diff --git a/build_debian.sh b/build_debian.sh
index 767dd7b83b79..47a54730ef32 100755
--- a/build_debian.sh
+++ b/build_debian.sh
@@ -226,7 +226,8 @@ sudo LANG=C DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive chroot $FILESYSTEM_ROOT apt-get -y in
     hping3                  \
     python-scapy            \
     tcptraceroute           \
-    mtr-tiny
+    mtr-tiny                \
+    picocom
 
 sudo LANG=C DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive chroot $FILESYSTEM_ROOT apt-get -y download \
     grub-pc-bin
diff --git a/files/build_templates/sonic_debian_extension.j2 b/files/build_templates/sonic_debian_extension.j2
index 02ac97ba2b9a..60896d8ff4da 100644
--- a/files/build_templates/sonic_debian_extension.j2
+++ b/files/build_templates/sonic_debian_extension.j2
@@ -96,6 +96,10 @@ sudo rm -rf $FILESYSTEM_ROOT/$PLATFORM_COMMON_PY2_WHEEL_NAME
 sudo dpkg --root=$FILESYSTEM_ROOT -i target/debs/python-click*_all.deb || \
     sudo LANG=C DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive chroot $FILESYSTEM_ROOT apt-get -y install -f
 
+# Install python pexpect used by sonic-utilities consutil
+# using pip install instead to get a more recent version than is available through debian
+sudo https_proxy=$https_proxy LANG=C chroot $FILESYSTEM_ROOT pip install pexpect
+
 # Install SONiC Utilities (and its dependencies via 'apt-get -y install -f')
 sudo dpkg --root=$FILESYSTEM_ROOT -i target/debs/python-sonic-utilities_*.deb || \
     sudo LANG=C DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive chroot $FILESYSTEM_ROOT apt-get -y install -f