diff --git a/ci/build-rpm.yml b/ci/build-rpm.yml
index 424223257..8a665f2fa 100644
--- a/ci/build-rpm.yml
+++ b/ci/build-rpm.yml
@@ -30,11 +30,18 @@ build:centos7:
 
 build:centos8:
   extends: .template_build_rpm_yumrepo
-  image: ${IPBUS_DOCKER_REGISTRY}/ipbus-sw-dev-centos8:2020-06-13__boost1.66.0_pugixml1.9
+  image: ${IPBUS_DOCKER_REGISTRY}/ipbus-sw-dev-centos8:2020-01-08__boost1.66.0_pugixml1.11
   variables:
     YUMGROUPS_FILE: ci/yum/yumgroups-centos7.xml
     OUTPUT_REPO_SUBDIR: centos8/x86_64
 
+build:centos8-python38:
+  extends: .template_build_rpm_yumrepo
+  image: ${IPBUS_DOCKER_REGISTRY}/ipbus-sw-dev-centos8-python38:2020-01-08__boost1.66.0_pugixml1.11
+  variables:
+    YUMGROUPS_FILE: ci/yum/yumgroups-centos7.xml
+    OUTPUT_REPO_SUBDIR: centos8_python38/x86_64
+
 
 build:centos7-gcc8:
   stage: build
@@ -89,3 +96,11 @@ publish:yum:centos8:
     DEPLOY_SUBDIR: repos/centos8/x86_64
   needs:
     - build:centos8
+
+publish:yum:centos8-python38:
+  extends: .template_publish
+  variables:
+    CI_OUTPUT_DIR: ci_results/repos/centos8_python38/x86_64
+    DEPLOY_SUBDIR: repos/centos8_python38/x86_64
+  needs:
+    - build:centos8-python38
diff --git a/ci/tests.yml b/ci/tests.yml
index db5040bbb..8e887d8be 100644
--- a/ci/tests.yml
+++ b/ci/tests.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 
 variables:
+  PYTHON: "python"
   UHAL_ENABLE_IPBUS_MMAP: ""
   VALGRIND_ARGS: "--suppressions=/opt/cactus/etc/uhal/tests/valgrind/uhal_tests.supp"
 
@@ -15,10 +16,9 @@ variables:
     - cat /etc/yum.repos.d/ipbus-sw-ci.repo
     - sudo rpm --rebuilddb && sudo yum clean all 
     - sudo yum -y groupinstall ${YUM_GROUPINSTALL_ARGUMENTS} ipbus-sw
-    - if [ "$REPO_URL_OS_SUBDIR" != "centos8/x86_64" ]; then sudo yum -y install 'cactuscore-uhal-*-debuginfo'; fi
+    - if [[ ! "$REPO_URL_OS_SUBDIR" =~ ^centos8.+ ]]; then sudo yum -y install 'cactuscore-uhal-*-debuginfo'; fi
     - rpm -qa | grep cactus | sort
 
-
 .template_test:centos7:
   extends: .template_test_rpmInstall
   image: ${IPBUS_DOCKER_REGISTRY}/ipbus-sw-test-centos7:2020-06-13
@@ -57,11 +57,25 @@ variables:
     - job: publish:yum:centos8
       artifacts: false
   variables:
+    PYTHON: "python3.6"
     REPO_URL_OS_SUBDIR: centos8/x86_64
     TEST_SUITE_CONTROLHUB_PATH_ARGUMENT: "-p /opt/cactus/bin"
     YUM_GROUPINSTALL_ARGUMENTS: "--enablerepo=PowerTools"
     UHAL_GUI_DEPENDENCIES: "python3-numpy"
 
+.template_test:centos8-python38:
+  extends: .template_test_rpmInstall
+  image: ${IPBUS_DOCKER_REGISTRY}/ipbus-sw-test-centos8:2020-06-13
+  needs:
+    - job: publish:yum:centos8-python38
+      artifacts: false
+  variables:
+    PYTHON: "python3.8"
+    REPO_URL_OS_SUBDIR: centos8_python38/x86_64
+    TEST_SUITE_CONTROLHUB_PATH_ARGUMENT: "-p /opt/cactus/bin"
+    UHAL_GUI_DEPENDENCIES: "python38-numpy"
+    YUM_GROUPINSTALL_ARGUMENTS: "--enablerepo=PowerTools"
+
 
 .template_test_simpleInstall:
   stage: test
@@ -109,20 +123,20 @@ variables:
   script:
     - export PATH=/opt/cactus/bin/uhal/tests:$PATH
     - export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/cactus/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
-    - uhal_test_suite.py -v -s pycohal
+    - ${PYTHON} $(which uhal_test_suite.py) -v -s pycohal
 
