_pyx',
   output: '_middle_term_computer.pyx',
   input: '_middle_term_computer.pyx.tp',
-  command: [py, tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
+  command: [tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
   # TODO in principle this should go in py.exension_module below. This is
   # temporary work-around for dependency issue with .pyx.tp files. For more
   # details, see https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/13212
@@ -105,13 +105,13 @@ _argkmin_pxd = custom_target(
     '_argkmin_pxd',
     output: '_argkmin.pxd',
     input: '_argkmin.pxd.tp',
-    command: [py, tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@']
+    command: [tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@']
   )
 _argkmin_pyx = custom_target(
     '_argkmin_pyx',
     output: '_argkmin.pyx',
     input: '_argkmin.pyx.tp',
-    command: [py, tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
+    command: [tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
     # TODO in principle this should go in py.exension_module below. This is
     # temporary work-around for dependency issue with .pyx.tp files. For more
     # details, see https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/13212
@@ -133,13 +133,13 @@ _radius_neighbors_pxd = custom_target(
     '_radius_neighbors_pxd',
     output: '_radius_neighbors.pxd',
     input: '_radius_neighbors.pxd.tp',
-    command: [py, tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@']
+    command: [tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@']
   )
 _radius_neighbors_pyx = custom_target(
     '_radius_neighbors_pyx',
     output: '_radius_neighbors.pyx',
     input: '_radius_neighbors.pyx.tp',
-    command: [py, tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
+    command: [tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
     # TODO in principle this should go in py.exension_module below. This is
     # temporary work-around for dependency issue with .pyx.tp files. For more
     # details, see https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/13212
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ _argkmin_classmode_pyx = custom_target(
   '_argkmin_classmode_pyx',
   output: '_argkmin_classmode.pyx',
   input: '_argkmin_classmode.pyx.tp',
-  command: [py, tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
+  command: [tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
   # TODO in principle this should go in py.exension_module below. This is
   # temporary work-around for dependency issue with .pyx.tp files. For more
   # details, see https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/13212
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ _radius_neighbors_classmode_pyx = custom_target(
   '_radius_neighbors_classmode_pyx',
   output: '_radius_neighbors_classmode.pyx',
   input: '_radius_neighbors_classmode.pyx.tp',
-  command: [py, tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
+  command: [tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
   # TODO in principle this should go in py.exension_module below. This is
   # temporary work-around for dependency issue with .pyx.tp files. For more
   # details, see https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/13212
diff --git a/sklearn/metrics/meson.build b/sklearn/metrics/meson.build
index 2e01572144707..d788cf08f3add 100644
--- a/sklearn/metrics/meson.build
+++ b/sklearn/metrics/meson.build
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ _dist_metrics_pxd = custom_target(
   '_dist_metrics_pxd',
   output: '_dist_metrics.pxd',
   input: '_dist_metrics.pxd.tp',
-  command: [py, tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
+  command: [tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
   # Need to install the generated pxd because it is needed in other subpackages
   # Cython code, e.g. sklearn.cluster
   install_dir: sklearn_dir / 'metrics',
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ _dist_metrics_pyx = custom_target(
   '_dist_metrics_pyx',
   output: '_dist_metrics.pyx',
   input: '_dist_metrics.pyx.tp',
-  command: [py, tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
+  command: [tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
   # TODO in principle this should go in py.exension_module below. This is
   # temporary work-around for dependency issue with .pyx.tp files. For more
   # details, see https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/13212
diff --git a/sklearn/neighbors/meson.build b/sklearn/neighbors/meson.build
index 22f81d597948b..e7ce9a2972cd3 100644
--- a/sklearn/neighbors/meson.build
+++ b/sklearn/neighbors/meson.build
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ _binary_tree_pxi = custom_target(
   '_binary_tree_pxi',
   output: '_binary_tree.pxi',
   input: '_binary_tree.pxi.tp',
-  command: [py, tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
+  command: [tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
 )
 
 # .pyx is generated so this is needed to make Cython compilation work. The pxi
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ foreach name: name_list
     name + '_pyx',
     output: name + '.pyx',
     input: name + '.pyx.tp',
-    command: [py, tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
+    command: [tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
     # TODO in principle this should go in py.exension_module below. This is
     # temporary work-around for dependency issue with .pyx.tp files. For more
     # details, see https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/13212
diff --git a/sklearn/utils/meson.build b/sklearn/utils/meson.build
index 9bbfc01b7b6bf..76b5f0141393d 100644
--- a/sklearn/utils/meson.build
+++ b/sklearn/utils/meson.build
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ foreach name: util_extension_names
     name + '_pxd',
     output: name + '.pxd',
     input: name + '.pxd.tp',
-    command: [py, tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
+    command: [tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
   )
   utils_cython_tree += [pxd]
 
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ foreach name: util_extension_names
     name + '_pyx',
     output: name + '.pyx',
     input: name + '.pyx.tp',
-    command: [py, tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
+    command: [tempita, '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTDIR@'],
     # TODO in principle this should go in py.exension_module below. This is
     # temporary work-around for dependency issue with .pyx.tp files. For more
     # details, see https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/13212