diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2022-11-01-21-45-58.gh-issue-98989.tMxbdB.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2022-11-01-21-45-58.gh-issue-98989.tMxbdB.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..6e22ac1f03cdc8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2022-11-01-21-45-58.gh-issue-98989.tMxbdB.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Use ``python3.11``, if available, for regeneration and freezing.
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 953c558d6048d4..0c54ea63924ad0 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -3361,7 +3361,7 @@ fi
 
 
 
-for ac_prog in python$PACKAGE_VERSION python3.10 python3.9 python3.8 python3.7 python3.6 python3 python
+for ac_prog in python$PACKAGE_VERSION python3.11 python3.10 python3.9 python3.8 python3.7 python3.6 python3 python
 do
   # Extract the first word of "$ac_prog", so it can be a program name with args.
 set dummy $ac_prog; ac_word=$2
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 210ce3292cfdf7..4575a2458ba2f0 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ AC_SUBST([FREEZE_MODULE_DEPS])
 AC_SUBST([PYTHON_FOR_BUILD_DEPS])
 
 AC_CHECK_PROGS([PYTHON_FOR_REGEN],
-  [python$PACKAGE_VERSION python3.10 python3.9 python3.8 python3.7 python3.6 python3 python],
+  [python$PACKAGE_VERSION python3.11 python3.10 python3.9 python3.8 python3.7 python3.6 python3 python],
   [python3])
 AC_SUBST(PYTHON_FOR_REGEN)