 .job_template: &test_gui_jobScript
   script:
     - 'if [ -x "$(command -v yum)" ]; then sudo yum -y install ${UHAL_GUI_DEPENDENCIES} ; else sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get -y install python-wx* ; fi'
     - export PATH=/opt/cactus/bin/uhal/tests:$PATH
     - export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/cactus/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
-    - uhal_test_suite.py -v -s gui
+    - ${PYTHON} $(which uhal_test_suite.py) -v -s gui
 
 .job_template: &test_tools_jobScript
   script:
     - export PATH=/opt/cactus/bin/uhal/tests:/opt/cactus/bin/uhal/tools:$PATH
     - export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/cactus/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
-    - uhal_test_suite.py -v -s tools
+    - ${PYTHON} $(which uhal_test_suite.py) -v -s tools
 
 .job_template: &test_controlhub_service_jobScript
   script:
@@ -202,6 +216,23 @@ test_controlhub:centos8:
   <<: *test_controlhub_plainScripts_jobScript
 
 
+test_core:centos8-python38:
+  extends: .template_test:centos8-python38
+  <<: *test_core_jobScript
+
+test_python:centos8-python38:
+  extends: .template_test:centos8-python38
+  <<: *test_python_jobScript
+
+test_tools:centos8-python38:
+  extends: .template_test:centos8-python38
+  <<: *test_tools_jobScript
+
+test_controlhub:centos8-python38:
+  extends: .template_test:centos8-python38
+  <<: *test_controlhub_plainScripts_jobScript
+
+
 test_core:fedora30-python2:
   extends: .template_test:fedora30-python2
   <<: *test_core_jobScript
diff --git a/config/Makefile.macros b/config/Makefile.macros
index 46210ccf8..b77ba1679 100644
--- a/config/Makefile.macros
+++ b/config/Makefile.macros
@@ -6,20 +6,16 @@ CACTUS_RPM_ROOT ?= $(BUILD_HOME)
 
 
 PYTHON ?= python
-CACTUS_PLATFORM=$(shell ${PYTHON} -c "import platform; print(platform.platform())")
+CACTUS_PLATFORM=$(shell cat /etc/system-release)
 CACTUS_OS=unknown.os
 
 UNAME=$(strip $(shell uname -s))
 ifeq ($(UNAME),Linux)
-    ifneq ($(findstring redhat-5,$(CACTUS_PLATFORM)),)
-        CACTUS_OS=slc5
-    else ifneq ($(findstring redhat-6,$(CACTUS_PLATFORM)),)
+    ifneq ($(findstring Scientific Linux CERN SLC release 6,$(CACTUS_PLATFORM)),)
         CACTUS_OS=slc6
-    else ifneq ($(findstring centos-6,$(CACTUS_PLATFORM)),)
-        CACTUS_OS=centos6
-    else ifneq ($(findstring centos-7,$(CACTUS_PLATFORM)),)
+    else ifneq ($(findstring CentOS Linux release 7,$(CACTUS_PLATFORM)),)
         CACTUS_OS=centos7
-    else ifneq ($(findstring centos-8,$(CACTUS_PLATFORM)),)
+    else ifneq ($(findstring CentOS Linux release 8,$(CACTUS_PLATFORM)),)
         CACTUS_OS=centos8
     endif
 else ifeq ($(UNAME),Darwin)
diff --git a/uhal/tests/scripts/uhal_test_suite.py b/uhal/tests/scripts/uhal_test_suite.py
index 082a14aaf..a1668c811 100755
--- a/uhal/tests/scripts/uhal_test_suite.py
+++ b/uhal/tests/scripts/uhal_test_suite.py
@@ -146,17 +146,17 @@ def get_commands(conn_file, controlhub_scripts_dir, uhal_tools_template_vhdl):
 
     cmds += [["TEST PYCOHAL",
               ["DummyHardwareUdp.exe --version 1 --port 50001",
-               "test_pycohal -c %s -v" % (conn_file),
+               sys.executable + " $(which test_pycohal) -c %s -v" % (conn_file),
                "KILL_BACKGROUND_PROCS"]
             ]]
 
     cmds += [["TEST uHAL GUI",
-              ["/usr/bin/python -c \"import uhal.gui.test.test_uhal_gui;uhal.gui.test.test_uhal_gui.main()\""]
+              [sys.executable + " -c \"import uhal.gui.test.test_uhal_gui;uhal.gui.test.test_uhal_gui.main()\""]
             ]]
 
     cmds += [["TEST uHAL TOOLS",
               [#uhal.tools.ipbus_addr_map
-               "gen_ipbus_addr_decode -t %s %s" % (uhal_tools_template_vhdl, join(os.path.split(uhal_tools_template_vhdl)[0],'addr_table.xml')),
+               sys.executable + " $(which gen_ipbus_addr_decode) -t %s %s" % (uhal_tools_template_vhdl, join(os.path.split(uhal_tools_template_vhdl)[0],'addr_table.xml')),
               ]
             ]]