diff --git a/conan/internal/model/conf.py b/conan/internal/model/conf.py
index 98c58bb5e35..1d5f15279e7 100644
--- a/conan/internal/model/conf.py
+++ b/conan/internal/model/conf.py
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@
     "tools.system.package_manager:mode": "Mode for package_manager tools: 'check', 'report', 'report-installed' or 'install'",
     "tools.system.package_manager:sudo": "Use 'sudo' when invoking the package manager tools in Linux (False by default)",
     "tools.system.package_manager:sudo_askpass": "Use the '-A' argument if using sudo in Linux to invoke the system package manager (False by default)",
+    "tools.system.pipenv:python_interpreter": "Path to the Python interpreter to be used to create the virtualenv",
     "tools.apple:sdk_path": "Path to the SDK to be used",
     "tools.apple:enable_bitcode": "(boolean) Enable/Disable Bitcode Apple Clang flags",
     "tools.apple:enable_arc": "(boolean) Enable/Disable ARC Apple Clang flags",
diff --git a/conan/tools/system/pip_manager.py b/conan/tools/system/pip_manager.py
index 214f613fad7..600ede2be82 100644
--- a/conan/tools/system/pip_manager.py
+++ b/conan/tools/system/pip_manager.py
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
-import venv
 import platform
 import os
+import shutil
 
 from conan.tools.build import cmd_args_to_string
 from conan.tools.env.environment import Environment
+from conan.errors import ConanException
 
 
 class PipEnv:
@@ -23,6 +24,23 @@ def generate(self):
         env.prepend_path("PATH", self.bin_dir)
         env.vars(self._conanfile).save_script(self.env_name)
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def _default_python():
+        default_python = shutil.which('python') if platform.system() == "Windows" else shutil.which('python3')
+        return os.path.realpath(default_python) if default_python else None
+
+    def _create_venv(self):
+        python_interpreter = self._conanfile.conf.get("tools.system.pipenv:python_interpreter") or self._default_python()
+        if not python_interpreter:
+            raise ConanException("PipEnv could not find a Python executable path. "
+                                 "Please, install Python system-wide or set the 'tools.system.pipenv:python_interpreter' "
+                                 "conf to the full path of a Python executable")
+
+        try:
+            self._conanfile.run(cmd_args_to_string([python_interpreter, '-m', 'venv', self._env_dir]))
+        except ConanException as e:
+            raise ConanException(f"PipEnv could not create a Python virtual environment using '{python_interpreter}': {e}")
+
     def install(self, packages, pip_args=None):
         """
         Will try to install the list of pip packages passed as a parameter.
@@ -34,7 +52,7 @@ def install(self, packages, pip_args=None):
         :return: the return code of the executed pip command.
         """
 
-        venv.EnvBuilder(clear=True, with_pip=True).create(self._env_dir)
+        self._create_venv()
         args = [self._python_exe, "-m", "pip", "install", "--disable-pip-version-check"]
         if pip_args:
             args += list(pip_args)
diff --git a/test/integration/tools/system/pip_manager_test.py b/test/integration/tools/system/pip_manager_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..90b53fecea6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/tools/system/pip_manager_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+from conan.tools.system import PipEnv
+from unittest.mock import patch
+import pytest
+from conan.errors import ConanException
+from conan.internal.model.settings import Settings
+from conan.test.utils.mocks import ConanFileMock
+
+
+@patch('shutil.which')
+def test_pipenv_conf(mock_shutil_which):
+    conanfile = ConanFileMock()
+    conanfile.settings = Settings()
+    conanfile.conf.define("tools.system.pipenv:python_interpreter", "/python/interpreter/from/config")
+    result = "/python/interpreter/from/config -m venv"
+    pipenv = PipEnv(conanfile, "testenv")
+
+    def fake_run(command, win_bash=False, subsystem=None, env=None, ignore_errors=False, quiet=False):
+        assert result in command
+        return 100
+    conanfile.run = fake_run
+    pipenv._create_venv()
+    mock_shutil_which.assert_not_called()
+
+
+@patch('shutil.which')
+def test_pipenv_error_message(mock_shutil_which):
+    conanfile = ConanFileMock()
+    conanfile.settings = Settings()
+    mock_shutil_which.return_value = None
+    with pytest.raises(ConanException) as exc_info:
+        pipenv = PipEnv(conanfile, "testenv")
+        pipenv._create_venv()
+    assert "install Python system-wide or set the 'tools.system.pipenv:python_interpreter' conf" in exc_info.value.args[0]
+
+
+def test_pipenv_creation_error_message():
+    conanfile = ConanFileMock()
+    conanfile.settings = Settings()
+    conanfile.conf.define("tools.system.pipenv:python_interpreter", "/python/interpreter/from/config")
+    pipenv = PipEnv(conanfile, "testenv")
+
+    def fake_run(command, win_bash=False, subsystem=None, env=None, ignore_errors=False, quiet=False):
+        raise ConanException("fake error message")
+    conanfile.run = fake_run
+    with pytest.raises(ConanException) as exc_info:
+        pipenv._create_venv()
+    assert "using '/python/interpreter/from/config': fake error message" in exc_info.value.args[0]