diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 697e6c577f..ee72ad7a14 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ jobs:
     machine: true
     steps:
       - checkout
-      - run: docker build -f docker/Dockerfile --label gitsha1=${CIRCLE_SHA1} -t matrixdotorg/synapse:${CIRCLE_TAG} .
-      - run: docker build -f docker/Dockerfile --label gitsha1=${CIRCLE_SHA1} -t matrixdotorg/synapse:${CIRCLE_TAG}-py3 --build-arg PYTHON_VERSION=3.6 .
+      - run: docker build -f docker/Dockerfile --label gitsha1=${CIRCLE_SHA1} -t matrixdotorg/synapse:${CIRCLE_TAG}-py2 .
+      - run: docker build -f docker/Dockerfile --label gitsha1=${CIRCLE_SHA1} -t matrixdotorg/synapse:${CIRCLE_TAG} -t matrixdotorg/synapse:${CIRCLE_TAG}-py3 --build-arg PYTHON_VERSION=3.6 .
       - run: docker login --username $DOCKER_HUB_USERNAME --password $DOCKER_HUB_PASSWORD
       - run: docker push matrixdotorg/synapse:${CIRCLE_TAG}
       - run: docker push matrixdotorg/synapse:${CIRCLE_TAG}-py3
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ jobs:
     machine: true
     steps:
       - checkout
-      - run: docker build -f docker/Dockerfile --label gitsha1=${CIRCLE_SHA1} -t matrixdotorg/synapse:latest .
-      - run: docker build -f docker/Dockerfile --label gitsha1=${CIRCLE_SHA1} -t matrixdotorg/synapse:latest-py3 --build-arg PYTHON_VERSION=3.6 .
+      - run: docker build -f docker/Dockerfile --label gitsha1=${CIRCLE_SHA1} -t matrixdotorg/synapse:latest-py2 .
+      - run: docker build -f docker/Dockerfile --label gitsha1=${CIRCLE_SHA1} -t matrixdotorg/synapse:latest -t matrixdotorg/synapse:latest-py3 --build-arg PYTHON_VERSION=3.6 .
       - run: docker login --username $DOCKER_HUB_USERNAME --password $DOCKER_HUB_PASSWORD
       - run: docker push matrixdotorg/synapse:latest
       - run: docker push matrixdotorg/synapse:latest-py3
diff --git a/changelog.d/4558.feature b/changelog.d/4558.feature
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..40724d1c3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/4558.feature
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+The matrixdotorg/synapse Docker images now use Python 3 by default.
\ No newline at end of file