diff --git a/src/xpra/server/server_util.py b/src/xpra/server/server_util.py
index 9075f9dfa5..e0f0ef0902 100644
--- a/src/xpra/server/server_util.py
+++ b/src/xpra/server/server_util.py
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ def xpra_runner_shell_script(xpra_file, starting_dir, socket_dir):
         #XPRA_SOCKET_DIR is a special case, it is handled below
         if var=="XPRA_SOCKET_DIR":
             continue
+        if var=="XPRA_ALT_PYTHON_RETRY":
+            #the environment might have changed,
+            #and we may need to retry with a different interpreter
+            #different from the one that created this script
+            continue
         if var.startswith("BASH_FUNC"):
             #some versions of bash will apparently generate functions
             #that cannot be reloaded using this script